Soldiers Break 100-Mile World Record On March

Press, Volume C, Issue 29657, 30 October 1961, Page 15

Soldiers Break 100-Mile World Record On March

Nine met of the Ist Battalion. New Zealand Regiment, have marched 100 miles in 31 hours 50 minutes to beat the previous world record tor the distance of . 34| hours, set by British en- [ gineers. 1 News of the attempt on , the record was kept secret until Saturday when it be- ' came clear it might be • broken. Led down the drive at Burnham Military Camp at 1150 a.m. on Saturday to the tune of “When the Saints . Come Marching In,” the weary soldiers were given a cheering welcome by the rest al the battalion including their commanding officer, Lieutenant - Colonel L. A. Pearce. The march began at 4 a.m. Friday with a 50-mile circuit of Motukarara, Dunsandel and Darfield. After a two-hour break for food, the men set off on another circuit of West Melton. Paparua. the West Coast road and back to Burnham through Rolleston.

Meals were light and fruit , drinks were taken. Orig- . inally 21 men set out with the intention that only 10 1 would continue on the sec- : ond lap. Fourteen went on, ' but five fell out. Every three hours there was a 15minute break and there were other breaks for a ; smoke.

The men who broke the record were the leader, Sergeant Major C. G. O’Brien (Auckland); Sergeant R. W. Rowe (Burnham); Lance-Cor-porals R. W. Kiwi Kiwi (Russell), and P. M. Pangari (Ruawai); Privates G. Tauariki (Morrinsville), M. H. Chapman (Christchurch), H. D. Hirini (Hawera), W. Halbert (Taihape) and A. D. Pawson (Blenheim). Colonel Pearce said the march was "a first-class performance. Only two days beforehand the men asked my permission to have a go. There was no special preparation in the normal sense and all taking part wore battle uniforms, web equipment and each carried an F.N. rifle.”