BEER BOTTLE THROWN AT BLUFF-REINGA RUNNER

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31031, 11 April 1966, Page 3

BEER BOTTLE THROWN AT BLUFF-REINGA RUNNER

Hundreds of holiday motorists waved cheerful greetings at the Auckland athlete, J. Young—and one threw a beer bottle and broke his wristwatch —as he ran to Christchurch yesterday on the ninth day of his 1380-mile journey from Bluff to Cape Reinga.

But the loss of his watch was not the runner’s only worry.

A sum of £l5 was stolen from his baggage when it was sent by rail from Palmerston North south to Maheno.

However, still cheerful and running strongly, Young completed about 47 miles along the Main South road yesterday. It was his second longest run on one day since he left Bluff last Saturday week. He had completed 300 miles for the week when he arrived at Orari on Friday night. “It was the biggest week’s training mileage I have done so far,” said Young, as he chatted with athletes who accompanied him on his run to Christchurch yesterday. Young said he was disappointed at the action of a holiday motorist who threw a beer bottle at him. “I put up my hand to protect my head and the bottle hit my watch and broke it.” He said he much missed his watch which was important to him in planning the pace and duration of his daily running distance.

Young, who is a member of the Owairaka club in Auckland, is an experienced athlete, who ran from Wellington to Auckland in 1964. In the North Island he plans to follow the same route, through Wanganui and King Country to Auckland. Members of the Canterbury Road Runners’ Association plan to run some of the way with Young today when he intends to travel as far as Waipara. A spokesman for the association said any offers to run with Young on his journey north of Christchurch or to accompany him by car or to

give him a bed on the way to Blenheim would be greatly appreciated by the runner. Milk is Young’s favourite drink, to provide stamina and to quench his thirst. A drink of milk was the first thing he asked for on completing the last leg of his run to Christchurch yesterday. Athletes from four different clubs ran in relays with Young yesterday. Members of the Technical club were first to join him, at a point south of Chertsey, soon after 6 a.m. Later in the day runners of the St Martins, Toe H and Olympic clubs accompanied him. C. F. Reece, of St. Martins, ran more than 34 miles with Young, and J. Taylor and A. Evans, of Technical, both ran more than 25 miles. Today, near Kaiapoi, Young expects to exchange greetings with a group of Nelson harriers who are on a holiday relay run to Southland.