Nine Runners For Gruelling 50-Mile

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30395, 20 March 1964, Page 13

Nine Runners For Gruelling 50-Mile

Nine runners are expected to contest one of the most gruelling athletic events in the country tomorrow the Hawarden-New Brighton 50-mile race.

Favoured as the likely winner is last year’s runner-up, D, Stephenson (Auckland), one of the three entrants from outside Christchurch. Formerly from Yorkshire, Stephenson has had considerable experience in similar races in England and South Africa. He lays claim to being the first man to run the three longest foot races in the world —the London-Brighton 53 miles, the South African Comrades 54 miles, and the New Brighton 50 miles. Also, Stephenson has run 142 miles in 24 hours.

His strongest opposition is expected to come from the other invited athlete, C. Frethey (Wellington), who has an impressive record in the longer distance events.

Previous Winners Neither of the winners from the first two races, the Olympic marathon representative, J. F. Julian (Auckland), and B. Turner (Canterbury), have entered this year. The distinction of being the oldest competitior will be claimed by the 1950 Empire Games marathon representative, 52-year-old L. E. Fox, who completed the course in the first race held, in 7hr 23 min 16sec. The fastest time is held by Julian, about 25min outside the unofficial world record of shr 41min 15sec.

The other Canterbury runners entered are C. F. Reece, who has been doing a substantial mileage programme, J Kenny, C. Wood, H. Vodder, and D. Kennedy (Waimate), while another entrant from Auckland is the former Canterbury man, C. Saxon, who was fifth in the first race.