View source for Rod Dixon

{{short description|New Zealand distance runner}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{MedalTableTop|Rod Dixon 1976.jpg|200px|Rod Dixon in 1976}}
{{MedalSport | Men's [[Athletics (sport)|Athletics]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{NZL}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalBronze| [[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Munich]] | [[Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics|1500 metres]]}}
{{MedalBottom}}
'''Rodney Phillip Dixon''' (born 13 July 1950) is a former New Zealand middle- to long-distance runner. He won the bronze medal in the 1500 metres at the [[New Zealand at the 1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Olympics]] in Munich, and in 1983 won the [[New York City Marathon]].

==Biography==
Dixon was born on 13 July 1950 in [[Nelson, New Zealand]].

He first represented New Zealand at the [[1972 Summer Olympics]] in [[Munich]], finishing third in the [[Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics|1500 metres]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The Book of Olympic Lists |url=https://archive.org/details/bookofolympiclis0000wall |url-access=registration |first=David |last=Wallechinsky |year= 2012 |isbn= 978-1845137731 |page= [https://archive.org/details/bookofolympiclis0000wall/page/22 22]}}</ref> He won his first British [[AAA Championships]] title in the 1500m event at the [[1973 AAA Championships]] (the second was in 1976).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nuts.org.uk/Champs/AAA/index.htm |title=AAA, WAAA and National Championships Medallists |website=National Union of Track Statisticians |access-date=29 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gbrathletics.com/bc/aaa.htm |title=AAA Championships (men) |website=GBR Athletics |access-date=29 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002454/19730715/235/0020 |title=Results  |work=The People |date=15 July 1973 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=29 May 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002137/19730715/319/0042 |title=Dave's run for the money |work=Sunday Mirror |date=15 July 1973 |via=British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription |access-date=29 May 2025}}</ref> At the [[1974 British Commonwealth Games]] in [[Christchurch]] he finished fourth in the 1500 metres. His time of 3:33.89 (officially 3:33.9) was the fifth fastest ever at the time and remained Dixon's lifetime best for the distance. He then moved up to the [[5000 metres]] and was ranked first in the world for the event in 1975 by [[Track & Field News]] magazine.

In the 5000 metres at the [[1976 Summer Olympics|1976 Montreal Olympics]] Dixon finished fourth behind four-time Olympic Champion [[Lasse Virén]], teammate [[Dick Quax]] and [[Klaus-Peter Hildenbrand]] whose last second dive/fall denied Dixon a second Olympic bronze medal.<ref name="Víren">See Matti Hannus, "The Montreal Olympic Book" / Montrealin Olympiakirja, published in Finland in 1976; Mauno Saari, "Lasse Viren:  The Secrets of Running" / Lasse Viren:  Juoksemisen salaisuudet, published in Finland in 1979.</ref>

After missing the [[1980 Summer Olympics]] due to the [[1980 Summer Olympics boycott|boycott]]<ref name="NZH">{{Cite web |url= http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/moscow-olympics-boycott |title=1980 Moscow Olympics boycott |work=nzhistory.net.nz |access-date=22 August 2010}}</ref> Dixon took third place at the [[1982 IAAF World Cross Country Championships]].  Dixon also turned to road-running and was one of the more successful athletes on the US [[road running|road racing]] circuit in the early '80s, including wins at the [[Falmouth Road Race]] (1980), [[Bay to Breakers]] (1982 & 1983), the Lynchburg, Virginia 10 miler (1981 & 1983), and the Philadelphia Half-Marathon (1980, 1981). His gradual move to longer distances culminated in his [[List of winners of the New York City Marathon|1983 marathon victory in New York City]].<ref>{{YouTube|llfcZUyTJGA|Interview with Rod Dixon showing the finish}}.</ref><ref>[https://archive.today/20120720140538/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1121435/index.htm sportsillustrated.cnn.com]  Sports Illustrated</ref> He finished 10th in the [[Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon|marathon]] at the [[1984 Summer Olympics]].

Unable to compete due to an injury, Dixon guided a [[blindness|blind]] runner in the 1985 Bay to Breakers.<ref name="Wason"/> At the 1985 New York Marathon, Dixon served as the first host for the participatory "Helmet Cam" as he followed the lead pack for a mile during the race.<ref name="Wason">{{cite news |title=Bay-to-Breakers race a time for celebrating fun aspect of sports |first=Tim |last=Wason |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/1985/0522/pbreak.html |newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor |location=Boston |date=22 May 1985 |page=18 |access-date=2 February 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-10-27-sp-12820-story.html | work=Los Angeles Times | first=Barry | last=Wilner | title=Rod Dixon to Wear Camera on His Head During Today's New York City Marathon | date=27 October 1985}}</ref>

The [[1980 Summer Olympics boycott|boycott]]<ref name="NZH"/> of the [[1980 Summer Olympics]] led to Dixon becoming embroiled in a savage row with the NZ Amateur Athletic Association. He got wind of the boycott some time before it was announced and confronted NZAAA over it. Teams which were to compete in the coming Olympics were in their final preparations and some athletes in teams, like the rowers and hockey players, were leaving their jobs so they could compete -without any idea that there would be a boycott. Dixon felt that the New Zealand government had no business meddling in the Olympic Games and the athletes should have been consulted and been part of the decision-making process. This rift led to Dixon relocating to the US to compete on the [[road running|road racing]] circuit.

