“Big Three” Are Alcorn’s Aim

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31028, 6 April 1966, Page 19

“Big Three” Are Alcorn’s Aim

The gruelling effects of winning the “New Brighton 50” in record-breaking time, did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of R. Alcorn for super-long distance road racing.

The 23-year-old runner, who is completing a degree in mathematics at Canterbury University, said: “I would like to have a go at one of the other big ones.”

Alcorn was referring to the other two of the world’s three longest single stage foot races—the 53-mile Lon-don-to-Brighton and the 54mile South African Comrades race.

If Alcorn were to run in both he would emulate the former Englishman, D. Stephenson (Onehunga), who is the only man in the world to have run in “the big three.” 14min Off Record Racing over such long distances seems ideal for Alcorn, who was second in the first “New Brighton 50” in 1962. I while still only 19. In the i recent race he was within 14 minutes of the unofficial world record for the 50 miles, a time held by a South African, G. Walshe, shr 16min 7sec. The race record was not Alcorn’s only objective. The “New Brighton 50” became a “justification race.” After a lot of hard training for the marathon, Alcorn was disappointed at his performance in the New Zealand championship and he set out to justify himself in the New Brighton- event. In his training Alcorn put some big mileages behind him. During December he covered 550 miles and in one | week in the New Year he totted up 170 miles, running

twice a day. At this stage he was covering 25 miles on the hills in the morning and between four to 10 miles in the afternoon. Once a week from his home in Hollis avenue he ran up Dyers pass and down to Governor's Bay, around to Lyttelton, up Evans pass, along the Summit road, down Rapaki track, and around the foot of the hills to home. And after the race last Saturday, rest was far from his thoughts as he was planning a run for the next day to “work out any stiffness.” Largely self-trained, Alcorn periodically discusses his programme and progress with Mr W. A. Kennedy, the president of the Canterbury Athletic Centre, who was a provincial marathon champion and prominent harrier.