LANCASTER PARK RICH IN ATHLETIC HISTORY

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27914, 10 March 1956, Page 3

LANCASTER PARK RICH IN ATHLETIC HISTORY

SINCE its opening in 1881 with a meeting of the Canterbury Amateur Athletic Club, Lancaster Park has provided the surface for some of the finest athletic performances in New Zealand. Even though the athlete of today will not wish to revert to the athletic togs of his grandfather’s time—a high necked and half-sleeved “singlet” and tights reaching to the knees—he will envy them the almost half-mile cinder track that encircled the park.

The New Zealand senior championships to be decided at Lancaster Park next Friday and Saturday have every prospect of more than living up to the great tradition of their forerunners. If weather conditions are favourable competitors will find Lancaster Park one of the fastest tracks they have run on and it could be the scene of the first four-minute mile in New Zealand.

Thif would not be the first time that a national mile record had been set during a New Zealand championship at Lancaster Park. In 1905 England’s great distance runner Alfred Shrubb and American sprint champion. Arthur Duffy, competed in the championships at the park. Duffy, who held the world 100 yards record of 9.6 sec, won the 100 yards and an invitation 50 yards. World record holder for the three miles in 14min 17.3 sec, Shrubb was beaten over the mile by Hector Burke in the then record time of 4m in 27.45ec.

Another giant of the pre-Great War period was C. S. Thomas. Thomas beat the American, G. Parker, in a sensational quarter-mile. At the same meeting A. D. Dormer beat A. Power (Canada and America) in a 4min 24.65ec mile. The hurdler among the tourists, R. R. Templeton, found a formidable opponent in G. P. Kedell, who won the 120 yards hurdles in 15.6 sec—a time that the province’s present seniors are unable to rival. The next international visit came after the war in the 1921-22 season. The South African. Ayres Oostrlaek set a curved track 220 yards record of 21.8 sec and won the 100 yards at the Canterbury championships. Then in 1930 came the memorable race in which Guy Nicoll. still an active administrator in Canterbury, beat the temperamental German, Otto Peltzer, holder of five world records. It was an attempt on the world record but Peltzer failed by eight yards to catch Nicoll oil 25 yards. The German was despondent. Later Peltzer won a special short limit 440 yards handicap. He was as happy as a sand boy. Of this race "The Press” said, “It will be a long time before the crowd that was at Lancaster Park last evening will forget the wonderful finishing run with which he sped to victory in the 440 yards invitation handicap.” The crowd gasped at the wonderful speed of G. Simpson, another American who toured with a team in 1931 Simpson won the 75 yards in 7.4 sec, ■2sec faster i than the record. Hardly had he recovered than he dashed out m the 100 yards. His time, 9.Bsec, was another New Zealand record. Harlow Rothert put the shot 50ft 61 in two feet better than the national record approved only the previous Friday. The Wellington miler. G. Bayne, beat the touring R. Kiser by opening up a 20 yard gap in the final straight.

Five New Zealand records tumbled at a meeting with an Australian team on March 5, 1934. Australian. J. P Metcalfe made three records. He cleared 5011 lin in the hop. step and jump. 611 4 7-Bin in the high jump and 23ft 10 4-sin in the long jump. Broadway ran the 1000 yards in 2min 15.2 sec and A. T. Anderson broke his own 440 yards hurdles time with 55.8 sec. Another Australian, T. E. Hampson, equalled the 100 yards and 220 yards records.

In 1935 a team of three British runners and two Finnish field events men graced Lancaster Park. “No records were broken, but they (the visitors) gave Canterbury a glimpse of what greatness in athletics really is.” For the first time two Japanese competed in Canterbury in 1937. Kohei Murakosa ran the three miles in 14min 17sec to take I.6sec off C. H. Matthews’ record. Kenshi Hogami cleared 51ft lin in the hop, step and jump. At this meeting V. P. Boot made his national half-mile record of Imin 53.8 sec and Anderson lowered his quarter mile hurdles record to 55.25ec.

At the Canterbury titles in 1939. the American professional coach. A. L. Fitch, made a special attempt on the world 100 yards record from a flying start. Paced by a cyclist, Fitch returned 9.2 sec, missing the record by .2sec.

Since the end of the last war there has been a succession of visits by first class overseas athletes competing on Lancaster Park, and many are the records that have gone to their credit.

To mention just a few of these champions, the names of Treloar, McKinley, Fulton and Bannister come quickly to mind. Then there was the hotly disputed finish of the 100 yards at tfce~ New Zealand championships in 1949. in which P. Henderson dived for the line to beat D. R. Batten.. This case was referred to the International Amateur Athletic Federation for a ruling and the decision of the referee, the late Bob Beattie, in upholding the judges’ decision in placing Henderson first was vindicated. The finish to the meeting was another sensation. Canterbury had to win the relay to gain the championship shield, and the result was a dead heat with Wellington. Under the rules there should have been a run off, but both teams agreed, with the consent of the referee, to let the placings stand. Wellington won the shield.