CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27678, 7 June 1955, Page 12

CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING

ANGLICAN CLUB’S BLOCK RELAY

TECHNICAL WINS IN EXCITING FINISH After an exciting last lap Struggle, Technical won the Anglican Clubs 2D\2mile relay, run from the Burwood Golf links yesterday. Starting the last lap of four miles with a 31sec lead, P. Hack appeared to have the race well in hand lor Technical. , _ J. Fenton (Christchurch) surprised b$ making up the deficit. For over half a lap the two battled for a decisive breax with the lead constantly changing. Fenton led over the last fence into the 220yard finishing straight by four yards. Always a determined finisher, Hack raced through to win by six yards. A large measure of Technical s success rests with E. Stroud, who ran a fine third leg to gain fastest time of 23min 27sec. Last year K. E. Williams returned 22min 49sec. The winner’s time of 2hr Imin 56sec was nearly lmin 30sec faster than the previous best by Christchurch. The sealed* handicap was won by the Anglican No. 3 team. P. Watson (Anglican No. 4) strung the field out over the early stages with C. Wilson (Olympic), N. Lynch (Marist) and A. Mahan (Anglican No. 3) all handy. With half a mile covered, C. McGuire (Christchurch) and B. Dingwall (Combined) were first into the plantation. They were still together entering the final straight, where McGuire sprinted away to give C. Wiseman a 40yd start. In third place, another 30sec back, was C. Dihiniore (Technical), with Lynch only three seconds away. Wiseman stretched Christchurch’s lead to 80yds over the second stage, with the marathon champion, A. W. Richards, coming into second place for Technical, followed by J. Kyle (Marist) and L. Scott (University). Stroud gave Technical a Dig boost, sending D. Greig away on the fourth lap a quarter of a mile clear of R. Green (Christchurch), with a similar distance to J. G. Mahan (University) and T. Metcalfe (Olympic). The order of the teams was unchanged at the finish of the fifth and final lap. Results:—

Technical (C. Dillimore, A. W. Richards, E. Stroud, D. Greig, P. Hack), time, 2hr lmin 56sec, 1; Christchurch (C. McGuire, C. Wiseman, W. A. Kennedy, W. R. Green, J. Fenton), 2hr lmin 57sec, 2; University (P. May, L. Scott, M. Craighead, J. G. Mahan, P. Joyce (2hr 3min 45sec, 3: Olympic, 2hr 4min llsec. 4; Marist, 2hr smin 19sec, 5; Olympic (No. 2), 2hr 7min 39sec, 6.

Sealed Handicap.—Anglican No. 3 (A. W. Mahan, P. Jarvis, M. Shepard, A. Carrell, G. K. Little), 1; Christchurch No. 2,2; Technical No. 1, 3. Fastest lap times: E. Stroud (Technical), 23min 27sec. 1; C. McGuire (Christchurch), 23min 29sec, 2; B. Dingwall (Combined), 23min 36sec, 3.