CROSS-COUNTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 206, 31 August 1936, Page 15

CROSS-COUNTRY.

N.Z. CHAMPIONSHIPS. AUCKLAND RETAINS SHIELD. C. WELLER WINS THE TITLE. The New Zealand cross-country championship, held in Auckland for the first time since 1931, was decided over the steeplechase ; course at Ellerslie on Saturday, a distance ot 10,000 metres. The present champions, the Auckland team, successfully defended the shield. Weller, of the West Coast, ran a beautiful race and finished first, the crack from Otago, Geddes, being in second place. Another Otago man, Curtis, got third, while ,T. W. Savidan, Auckland's champion, finished fourth. The winning team was: Savidan 4tli, Littler 6th, Birtwistle 7th and Harding 8th —25 points, 1. Otago —Geddes 2nd, Curt'.s 3rd, McLaren lltli and Barnes 12fh —was second with 2S points. West Coast—Weller Ist, Bourgeois 9th, Hill 13th and Bromley 14th —was third with 37 points. Wellington gained 60 points, Canterbury 70 an.d Hawke's Bay 118. The teams were : — Otago.—J. G. Barnes (captain), A. R. Geddes, J. Curtis, J. H. -McLaren, I. D. Craig, G. H. Davie. West Coast (N.I.).—C. Weller (captain), P Hill, G. Bromley, W. Johnston, A. Bourgeois, D. Smith. Individuals: W. Edge, K. B. Walsham. Canterbury.—L. E. Fox (captain), R. Rogers, A. H. Whymau, T. H. Bartlett, It. Taylor, D. H. Pannell. Individual: J. Darby. Auckland.—J. W. Savidan (captain), B. K. Birtwistle, C. Littler, A. G. Harding, J. I. B. Neil, R. Crompton. Wellington. —A. L. Stevens (captain), G. Prosser, D. I'edersen, J. Rlddington, V. Tunbridge, C. Talbot. Hawke's Bay.—A. Lord, A. Hughes, L. Taylor, B. Anderson. The Auckland team was considerably weakened by the absence of Norman Cooper, who recently retired from racing. He has been runner-up to Savidan for many seasons. Savidan did not display his usual vigour, although he hung on well throughout and registered quite a o-ood fourth. His performance is explained by the fact that ho spent three days in bed last week witlvinfiuenza.

\ strong southerly wind prevailed; and this slowed the runners up considerably as they made their way round the lons course. The course started at the entrance of the straight and continued round the steeplechase course and then out on to Ladies' Mile at the top of the hill. After coverin" a quarter of a mile on the road, the runners then swung to the right flown soft, undulating country towards Lake St. John and on to the road at Abbot's Way. then back over very swampy, soft country up Ladies' Mile again and on to the racecourse. Three circuits of the steeplechase were made. The racecourse was in fair order, but conditions were soft and sv, ampy in the country outside. How They Ran. From a very even start the flrst to show up was Weller (We 9 t Coast), followed closely by Curtis (Otago). Harding (Auckland), I'rosser (Wellington), and Birtwistle (Auckland). Going up the steeplechase hill Weller was still in front, running strongly, from Harding, who had gone up second, then came a bunch of six, including Savidnn. who was then lying tenth. The course then led out of the racecourse [on to Ladies' Mile for a quarter of a mile. Going down towards Lake St. John Harding

moved up to first place, followed by Weller and then Prosser. On the road in Abbott s Way, Savidan moved up to fourth position, while Harding dropped back to fifth, the rest of the field all being within 200 yards of the leader. Returning to the racecourse the order was still the same, Weller having increased his lead to 73 yards from Geddes passing the stands.. Savidan was 15 yards further back, lying third, closely followed by Trosser. then came Curtis, Harding and Birtwistle (Auckland) together, Birtwistle wns running in his bare feet, having lost his shoes when first traversing the swamp country. Going up the hill the second time the order was unaltered. Weller again increasing his lead. Geddes was 30yds in front of Curtis, and in a bunch came Savidan and I'rosser running strongly together, and 25yds behind them were noticed three Auckland men. Birtwistle. Harding and Littler. The rest of the field was strung out by this time. Weller was first into the straight for the last time. He was running well 70yds out from Geddes, who still had the advantage over Curtis, the latter being slightly in front of Savidan. with Prosser 20yds away, and Littler another 30yds behind him. Another 20yds away came Birtwistle and Harding, the latter sprinting well to defeat thre«> Otago men. Weller won by SOyds from Geddes. Curtis being about 50yds away in third place and Savidan closc up fourth. The Placings. The finish was :— C. Weller (captain, West Const, N.T.), 35.11 1 A. R. Geddes (Otago), 35.2S 2 .T. Curtis (Otago). 35.38 S J. W. Savidan (captain, Auckland), 35.42 4 G. Prosser (Wellington). 35.49; C. Littler (Auckland), 35.57: B. K. Birtwistle (Auckland), 39.5; A. G. Harding (Auckland), 39.5; A. Bourgeois (West Coast), 39.9 ; D. H. Pannel (Canterbury), 39.10; ,1. H. McLaren (Otago). 39.19: J. G. Barnes (captain. Otago). 39.22; F. Hill (West Coast). 39.23; G. Bromley (West Coast), 39.24; A. L. Stevens (captain, Wellington). 39.25; ,T. Riddington (Wellington), 39.27; 11. Crompton (Auckland). H9.38; T. H. Bartlett (Canterbury), 39.42; J. I. B. Neil (Auckland), 39.43. During the afternoon various field events were decided, and massed bands played selections on the lawn in front of the fairly large crowd.