Another Harrier Title For Kennedy Family

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30823, 7 August 1965, Page 11

Another Harrier Title For Kennedy Family

A MEMBER of a wellknown harrier racing family, Miss Anne Kennedy, gained her third win in the Canterbury senior women’s harrier championship at Ashley recently. Although Miss Kennedy’s wins have been spread over a period of years, she has been one of the most consistent competitors in women’s crosscountry running events. The holder of a bachelor of science degree in mathematics, and this year hoping to complete her honours studies, Miss Kennedy first won the provincial harrier title in 1960 and repeated this success in 1962 and again this year. Miss Kennedy first appeared on the championship scene in 1959, when she was second to R. Hames and since then she has either won or been second. That the 23-year-old Miss Kennedy should show such consistency is not surprising, for harriers is something of a family business for the Kennedys. The family interest in cross-country running stems from their father, Mr W. A. Kennedy, the president of the Canterbury Athletics Centre. "Old Bill,” as he is known to many in the sport to distinguish him from his son, “Young Bill,” has been in athletics since the early 1930’s when he took up track sprinting at the age of 17. Distance racing

claimed his attention, however, with harriers and road racing becoming his forte. At the age of 34 he had the distinction of claiming the Canterbury marathon title.

“Old Bin” still has an ocsessional competitive run and he hopes to run in one of the Christchurch club's teams for this year’s open Takahe-Akaroa relay race. Fifty-year-old Mr Kennedy helps his children plan their training programmes and he finds that accompanying Anne on her runs of four to five miles four nights a week and eight miles on Sundays is “just enough to keep himself in trim.” The Kennedy family had other successes at Ashley. Twenty - four - year - old "Young Bill,” a lecturer in electrical engineering at the University and studying for his Doctor of Physics, was fifth in the men’s senior event and 15-year-old Rebin filled a similar place in the' senior colts’ contest. Both boys won the respective championships of the Christchurch club, which were held in conjunction with the provincial events. “Young Bill” has a consistent record also, going back to the colts events, and he has both Canterbury colts’ and junior harrier championship wins to his credit. Although he has not yet won a senior title, he has been a regular member of senior Canterbury teams, missing only one year when he could not spare the time from his University studies. Anne appears to be sharing her father’s interest in the executive side as this year she is acting as assistant race secretary for the Canterbury Cross-Country Running Management Committee of the Canterbury Athletics Centre.