Two Miles And 880 Yards Will Be Star Events

Press, Volume C, Issue 29421, 25 January 1961, Page 10

Two Miles And 880 Yards Will Be Star Events

’T’HE international athr letic meeting at Lancaster Park on February 4 will last about two hours. The programme will start at 2.30 p.m. after the visiting athletes have been introduced by the president of the Canterbury Amateur Athletic Association (Mr W. D. Johnston). In addition to the 880 yards in which P. Snell. R. Moens and G. Kerr will take part, and the two miles where D. Burleson, W. Baillie, N.

Scott, J. K. Macdonald and possibly M. Halberg will appear, there will be a wide programme of handicap events for senior, junior and women competitors. Canterbury’s half mile champion and record holder G. Hack, will race against the visitors in the half mile as will M. D. Earwaker and G. Philpott, two of Auckland’s leading half milers. There will be no weight events, but Misses V. Sloper and L. Duncan

will give a demonstration shot put. Although attention will be focused on the overseas competitors, Canterbury enthusiasts will be interested in the performances of Philpott, who has shown remarkable form this season. Under the tutelage of Arthur Lydiard he has built up his strength and speed and in a grand half mile recently he recorded a fraction over Imin 50 sec, the third best time by a New Zealander in this country.