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Actor Robby Benson, 28, Skier Jean-Claude Killy, 40, and Boxer Floyd Patterson, 48, all finished in respectable times, but the leading man in the 14th New York City Marathon was Rod Dixon, 33, who came from Down Under and from way back. The New Zealander, a highly regarded middle-distance runner attempting only his second marathon, had to scramble through bramble bushes to get into position at the front of the 15,193-person pack at the start in Staten Island. As thousands of New Yorkers braved a steady rain to cheer the racers along the 26-mile 385-yd. course, Dixon gradually moved into the No. 2 position behind Britain's Geoff Smith, closing to a scant 18 sec. as they entered Central Park at the 23-mile mark. Taking the lead in the final 385 yds., the lanky victor finished at 2:08:59, 46 sec. off the 1981 record set by Alberto Salazar (who skipped this year's race). As Runner-Up Smith tumbled onto the pavement behind him, Dixon knelt and kissed the wet ground before rising to give a victory salute. "I did want it very much," said Dixon. "And somehow you just express how you feel. I had tears. "
—By Guy D. Garcia