Sidwell becomes the third defensive coordinator in Meyer's three years as coach of the Patriots. Rust replaced Jim Mora, who left after one year as defensive coordinator to become head coach of the Philadelphia Stars of the United States Football League.

Marathon Prizes

NEW YORK--Women's long-distance runners earned another victory yesterday, when Fred Lebow, director of the New York City Marathon, announced that the top three woman finishers in Sunday's 26-mi., 385-yd, race would receive the same prize money as the men.

Lebow said the biggest supporter for equalizing the financial rewards was New York Mayor Edward I Koch.

The mayor recently had become angry with Lebow when the race organizer, who had been paying prize money to athletes under the table since 1976, disclosed that he would be paying it openly this year.

Once that was revealed, Koch said he felt strongly that the leading finishers among the women should be paid the same amount as the men.

After the two met this week, along with other city officials, it was decided to give each of the winners $25,000, the runners-up $22,000 apiece, and the third-place finishers $18,000.

Before the change, the prize structure for the women had been $22,000, $19,000 and $15,000.

The difference between the men and women begins with the fourth place finishers, with the number four man collecting $13,000 and the number-four woman $11,000.

"It's realistic why there is less prize money for women," explained Lebow, "because the women's participation [in this year's field of 18.365] is only 17 or 18 percent."

Lebow called the distribution of prize money "an expensive land mark," adding. "I would be less than honest if I were not concerned where this will lead us."