CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21256, 30 August 1934, Page 12

CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING

UNIVERSITY RACE AN HISTORIC ONE AMAZING CONDITIONS FOR first championship (By Whipper-in.) It would be difficult for crosscountry runners in Christchurch to imagine the conditions under which the first New Zealand University championship was run at Lyall Bay, Wellington, last Saturday. The race will remain outstanding in the history of cross-country running in New Zealand, and will certainly never be forgotten by those who competed in it. The exposed coast-line at Lyall Bay is frequently subjected to the fury of south-west storms, but Wellington runners and officials have said that they have never known such conditions as those of Saturday. The course was to have taken the runners along the beach for a mile before going on to the road round the coast, but because of the high tide only the first 500 yards of the beach was covered. Soon after the field of 25 went away a heavy surf broke right up the beach, and the runners were required to wade knee-deep for a considerable distance. Going up on to tiie road they ran into the teeth of a gale of hurricane force. It was impossible to progress at a faster rate than a walking pace; some of the runners had difficulty in getting breath, and approaching Moa Point, where the gale struck the coast with its full fury, the field was forced almost to a standstill. At this point the runners were for some time travelling by no means as fast as a walking pace, and were having to put every ounce into their running to move at all. Grasping- Tussocks Going up the Vosseller Hill, a climb of half a mile, the progress of the field was faster than it had been on the flat, since the gale here was assisting the runners. At. the top of the hill and on a ridge going down from what is known as "Mount Everest," the gale threatened to bl(#v some of the lighter runners down a steep bank into a valley below, and in climbing downward several competitors had to grasp the tussocks to avoid being carried off their feet. In later stages of the race the gale caught, the field from another angle and blew some of the runners forward at an alarming pace; they had the experience of being carried about like paper bags, with little chance of choosing a straight path forward These conditions were a great strain on the runners, and many of them showed rigns of serious exhaustion when only two-thirds of the course had been covered. Coining out on to the road round the coast again, the field battled its way against (he gale for another two miles to the finis-h. Flying sand and grit' beat against the faces and legs of the runners with terrific force, and one ol' them was blown against a high barbed wire fence surrounding the aerodrome. All the runners were now bending in the wind, which struck them from the side, and it was impossible to keep t<> the portion of the road on which the track was easier. The gale caught one of the lighter runnel's on one bend and swept him ; past another at a pace at which lie was unwilling but obliged to travel for some dislance a pace which very ■nearly threw him forward on to the road surface. Itumicr.s Exhausted At the finisii, after battling against ; the gale as it swept either in front I or behind them, most of the runners | were completely exhausted. One was j unconscious for about a quarter of an hour, and remembers nothing of the last 100 yards. The race had been the greatest strain and test of endurance for cross-country runners within the memory of experienced men. For about three-quarters of an hour the 25 competitors had had to contend with surf, with flying sand and grit, with fairly steep hill country, and above all with a gale of force so great as to make their competition against it almost futile. Under such extraordinary conditions the race was full of surprises, the chief of which was the performance of the Canterbury runner, A. T. Shannon, a West Coaster, who finished in third place. Shannon has never before achieved anything approaching his effort in this race, and has never before appeared by any means serious opposition to L. D. .T. Smith, whom he defeated. The Canterbury team's performance was a much better one than it, might have been under normal conditions. Smith and Shannon have been nominated for New Zealand University blues. The race next year has been | allotted to Canterbury. Separate Control i The proposal ret on foot m Canterbury for the separation of cross-coun-j try running from the control of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association has aroused comment from all parts of New Zealand, and two of the other centres have already drawn up remits on the subject. The proposal seems to have been too drastic for a considerable body of opinion in other centres, but it has found a certain amount of strong support even within the New Zealand council. It has at least stirred cross-country officials into Ection against the unjust system of financial control which the association has maintained over them. A member of the New Zealand council. discussing Canterbury's remit in Wellington during the week-end, said that he was definitely in favour of the proposal, and would do nothing to hinder its passage. He also said that one of the leading members of the Wellington Centre was strongly in favour of Canterbury's idea, considering it right that cross-country runners should have full control of their own business. Divided Opinion Opinion seems to be divided in Dunedin, but; it can be gathered that there, as in all other centres, that crosscountry runners are awaking to the unfairness of the present system oi registration and the control of finance generally. Mr C. Clark, president of the harrier sub-committee in Dunedin is reported to have expressed the opinion that the council had treated crosscountry runners well in the past. That may be so, but it is not doing so now as practically every runner and official in the Dominion will agree. Mr G. L. Austin, formerly of Canterbury, who is now in Dunedin, ha; written as follows: "... I have spoker to other members (as well as Mi Clark) of the harrier sub-committee here, a number of whom are stronglj in favour of the idea, but all think that the Otago Centre, along with practically all the other centres, wil be opposed to any change," Actually it does not matter what the centres think, but what the cross-coun-try runners themselves and the council think, and in any case the Canterbury and Wellington Centres (the I track interests) are not opposed to the idea It appears that although Canterbury': ; remit may be too strongly opposed thi: ! year it will have the desired effectto urge cross-country runners to stanc . up for their own interests, instead o: , continuing to contribute to a great financial concern from which they re- ! ceive no benefits. Remits for Conference Most of the business at the annua conference of delegates in Dunedir next month will concern the registra tion of cross-country runners and th< future administration of funds anc control of the sport. Remits have been drawn up as foL lows: — Auckland: "That all cross-country runners pay a separate cross-countr,

registration fee (similar to the present fee), this to go to a special overseas I tour fund, to be established by the New Zealand council and used for sending overseas cross-country runners and cross-country teams." Wellington: "That a recommendation be made that two cross-country delegates be appointed to the New Zealand Council, one from each island"; "That the next New Zealand cross-country championship be held in Wellington, and "That the next marathon be held in Wellington." Canterbury: "That the barrier subcommittees in the centres of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association take steps to separate the control of cross-country running from that body, and to form a New Zealand Crosscountry Association." Otago: "That the next marathon race be held in Dunedin," and "That clause 51 in the handbook of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association relating to registrations be amended by the addition of a further provision 'that the rule does not apply to cross-coun-try runners taking part in club | runs only'." National Championship "I went over the New Zealand chum- j pionship course in a club championship on Saturday and, in my opinion the course is as good as any I have seen," writes Mr Austin, from Dunedin. where the national championship will be run next month. "It is certain to be heavy, and spikes will be essential: indeed I think it would be advisable to insist that every man has two heel spikes in addition to the usual complement . . . The Hunt Ciub races are at Wingatui on September 1, and the Otago championships on September 8, so the race track will be (•hopped about a bit before September i 15." I Mr Austin has given a useful do-1 tailed description of the course, which ! he considers a great improvement on : the one used there five years ago. Runs for Saturday | Methodist: Annual handicap race from j the Lincoln Road Methodist Church, j Members will be the guests of the club captain. C. S. Ell, and Miss Joyce Ell. Presbyterian: From St. Giles's Presbyterian Church, Papanui road. Baptist: Annual maiden handicap race from the residence of Mr and Mrs G. Shipley, Island Farm, Harewood. Transport will leave the Gloucester street bridge at 2 p.m. Christchurch: From the Pier tea j rooms, New Brighton. j Anglican: From the residence of Mr j and Mrs C. W. Packer-Doust, 70 Idris road, Fendalton. The University and Technical Clubs have concluded the season. I Fixture , September 15: New Zealand champion- j ship, at Dunedin. j