Harriers RECORD BROKEN FOR TEMUKA-TIMARU RUN

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28987, 31 August 1959, Page 9

Harriers RECORD BROKEN FOR TEMUKA-TIMARU RUN

The Otago harrier representative, G. T. Marshall (North Otago), gained fastest time in the Temuka-Timaru road race on Saturday with a record-breaking ■ run. Marshall covered the course of just under 11 miles in 54min 40sec, taking 40sec off the record set by R. J. Stevens (Olympic) last year, for an average time of close to smin a mile. i It was a most impressive run by Marshall, who was fourth in i the national title in 1956, and he gave Stevens, the back marker, on whom he had 45sec start, no chance of overtaking him. Conditions were among the best experienced for the race, and the only other factor that could have been an asset would have been a following wind. As it was, the slight cross wind neither assisted nor hindered the runners. A very fast pace by Marshall over the first few miles caught Stevens napping. Marshall had adopted similar tactics in previous races but had come back to the other back markers over the latter stages of the journey. When Marshall made another fast start on Saturday Stevens decided against attempting to close the gap over the first few miles but Marshall’s effort did not taper off and he impressed observers with his strong running over the final stages. In taking second fastest time in 55min 56sec, Stevens was 36sec outside his former record. Olympic was an easy winner of the teams* race, calculated on the aggregate of the three fastest times, with Stevens, D, Reece, and K. Richards gaining second, third, and fourth fastest times for a total of ,2hrs 52min 19sec compared with 3hr Omin 27sec by Leith (Dunedin) in second place. Reece’s effort in achieving third fastest time with 58min ssec in his first start in the longer road races was a very worthy ° ne South Island Title With W. K. Kennedy and B. P. IMogridge taking arst and second place in the junior South Island title decided over a three and one-eighth mile course at Timaru also, the Christchurch club was not troubled to score its second ■successive win in the teams’ section and its third in the history of the events, that being in 1949. Kennedy’s time for the race was 18min 36sec, 29sec ahead of Mogridge, last year’s winner of the title. . , J. Herrick (University) took the lead from a group of Otago runners at the start, but was trailed after a half-mile by Mogridge. D. Vaughan (Technical) and Kennedy joined the leading bunch also about halfway through the race, and shortly afterwards these two moved past Herrick and not long after Mogridge made a move to come through into second place close behind Kennedy. i Kennedy opened up a gap over i the last mile from Mogridge, and a 16-year-old Otago Boys’ High School runner, R. P. Welsh, out-sprinted C. McCullough (Timaru Presbyterian) for third nlace. The third runner from Christchurch to finish was Vaughan, in seventh place.

With only three runners to count for the teams instead of the customary four, R. Swain in eleventh place completed the Christchurch Club’s team. In determining the teams’ result some individual runners were discounted from the results and this improved Swain’s placing to ninth to give his team 12 points, 10 ahead of Dunedin Anglican with Technical third another two points away. Temuka-Timaru Results Detailed results of the TemukaTimaru race were (net running times given):— Individual Placings.—J. Burbury (Leith), handicap 7min 30sec behind go, 60min 24sec, 1; A. Farquarson (Leith), 4min Msec, 64min 45sec, 2; K. Cross (Timaru Presbyterian), go, 68min 35sec, 3; I. Murcott (Dunedin Presbyterian), go, 69min 13sec, 4; A. Richardson (Leith), 9min, 60min 24sec, 5; G. T. Marehall (North Otago), 15min Msec, 54min 40sec, 6; C. R. Ogle (Anglican), 9min 15sec, 61min Msec, 7; F. L. Perry (Leith), llmin, 59min 39sec, 8; J. H. Robertson (Otago University), lOmin, 60min Msec, 9; K. Wallis (Christchurch), lOmin Msec, 60min 34sec, 10. Fastest Times.—G. T. Marshall (North Otago), 54min 40sec, 1: R. J. Stevens (Olympic), 55min 56sec, 2; D. Reece (Olympic), 58min ssec, 3; K. Richards (Olympic), 58min Msec, 4; A. D. Murray (Otago University), 58min 37sec, 5; L. F. Perry (Leith), 59min 39sec, 8. Teams.—Olympic (Stevens, Reece, Richards), 2hr 52min Msec, 1; Leith, 3hr Omin 27sec, 2.