STUDENT RACE IN SQUARE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29192, 30 April 1960, Page 15

STUDENT RACE IN SQUARE

“Dr. Moore” Beats “Cerutty”

“Dr. Barbara Moore" triumphed in a race round Cathedral square yesterday against “Percy Cerutty,” proving that women have their place in athletics after all For once, “Mr Cerutty’s” 7ftstride failed him, and “Dr. Moore,’’ who led all the. way, went over the finishing line in front of the Cathedral a yard clear.

The race, watched by a big crowd, was sponsored by a Canterbury University student group as a prelude to forthcoming Capping Week festivities, and began in .front of Dalgety’s building in the square shortly before 1 pm. The course was once round the square, via the United Service and Warner’s Hotels, finishing in front of the Cathedral. Over-confidence appeared to cost “Mr Cerutty” the race. He appeared prone to offer advice to a big body of his followers, and consequently lagged behind, enabling the consistent-striding “Dr. Moore” to build up a big early lead. “Mr Cerutty,” his bronzed body clad in a marathon runner’s garb of shorts, singlet, and sandshees, eventually caught up, and at one stage took the lead, but became badly “snarled up" in traffic outside the public bar of Warner’s Hotel.

He was lagging behind again when exhaustion overcame him near the Christchurch Transport Board’s offices, and he fell flat on his face. However, he recovered quickly, and got the 7ft-stride working for the Anal sprint. But it was too late. The blue-overcoated figure of “Dr. Moore,” her long plaits flying in the wind, also increased her stride, and was ahead and over the line in front of “Mr Cerutty,” amid loud cheering. „ J “Dr. Moore” suitably extolled the virtues of modesty, and a grass diet in her speech to the crowd. “Mr Cerutty," invited to “Come up and say a few words, Perce,” at least had the grace to apologise for his former attitude, and admit it had been proved women had their place in athletics. ■