Representative Teams To Make Early Start

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30763, 29 May 1965, Page 18

Representative Teams To Make Early Start

The departure time from Christchurch for the Canterbury and Otago harrier teams travelling to the New Zealand championships at Whangarei was criticised at a meeting of the cross-country running management committee of the Canterbury Athletics Centre.

The championships will be held on August 7.

Members of the two teams would have to assemble in Christchurch at 5.20 a.m. on August 6 for a charter flight arranged by the Canterbury committee on behalf of both teams. Several speakers said this would mean members of the teams having to get up at about 4.20 a.m. and as a result the Otago representatives would get about only four hours sleep as they would arrive in Christchurch about midnight. Mr J. Smart said the original bookings were for about 8.30 a.m. and the new time was apparently because National Airways Corporation had revised its schedules. A sub-committee was ap-

pointed to see if a later departure time, possibly about 8 a.m. could be arranged.

Road Relay.—Entry fees for this years’ Takahe-Akaroa road relay, on September 11, open this year to all clubs in New Zealand, were fixed at £2 16s a team. Entries will close on August 24.

Composite teams of runners from more than one club will not be allowed to compete in the relay. When a request was received for composite teams of veteran (over 40) runners to compete, without being elegible for trophies, it was decided the rules, which preclude composite teams, should be rigidly enforced. Last year a veterans team was allowed to start in the race, but was not elegible for any trophies. The question of restricting the entries was raised by the chairman (Mr F. A. Stevens). If entries were received from 80 teams, it was doubtful if the committee could cope with them, or the extra traffic, that would be involved, said Mr Stevens. Fifty teams would be about the most that could be handled.

The method of restricting the number of entries, should this become necessary, was deferred for discussion at a future meeting.

Traffic Problems.—After discussing traffic problems associated with the Methodist Club s Governor's Bay-Lyttelton road race two weeks ago, a sub committee was appointed to discuss the question of traffic and road races with the centre solicitor and the Transport Department. From these discussions the committee hopes it may be able to draft standard conditions for the control of runners in road races.

Race Distances.—Approximate distances for the Jane Patterson trophy races on June 26, were approved as follows:—Senior six mile (three laps); junior, four miles (two laps); colts and women, two miles (one lap). Permission Given.—The Anglican and Technical Clubs were granted permission to run in the Motueka-Nelson relay on August 28, subject to normal support being given to a Canterbury event, the TemukaTimaru road race, on the same date.

Greymouth Strength.—Messrs Smart and W. A. Kennedy reported on harrier activities in Greymouth, after a visit there as official representatives of the committee.

Winner of the teams’ section in the last Canterbury senior championship, Greymouth would be “hard to bowl.’’ said Mr Smart. There was an excellent depth of strength, with very promising runners, particularly in the colts division. I