Third Cross-Country Win Record Target For Pyne

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30495, 17 July 1964, Page 17

Third Cross-Country Win Record Target For Pyne

The Christchurch athlete who narrowly missed Olympic nomination, A. G. Pyne, should establish tomorrow a record that has eluded Canterbury runners for many years.

Only 21, Pyne is firm favourite to win the provincial cross-country title: if he is successful he will be the first to win the race in three successive years since the late 1940’s when the 1950' Empire Games representative, J. R. Clarke, ■ dominated harrier running.

The championship will be a dress rehearsal for the New Zealand titles which will be held over the same course, near ‘Ashley Forest, next month. Tomorrow’s results •will have-an important beaming on the teams' chosen to represent the province at the national events. ■ For the first time this season all the leading runners in the province will be competing from s.cratch over a full distance cross-country course. Pyne may not have everything his own way and those most likely to challenge him are the South Canterbury champion, D. F. Dixey, and W.. K. Kennedy (Christchurch). Dixey challenged Pyne for three-quarters of the distance

last year and Kennedy has returned excellent times in some earlier events. . The teams’ match is expected to be an absorbing contest also. Greymouth ousted the two strongest metropolitan clubs, Christchurch and Olympic, in the Jane Patterson events a few weeks ago. On that occasion Technical slipped in. to second place, a few points ahead of Christchurch. Although influenza had taken its toll of some runners, the Greymouth margin was a commanding one. With all teams at full strength now the championship match could be most exciting. The senior championship will be the first decided over the new distance of seven

miles and a half. The additional mile and a quarter could have some effect on placings, although it is not expected to create any major upsets.