Las Vegas Inv’t: Looking to set records

Tim Graham

Friday, Jan. 30, 1998 | 7:08 a.m.

If all indicators prove accurate, the record should fall.

Al Boka, director of the Las Vegas International Marathon, predicts Sunday morning's 32nd annual race will produce a new men's record.

The record of 2:12:37, held by Las Vegas Frank Plasso Jr., has stood for 11 years. But this Sunday's field -- bolstered by a team dispatched by event sponsor Mizuno -- shapes up as the best to ever run the 26.2-mile stretch of State Highway 604 that starts just south of Jean and concludes at Vacation Village.

"I really, really, for the first time ever, feel it will be (broken) because the top guys we have coming in have run regularly under the old record on so-called normal courses," Boka said Thursday. "Ours is a fast course with a downhill element to it. I think the times should be even better."

Two-time defending champ Zolton Holba, who won in 1997 with a time of 2:14:23, is back to attempt the trifecta. But the Hungarian's competition is stacked this time.

Mizuno, the Japan-based shoe company, will be represented by a pair of 1996 Olympians: Leonid Shvetsov and Eddy Hellebuyck.

Shvetsov, a Russian who trains in Albuquerque, N.M., appears the frontrunner to claim the first-place check of $5,000 and possibly break the record, which would earn him a bonus of $1,000-2,000.

"Leonid runs 2:10 with no problem," Boka said. "He is consistent in that 2:10-2:11 range. And he ran 2:09.16 in Prague, Czechoslovakia, last year."

Hellebuyck, a Belgian who also has relocated to Albuquerque, is a former record holder in the Las Vegas International Half Marathon at 1:00:49. He has 16 marathon victories, including two under 2:12.

"Eddy's been out here many times in the half marathon, and he's familiar with the course," Boka said. "He gave it a lot of thought and decided to go into the marathon. Eddie's pretty damn fast. He can cook it."

Another Mizuno entrant, Jon Hume of Lakewood, Colo., is another contender. Hume only has one 26.2-mile race to his credit, braving rough conditions to finish the Twin Cities Marathon in 2:17:39. He is considered capable of breaking 2:14.

Any timed event -- whether it's auto racing, horse racing, swimming or speed skating -- needs continued improvement to maintain interest and sponsorships.

It has been a concern of Boka's in recent years to lure the ilk of runners who can break Plasso's record. But the Las Vegas International Marathon payout is not on par with the top races in the U.S., even though this year's total purse is $48,000 -- up $4,000 from last year.

Boka hopes Mizuno's presence will perpetuate the race's growth.

"The reason we didn't have runners capable of sub-2:12 or 2:13 times was the level of prize money," Boka said. "The reason we have those runners this year is Mizuno.

"Mizuno is very interested in this race. They're trying to break into the running shoe market here in the United States. So they went out and recruited Eddy and Leonid from Nike."

In the women's division, Ludmila Ilina appears to be the frontrunner. The Russian owns a personal best of 2:38:37, more than six minutes over the women's record.

The field for the men's half marathon is paced by Mizuno's James Bungei, who boasts a top time of 1:01:47. The women's half is led by Nadezhda Ilyina, who sports a personal best of 1:08:58.