CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22196, 13 September 1937, Page 13

CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING

♦ N.Z. CHAMPIONSHIPS OTAGO’S VICTORY AT TIMARU C. WELLER RETAINS NATIONAL

TITLE Otago won the twenty-fourth New Zealand cross-country championship at Timaru on Saturday. First man home was C. Weller (West Coast, North Island), who finished 250 yards ahead of the rest of the field, retaining the national title he won last year at Auckland. The Otago champion, A. R. Geddcs, was second, J. 1,. Logan (Otago) was third, and D. 11. Adamson (Canterbury) fourth. Weller’s race tactics were again a feature of the contest: Last year at Auckland he surprised tire field In striking out a fast pace into the lead when others were c#htent to follow the pace of the Empire champion, J. W. Savidan. In that race Weller won from Geddos with those tactics, and again on Saturday he repeated the performance. About halfway round the six and a quarter mile course, he raced away from the field at a pace which few could follow. The only man who tried to go with him was Geddes, but good runner though he is, the Otago champion was totally unable to hold the paCc. and Weller went on to win as he pleased, finishing strongly In excellent time—3smin 30sec. Geddes had been expected In many quarters to win the race, as he was considered unlucky at Auckland in the previous year, but ho was well beaten. The third man, J. L. Logan, was only 15 yards behind him at the finish, and the young Canterbury runner, D. H. Adamson, whose

performance was one of the big sul of the race, was 50 yards away In fouith place. G. Prosser, the Wellington chamt Dion, followed Adamson in. and B. H. Birtwhistle, the first Auckland man, was sixth, . Otago s Tnumph The Otauo I earn packed well at the bead of the field over the early stages, and the dark blue of the Otago singlets held a commanding position all the wav . I- was. another triumph for Otago, whose consistency has been an outstanding featuie of the' cross-country sport in New Zealand since the days of the earliest championships. This year Otago's team was: Geddes (2), Logan (3). L. G. Curtis ("). J- G. Barnes (101. N. Greaney (17). and G. L. Austin (20). The team total was 22 P °Auckland. bolder of the teams title for the last two years, was well beaten, scoring 37 points. West Coast (North Island) was third with 44, Canterbury fourth with 55, and Wellington fifth with 58. The young Canterbury team performed creditably. Adamson's fine run was one of the best, if not the best, that has been recorded by a Canterbury man since j H Naldcr won the New Zealand title in 1023. D. H. Panncll, who finished tenth last year, ran to form again in fourteenth place. R. E. Taylor, who finished fifth In the Canterbury championship, was the first South Canterbury man home, running a good race into fifteenth place. The course started on the foreshore at Caroline Bay and went out across country to the south of the bay. It was a fast course and the race was a hard one, run at a fast pace from start to finish. The organisation of the event was In the capable hands of the South Canterbury Harrier Sub-Committee. Detailed results were:— Finishing Order C. Weller (West Coast. North Island), 33min 30sec -I A. R. Geddes (Otago). 36mln ssec .. 2 J. L. Logan (Otago), 3Gmin 7see .. 3 D. H, Adamson (Canterbury), 30mIn 14sec f G. Prosser (Wellington), 30mm IDscc .. 3 B. H Birtwhistle (Auckland), 38mm 24scc •■ • • •• « L. G. Curtis (Otago), 30min 42scc t A. G. Harding (Auckland). 36min 46sec a W. Edge (West Coast, North Island), 37min 3sec -. •• -.9 J. G Barnes (Otago), 37min sscc .. 10 W. A. Briggs (Auckland), 37min5 2-ssec 11 J. I. B. Neil (Auckland), 37min 5 3-ssec 12 F. Hill (West Coast. North Island), 37 min 16sec . - ■ ■ .. 13 D. H. Panned (Canterbury), 37min IBsec 14 R, E. Taylor (Canterbury), 37min 23.sec 15 J. Riddlngton (Wellington). 37min 27see 16 N. Greaney (Otago), 37min 48sec .. 17 A. Bourgeois (Wellington), 37min 47sec 18 T. Bartlett (Wellington), 37mln 47 l-ssec 19 G. L. Austin (Otago), 38mln 7sec .. 20 L. Smith (West Coast, North Island). 38min 25sec .. . • .. 21 L. Williams (Canterbury). 3Bmin SOsec 22 W. Kennedy (Canterbury), 33min 42sec 23 G. Bromley (West Coast, North Island), 38min 48sec .. .. .. 24 W. Owens (Wellington), 39min .. 25 E. Louatt (Wellington), 39min 6sec .. 26 R. F. Rogers (Canterbury), 41min 48sec 27 L. B. Clarke (Auckland), 42min 3sec .. 28 G. McKirdy (Canterbury, individual), 42min lOsec .. .. 20 L. H. Watters (Auckland, Individual), 43min 45sec • .. .. 30 M. Griffin (West Coast. Nortli Island) ~ 31 Order of Teams Otago (Geddes 2, Logan 3. Curtis 7, Barnes 10), 22 points .. 1 Auckland (Birtwhistle 6. Harding 8, Briggs 11. Neil 12), 37 points .. 2 West Coast, North Island (Weller I, Edge 9, F. Hill 13. Smith 21), 44 points .. .. .. 3 Canterbury (Adamson 4, Panned 14, Taylor 15. Williams 22), 55 points .. 4 Wellington (Prosser 5, Riddlngton 16, Bourgeois 18, Bartlett 19), 58 points 5 COMPETITORS ENTERTAINED CONGRATULATIONS FROM MAYOR Competitors in the New Zealand crosscountry Championship were entertained on Saturday evening by the South Canterbury Harrier Sub-Committee of the Canterbury Amateur Athletic Centre, the Mayor (Mr P. C. Vinned) presiding. Among the visitors were the brothers. Messrs C. W. Frye (Otago) and F. P. Frye (Canterbury), both of whom had taken part in the championship when it was previously held in Timaru in 1909. Mr C. W. Frye won the championship In 1920 and last ran In the big event in 1933. The chairman congratulated the winner and runner-up on their good performances, and also complimented the members of the Otago team on their success. He presented medals to the successful competitors. The toast of "The New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association” was proposed by Mr B. R. McKernan (Otago) and responded to byr M C. K. Heaton (Otago). Are you thinking of selling you) business? The quickest route between Buyer and Seller is through “The Press” Classified Aa ertisements—l2 words Is, 3 insertions 2s 6d. 'Phone 33-358. —6

