Baillie’s Final Surge Beats Pyne By Inches

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30629, 21 December 1964, Page 15

Baillie’s Final Surge Beats Pyne By Inches

In one of the greatest three-mile races run in New Zealand, W. D. Baillie defeated his Canterbury’ opponent, A. G. Pyne, at Lancaster Park on Saturday.

But it was a defeat full of honour for Py ne. Inches only was the difference between a win and a loss and although the judges separated Baillie and Pyne, the watches failed to do so. Both were credited with 13min 23sec.

In spite of being beaten, it was a fitting finale for Pyne who announced the contest as his last before leaving on January 16 to begin university studies in America.

Excitement was intense as the redoubtable Baillie stormed past the furiouslysprinting Pyne half-way up the final straight. Pyne responded gamely, surged again and the two swooped across the line as one. The crowd waited—and debated—the result and then burst into applause to acknowledge the performance by two great runners, when it was announced that both had returned the same time. The time was 11.6 sec short of the official world record by M. G. Halberg, and 15.4 sec outside the pending world record set recently in Auckland by R. Clarke (Australia). Pyne Pace-maker

For the last two-thirds of the race the willowy, 21-year-old schoolteacher, Pyne, bore

the brunt of the pace-making, battling the wind lap after lap. while the veteran of many battles, the 30-year-old Baillie, hugged in behind, worrying like a terrier. There was nothing unsporting in Baillie’s reluctance to take a lap. The tactics simply reversed those of the twomile clash between them at Dunedin last January.

Pyne knew his best chance was to burn the sprint out of Baillie with a punishing pace. Equally aware of this, the Aucklander knew he had to survive the remorseless grind as best he could and hope he would be sufficiently close in the final stages to swoop quickly in the last dash for the tape.

Early Lead

J. D. Macdonald (Riccarton) took an early 10-yard lead from the Australian, K. Wheeler, who had already won the half-mile. Then came Pyne. Baillie, B. Jones (University), and J. Power (Christchurch), with the rest of the 11-man field strung out behind. After a 65sec first lap Wheeler carried the

pace to the mile, reached In 4min 29sec.

Pyne then took over with a punishing fifth lap. dropping the pace by three seconds to 66sec for the quarter. The leading bunch was whittled down to three— Pyne. Baillie and Jones. A 9min two-mile grind was too much for Jones, and it was then left to Pyne and Baillie.

Pyne was unable to sustain his aggression sufficiently to shake the tenacious Baillie and a slight drop in pace on the eighth, ninth and tenth laps gave Baillie the respite he needed. Always Worrying Baillie was always there, if anything he inched up a little, always worrying his less experienced opponent. With two laps to go, Pyne intensified the pressure, both runners stretching out as the tempo quickened, and quickened again. The faster Pyne went the more determinedly Baillie chased. It was a grim struggle. Pyne edged ahead, a yard, then two, and it seemed neither could go faster as the chase went round the last bend of the final 59sec lap. But faster they went. Baillie gathered and edged up in the straight as Pyne glanced back desperately to see how the Aucklander was faring.

Pyne desperately fought to hang on but then Baillie pounced and there was a flurry of arms and legs as the two raced together. Baillie reached the tape first by the narrowest of margins. Almost forgotten, the following runners caught the attention again as another match developed for third place, Wheeler’s speed giving him the edge.