FAST MILE AT DUNEDIN

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28805, 28 January 1959, Page 8

FAST MILE AT DUNEDIN

K. Williams Wins In 4min 9sec (New Zealand Press Association) DUNEDIN, Jan. 27. K. Williams (Canterbury) ran the fastest mile of his career and became the only athlete to win the event twice when he triumphed in the invitation mile, the feature event at the annual Dunedin festival athletic meeting last evening. Williams’s time was 4min 9sec. The Australian, G. Fleming, was second, 10 yards behind Williams, and P. Sidon (Otago) was third. Conditions ’were perfect, for the meeting and several Otago records were broken. The Australian sprinter, B. Waters, easily won both the 100 and 220 yards invitation races. The Wellington junior, J. Taylor, had a time of 48.3 sec for the 440 yards, and was I.2sec inside the national junior record, but the time cannot be claimed as a record because two seniors competed in the event. In the mile, Williams trailed Sidon in the early laps, with Fleming close behind. Williams took over the running after half a mile. He strode confidently into the last lap, resisted a challenge from Fleming, and drew away in the back straight to establish an unbeatable margin. G. Merrilees broke the Otago" senior men’s javelin record with a throw of 187 ft 2in. % Miss B. Barker equalled the Otago women’s 220 yards record of 26.1 sec. Results of the invitation races were:— Festival Mile.—R. Williams (Canterbury) 1, G. Fleming (Australia) 2, P. Sidon (Otago) 3. Time, 4min 9sec. Pole Vault.—M. D. Richards 1, K. Gibbons 2, Townsend 3. Height, 13ft 6in. Women’s 100 Yards.—Mrs C. Hill 1, Miss Matheson (Wellington) 2, Miss B. Barker 3. Time, 11.7 sec. Men’s 100 Yards.—B. Waters (Australia) 1, J. Taylor (Wellington) 2, H. Speraqdio 3. Time, lOsec. Men's 440 Yards.—J. Taylor (Wellington) 1, W.. Perriam 2, R. J. Morrissey (Canterbury) 3. Time, 48.3 sec. Women’s 220 Yards.—Miss B. Barker 1, Mrs C. Hill 2, Miss B. Matheson 3. Time, 26.1 sec (equals Otago record). Men’sx 220 Yards.—B. Waters 1, H. Sperandio 2, C. Maguire 3. Time, 21.5 sec. Junior Mile.—N. Moyle 1, R. Ibbotson 2, E. Maguire 3. Time, 4min 27.9 sec (Otago record).