AMATEUR ATHLETICS

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 221, 18 September 1929, Page 14

AMATEUR ATHLETICS

FINAL WINTER RUN. "STEEPLES" TO A. B. BROWNE. The .Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycle Club conducted its last of the series of competitions for winter at the Ellerslie racecourse last Saturday. The steeplechase should have been over five miles, with the Auckland, cross-country championship at stake, but as entries were not forthcoming it was decided to hold a four-mile steeplechase handicap. The race, which was held over the same course as the Great Northern Steeplechase, was run under ideal conditions, although a slight wind retarded the competitors coming down the hill. In the first heat of the sprint C. Torbet L won by ISin from J. C. Tipping in Ss, while in the second heat E. Horan won from R. Kirkwood in the same time, both heats greatly assisted by the wind. It was very difficult to judge the placings in the second heat, as the field was bunched, but third place was given jointly L. Barker and J. Turnbull. In the final E. Horan bounded off the mark and appeared a sure winner at 50 yards, but 10 yards from the tape C. Torbett drew level with him, and it was only by hurling himself at the tape that Horan gained" the verdict. Torbett and Barker gained second and third places respectively, while the winner improved on 'the time for his heat by one-fifth of a second. Tlje steeplechase, which attracted 18 starters, proved to be a race of excitement, especially over the hurdle into the waterjump. This is just in advance of the hurdle in front of the grandstand, and although it is practically free from water, some ISin of soft mud had to be negotiated. Some of the more fortunate competitors struck a patch only about 3in deep, while others struck the worst position, and were held there for some seconds. One unfortunate, after being held fast, came out without his shoes, and lost some seconds before he recovered them. G. Kells and J. W. Savidan were nonstarters, the latter taking his first rest iii four years. The race proved a triumph for the middle-markers, although the back-markers, Whitten and Cooper, were right on his heels at the finish. Browne has two wins to his credit this seaso.i in spite of the fact that he has raced only four times. He is the present Grammar School champion, and on present form should have no difficulty in holding that championship, but his convincing defeats of W. Briggs appear too outstanding to be real. Whitten, who is an ex-Mount Albert Grammar boy, came second, a position which shows that lie. lias retained his form right through the j harrier season. ! X. F. Cooper ran an excellently judged | race, and, of course, registered the fastest time, his time being 22m 9 2-ss. He made up a tremendous leeway in the second lap, and many of the spectators thought, that he would win, but apparently the j handicaps were too great. j Harrier running has now a firm footing | in Auckland, which reflects great credit upon Mr. W. Morton, the president of i the club. The number of runners in the club is very small compared with the number who compete in the other centres, but still Auckland has the quality. The Auckland Club is the only club which has ever presented four successive Xew Zealand cross-country medals. However, greater prospects are in store next rear.