Harrier Titles Today

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29270, 30 July 1960, Page 5

Harrier Titles Today

'J'HIS year’s Canterbury senior harrier championship today should have plenty of interest for in the races to date no one harrier has established a clear supremacy. The standard among the leading runners has been so uniformly high that several have figured as individual winners or, in the case of relays, the holders of fastest lap times. Last year’s champion, R. Farmer. must be given best chance notwithstanding his comparatively poor showing two weeks ago in his club championships, where he finished sixth. In the last major event, the Halswell race which incorporated a match with Otago, he was right up to his best form and if he races with comparable ability .at Motukarara it is difficult to imagine him being beaten. Even Standard The standard has been such, however, that the slight day to day variations in individual ability could contribute largely to the outcome. For all that. Farmer gives the impression he has been carefully planning his racing programme. The race will be a vital one for the leading runners, for on their performance will depend largely their chances of gaining selection for the provincial team for the New Zealand titles.' An athlete who forced himself , into consideration for the team at the Halswell event was University’s G. Wyatt, the second Canterbury runner home, in fourth place. Added interest will be given by the appearance of the former Canterbury champion, J. K. Macdonald, who will be making his second competitive run since he returned to the province earlier in the year. In his other race he gained fastest lap time in the Anglican club’s block relay, but since then it is understood he has been affected by sinus trouble. Olympic There seems no doubt about the Olympic club’s prospects of retaining the teams’ championship for, in addition to Farmer and Macdonald, it has several others who will be vying for individual honours. Among these will be J. K. Macdonald’s brother, Jim, who is reported to be fully recovered from an ankle injury which kept him out of the match against Otago. Others will be the Olympic club champion, Brian Curie, the provincial marathon champion, R.

Stevens, the Reece brothers, Clarrie and Doug, George Wilson, and Kevin Richards. Possibly the strongest challenge for the title from outside the Olympic club will come from W. K.

Kennedy (Christchurch), last year’s junior champion and Wyatt, who would probably welcome tougher conditions than will be provided by Motukarara. The national two-mile junior track champion, Jim Power, is another Christchurch club member who might be suited by the course, while the former junior champion, John Williams could come into the reckoning if fully recovered from an arm injury. A runner with' a prospect of being in the major placings is another former junior champion, John Herrick (University) who has shown as a junior his ability to rise to the occasion. An innovation this year will be the running of the race in the reverse direction to that of former years. Advocates of this consider it will have a certain amount of congestion over the early part of the race, giving open running, without any sharp bends, for a much greater distance. Besides the senior race, championships will be held for juniors (under 19), colts (under 16), and senior ‘and junior women, with all events starting and finishing on the Motukarara racecourse.