LOS ANGELES MARATHON : Mexicans Provide an Olympic Effort : Mondragon, Jaime Come From Behind to Secure Surprising Wins Near Race End

It was supposed to be the first time Mark Plaatjes, formerly of South Africa, had ever competed without pressure. As it played out Sunday, he’ll still have to wait to cross that mental threshold.

A tenacious and driven Martin Mondragon pressured Plaatjes for the entire 26.2 miles of the Los Angeles Marathon, and pulled away in the last mile to win in 2 hours 10 minutes 19 seconds, a course record. Ric Sayre of Ashland, Ore., had set the former record of 2:12:59 in 1986.

Plaatjes was running in his first race as a free man, but he had the pressure of expectations heavy upon him. He was the race favorite and, having fled South Africa with his wife and daughter in January, has been waiting for the moment when he could, at last, compete with his peers internationally.

Plaatjes had been denied this because there is an international athletic ban against South African athletes stemming from that country’s policy of apartheid. Plaatjes, who is of mixed race, has been caught in that web of red tape. He couldn’t run freely.

Mondragon, too, was feeling pressure. He was one of 16 male and female Mexican athletes sent here to attempt to qualify for one of three places on that country’s Olympic team in the marathon.

Mondragon was not even the most highly regarded member of his delegation: 10 Mexican runners had better times than Mondragon. His previous-best time was 2:22:24. There was this, too--Mondragon had only turned to running after he gave up hope of becoming a professional soccer player. He held out until age 30.

If Mondragon, 34, was an unlikely winner, then Mexico was the unlikely, and overwhelming, victor Sunday. Seven of the top nine male finishers were Mexican. A Mexican woman, Blanca Jaime, a 22-year-old secretary from Mexico City, won in 2:36:10. The race began and ended near the Coliseum in Exposition Park. Mondragon and Jaime each won $25,000 and an automobile.

Jaime has been running for only three years, which means the two winners have seven years of experience between them.

Plaatjes was overtaken in the last 100 yards by Jesus Herrera of Mexico and finished third in 2:10:41. Herrera, who ran 2:10:40, may have won hearts with his gutty end rush. But, even with his excellent time, he may not make the Mexican team. Such is the depth of running talent in that country.

It was not a Mexican, but an Italian who led from the second mile to the 10th. Gianni Poli, a two-time winner in New York, astonished the field by rushing to a 10-second lead. No other runner went with him and Poli pulled the 17,040 participants with him. It was a cool, overcast morning. Poli appeared to be enjoying himself and frequently looked around while he ran.

“I was running very easy,” Poli said. The pack rejoined Poli at the 10-mile point and those seven men--Poli, Mondragon, Plaatjes, Herrera, Filemon Lopez, Carlos Retiz and Manuel Vera--ran in a bunch for 10 miles.

Poli would fade and finish seventh.

Later, some runners would say the Mexicans appeared to be running as a team, helping each other, but the Mexicans disagreed. Each was fighting the other to make the Olympic team, and, in this race, countrymen would become competitors.

The women’s race was developing much as the men’s. Christa Vahlensieck and Magda Ilands were running together for much of the race. These two marathon veterans have run many miles together and are good friends. Although they were the top two women most of the way, neither would win.

First, Vahlensieck fell off the pace. Jaime passed her. Ilands, who has an 18-year-old child, faded for second. Vahlensieck was fourth.

At 20 miles, the seven men began to string out, except that Plaatjes stayed on Mondragon’s shoulder. To rid himself of the irritating, and dangerous, shadow, Mondragon began applying a regimen of surging. He would forge ahead and Plaatjes was forced to follow. He’d settle in for a time, then race ahead again. It was energy-sapping, but for Plaatjes, “I had no choice but to go with him.”

After 23 miles, Mondragon and Plaatjes were maintaining a sub-5-minute-mile pace, about 4.50. As is his custom, Plaatjes had cut his hair and shaved his beard the night before the race. He said it makes him feel faster. He had been fast enough in this race, but by the 25th mile, the duel with Mondragon had taken its toll.

“In the last mile, my legs gave,” Plaatjes said. “He ran the exact race I like to run. He was steady and constant. He ran very, very well.”

Mondragon pulled steadily away in the last mile and appeared strong and in control. Plaatjes, meanwhile, was struggling. Herrera was still in third. He said when Mondragon and Plaatjes pulled away he “did not have the courage to stay with them.”

His redemption came when he courageously ran past Plaatjes in the last 100 yards. Plaatjes said he did not know Herrera was coming up so fast, “The crowd was great and yelling, but it could have been a disadvantage,” Plaatjes said. “I didn’t know they were trying to tell me he was behind me.”

Plaatjes was satisfied with his time. His coach, Tony Longhurst, was likewise pleased. “He was ready,” Longhurst said. “If he’s happy, I’m happy.”

Plaatjes, who isn’t used to such a positive reception from onlookers, said, “This is the most enthusiastic crowd I’ve ever seen. People were shouting, they were shouting my name. They were saying, ‘Go, go.’ Other people were shouting, ‘Down with apartheid. Down with apartheid.’ It was really great.”

Also happy was Shirley, Mark’s wife. “I could not sleep at all last night,” she said. “I was always thinking of the bad things. Relieved? Tell me about it.”

It was an emotional end to an emotional day. Even though he has ostensibly been training for this race, Plaatjes has been wrestling with larger problems. After his family decided not to return to South Africa, Plaatjes has been working with attorneys and friends to begin the process to obtain U.S. citizenship.

Being cleared to run here was one less barrier for him, an obstacle Plaatjes and other South Africans have always had before. As he stood near the start line before the race Sunday, it began to sink in. Denouncing his citizenship, leaving his homeland and embarking on a new and unknown life in a new country--Plaatjes began to cry softly.

Marathon Notes

Bill Rodgers was second in the masters’ race in 2:20:29. Robert Schlau won in a time of 2:19:27. . . . Rod Dixon, who was trying to qualify for his fifth New Zealand Olympic team was 12th in 2:15:45. . . . At least two athletes were disqualified before the race when an official of The Athletics Congress ruled he was unsatisfied with their paper work. The athletes said they were from Lesotho, in South Africa. Since South Africans are barred from international competition in track and field, the runners were not allowed to compete. . . . Race Director Bill Burke on Saturday night responded to good-natured criticism about his being a confirmed non-runner, by challenging New York City Marathon Race Director Fred Lebow. Burke said he would run in the next New York Marathon and challenged Lebow to a race here. Lebow, who ran here Sunday, rose to the call, saying, “No way he is going to beat me, not in this decade . . .” Martin Mondragon’s wife’s name is Mercedes, the same as the car he won. . . . A surprise entrant in the women’s race was 11-year-old Carrie Garritson from Fullerton. Garritson was the leading woman early in the race. Race officials pointed out that although they have an age minimum of 18, Garritson’s parents had signed a waiver, and she was allowed to run. It was her first marathon ever and she finished in 2:49:21. . . . Runners are usually assigned bib numbers according to their times, that is, No. 1 is worn by the runner with the fastest time, etc. They also are placed on the front line of the race, an advantage. Not so here. Celebrities are different in Los Angeles. Corbin Bernsen of television’s “L.A. Law” was assigned bib No. 8. Mondragon, who won the race, wore No. 68. . . . Vietnam veteran Bob Wieland, who lost his legs and runs on his hands, was still on the course Sunday night. He started Saturday morning and is expected to finish some time Tuesday.