HARRIERS MARRIST TEAM WINS BRIDLE PATH RACE

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28661, 11 August 1958, Page 6

HARRIERS MARRIST TEAM WINS BRIDLE PATH RACE

Marist had its first team win in open harrier racing in the Methodist Club’s annual bridle path race from the Early Settlers’ Memorial stone at Lyttelton to the Opawa Methodist Church on Saturday. It became the third club to win the event, the other eight races being shared equally by Christchurch and University The individual winner was G. T. Wilson (Olympic), who is first emergency for the Canterbury team to contest the New Zealand title at Invercargill on Saturday. Other members of the Canterbury team did not run, because of the punishing nature of the race. They preferred to save themselves for the national race. The Bridle Path was at its best for fast running, and Wilson’s time of 36min 42sec was only 21sec outside the best time. Wilson showed good tactics by doing his best to be well placed at the top of the hill and keeping sufficient in reserve on the killing downhill section to be able to stride out on the three miles of flat from Heathcote to the finish. Sectional Times The times on the uphill section were among the best recorded, too R. Smyth (Rover Scouts) was first to the summit in 12min 22sec, three seconds ahead of Wilson, with H. D. Clements (Anglican) another five seconds back. Next in order were B. Buckley (Marist), B. B. Gillespie (Methodist), J. G. Forrester (Anglican), J. C. Daly (Marist), and D. Greig (Technical). On the downhill run into Heathcote, Smyth was timed at 4min 3 sec, and Clements was three seconds faster, equalling the record set by D. Sadler in 1951. Wilson allowed himself to drift into third place with a moderate smin 20sec for this section, but he was more than adequately compensated for this discretion on the flat, as he won by 15sec from Greig. Smyth and Clements dropped to sixth and eighth, both more than two minutes back. Last year’s winner, Daly, who has

two wins to his credit, was fifth, and first of the winning Marist team, which had five men in the first 11. A. Buckley, the eighth man home, and I. Leeming (Anglican), tenth, were subsequently disqualified for taking a wrong turning near the finish. Last year’s winner of the teams’ contest. University, finished in fourth place. Results:— Individual.—G. T. Wilson (Olympic), 36min 42sec, 1; D. Greig (Technical), 36min 56sec, 2; B. Gillespie (Methodist), 38min llsec, 3; J. G. Forester (Anglican), 38min 44sec, 4; J. C. Daly (Marist), 38min 37sec, 5; R. Smyth (Rover Scouts). 38min 45 sec, 6; B. Buckley (Marist), 39min 6sec, 7; H. D. Clements (Anglican), 39min 41sec, 8; P. Kelly (Marist), 40 min 44sec, 9; F. Sharp (Marist), 40 min 51sec, 10. Teams.—Marist A (Daly 5, Buckley 7, Kelley 9. Sharp 10). 31 points, 1; Technical (Greig 2, P. Watts 11. R. Kerr 15, G. Hitchings 18). 46, 2; Anglican (Forrester 4, Clements 8. D. C. Baskell 13, J. T. Bettridge 23), 48. 3; University A, 59, 4; Methodist, 93. 5; Presbyterian, 107, 6; Marist B, 149, 7.