TIMARU’S CINDER TRACK FIRST OF RIND IN NEW ZEALAND The chairman of the New Zealand Olympic and Empire Games Association (Mr 11. McCormlckl olTercd congratulations to Timaru on Us acquisition of a cinder track, the first of its kind in the Dominion, in replying to a welcome to visiting runners to the New Zealand crosscountry championships. The Mayor (Mr P. C. Vinnell) said that thanks to the tireless efforts of Mr E. D, Mcßae and other enthusiasts. Timaru was to have a cinder track. It was hoped that when it was completed an additional reason would be existent for bringing overseas athletes to Timaru to take part in the sport under conditions to which they were used at home. Mr McCormick said that those responsible for lire track were to be congratulated upon their enterprise. It was always difficult to say where teams would go to compete as everyone wanted them and ail had excellent claims. Although he must be careful not to commit the association to anything, he thought that a cinder track would help Timaru in its claims. N.Z. CONFERENCE OF DELEGATES l‘*3« CHAMPIONSHIPS ALLOTTED

Mr K. C. J. Foot i Canterbury i presided over the New Zealand conference of cross-country delegates, which sat at Timaru. An Otago remit that the New Zealand cross-country championship be held not later than the second week In August was unanimously approved for submission to the New Zealand Council. Another Otago proposal, that the annual conferences be discontinued, was lost by a large majority. A recommendation that the 1938 championships be allotted to the West Coast of the North Island centre was carried, end It Was also recommended that the council obtain the views of centres on a suggestion that the 1940 championships be held In Wellington during the centennial. The West Coast centre will most probably hold the 1938 championship at New Plymouth.