Just So Much Thin Air Videotapes Dissipate N.Y. Marathon Charges, But Not Resentment

The dispute surrounding Franziska Rochat-Moser’s victory in the New York City Marathon evaporated Monday like water on the pavement.

It did, however, leave her bitter.

“It hurts … to be accused like this,” she said. “I feel accused, but I don’t feel guilty.”

The brouhaha developed Sunday when Kim Jones of Spokane, the sixth-place finisher, contended that some of the top runners - including Rochat-Moser - were aided by other competitors, friends or spectators who provided them with fluids at water stations during the race.

International rules once banned such assistance, and violators were subject to disqualification. But the rule has been so difficult to enforce that is generally has been overlooked unless the violation is flagrant or continual.

Race director Allan Steinfeld assured Rochat-Moser that her victory was safe and she would not be subject to disqualification.

“You have a clean bill of health from me,” Steinfeld told the Swiss woman. “I’m the director of the race. Don’t worry about it.”

Steinfeld added, “No one takes this rule seriously … unless the individual does it every mile.”

Steinfeld said he had reviewed tapes of the race, concentrating on the water stops and did not see anything that merited disqualification of Rochat-Moser or any other runner.

Still, Rochat-Moser, a 31-year-old non-practicing lawyer, thought the hubbub tainted her victory.

“All this controversy is a little ridiculous,” she said. “It seems like she (Jones) gets like this. She had time to make a protest and she didn’t. I don’t know why she did it (complain originally). The only thing I did was to take a sponge from another runner. It’s not true that I was handed my water. I took the bottle myself from my spot on the table.”

Jones’ 24 hours to file a protest expired Monday.

“Yesterday was my day and I would like to leave it my day,” Rochat-Moser said. “I’m not the only one she accused. You either have to protest or shut up. She was not 2 seconds behind me. She was about 4 minutes behind. A bottle of water is not 4 minutes.”

In addition to the water bottle fuss, Rochat-Moser was disturbed by charges she was improperly aided by her coach, Richard Omberg, who was shouting instructions to her along the course.

“The only thing my coach did was to encourage me,” Rochat-Moser said. “If that’s not allowed, I will give up running marathons in the United States.”

This was her third marathon in the United States, and her first victory. Her other two appearances were at Boston, where she finished fourth in 1995 and sixth in 1996. She said the Boston course was easier to run but preferred competing in New York because of the huge crowds lining the 26-mile, 385-yard course throughout the city’s five boroughs.

Rochat-Moser finished in 2 hours, 28 minutes, 43 seconds, the slowest winning time since 1990.

The men’s winner, John Kagwe of Kenya, was clocked in 2:08:12, only 11 seconds off the race record of 2:08:01 by Juma Ikangaa of Tanzania in 1989. Kagwe was forced to stop and tie his shoelaces twice and run the last 4 miles with a flapping shoelace.

Steinfeld said a record 31,400 runners started the race and a record 30,332 finished.