After winning the New York Marathon, Pan Am put his name on the side of one of its 747s and gave him a "self-write ticket" - for first-class. He used to say to his "friend": Want to go to Zurich tonight? And off they'd go, for dinner.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/michele-hewitson-interview-rod-dixon/6RYWPFWSA4RZF5LWKLY3HWK5BQ/|title=Michele Hewitson interview: Rod Dixon|date=6 May 2024|website=[[The New Zealand Herald]] }}</ref>

==Personal bests==
{| class="wikitable" style=" text-align:center; font-size:95%;" width="70%"
!''Distance''||''Time''||''Place''||''Date''
|-
|'''800 m'''||1:47.6 ||Rome||1973
|-
|'''1500 m'''||3:33.89||Christchurch||1974
|-
|'''1 mile'''||3:53.62||Stockholm||1975
|-
|'''3000m'''||7:41.0||Milan||1974
|-
||'''3000 m Steeplechase'''||8:29.0||Oslo||1973
|-
|'''2 miles'''||8:14.4||Stockholm||1974
|-
|'''5000 m'''||13:17.27||Stockholm||1976
|-
|'''10000 m'''||28:11.0||Atlanta||1981
|-
|'''Half marathon'''||1:02:12 [[New Zealand records in athletics|NR]] ||Philadelphia||1981
|-
|'''Marathon'''||2:08:59||New York||1983

|}

==Achievements==
{| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}}
|-
!colspan="6"|Representing {{NZL}}
|-

|1972
|[[Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|[[Munich]], West Germany
|3rd, Bronze Medal
|1500 metres
|[[Athletics at the 1972 Summer Olympics – Men's 1500 metres|3:37.5]]
 |-1976 Athletics at Summer Olympics Games Montreal, Canada 4th, 5000 metres 13:25.50                              
|1982                 
|[[1982 IAAF World Cross Country Championships]]
|[[Rome]], Italy
|3rd, Bronze Medal
|11.978&nbsp;km
|34:01
|-
|1984
|[[Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]] 
|[[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], United States
|10th
|Marathon
|[[Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon|2:12:57]] 
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.olympic.org.nz/Athletes/AthleteProfile.aspx?Print=&ContactID=1102&id=3774 Biography at New Zealand Olympic Committee website]{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
*[http://www.sporting-heroes.net/athletics-heroes/displayhero.asp?HeroID=4738 Page with Photo at ''Sporting Heroes'']

{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box|before={{flagicon|GBR}} [[Brendan Foster]] |title=[[3000 metres#Men.27s Seasons Best|Men's 3.000&nbsp;m best year performance]] |years=1975–1976 |after={{flagicon|FRG}} [[Karl Fleschen]]}}
|-
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{s-bef | before = [[Les Mills]]}}
{{s-ttl | title  = [[Lonsdale Cup (NZOC)|Lonsdale Cup]] of the [[New Zealand Olympic Committee]] | years=1972}}
{{s-aft | after  = [[Jack Foster (athlete)|Jack Foster]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Footer New York Marathon Champions Men}}
{{Footer US NC 1500m Men}}
{{Footer New Zealand NC 5000 m men}}
{{Footer New Zealand NC 10,000 m men}}
{{1972 New Zealand Olympic team}}
{{1974 New Zealand British Commonwealth Games team}}
{{1976 New Zealand Olympic team}}
{{1978 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team}}
{{1984 New Zealand Olympic team}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dixon, Rod}}
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:New Zealand male middle-distance runners]]
[[Category:New Zealand male long-distance runners]]
[[Category:New Zealand male steeplechase runners]]
[[Category:Olympic athletes for New Zealand]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for New Zealand]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1976 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1978 Commonwealth Games]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Commonwealth Games athletes for New Zealand]]
[[Category:New York City Marathon male winners]]
[[Category:New Zealand masters athletes]]
[[Category:People educated at Waimea College]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1972 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists in athletics (track and field)]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Nelson, New Zealand]]
[[Category:New Zealand Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:20th-century New Zealand sportsmen]]