Alcorn Leaves

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31462, 31 August 1967, Page 13

Alcorn Leaves

“The Press'* Special Service AUCKLAND.

The 25-year-old R. Alcorn, who recently moved from Christchurch to Tokoroa, left Auckland yesterday for England where he will be the first New Zealander to run in the London-to-Brighton road race.

Alcorn won the trip, sponsored by the Canterbury Road Runners’ Club, with a victory in the Brighton 50 road race in Canterbury earlier this year.

In England he will be racing over 52) miles in the London-to-Brighton but the distance holds no real fears

for him. Alcorn has run for 90 miles at a stretch and in training he regularly does 140 to 160 miles a week. “The strain in distance running is very relative,” he said. “Ten miles, run at a fast pace, can be hard. But when I ran the 90-miler I went through the 50-mile mark without any strain at all.” Alcorn began his running as a 3000 metres steeplechaser and actually held the Canterbury title for a season, when only 19. He tried the three-mile and six-mile track events but with no real success.

Almost by chance he found his true niche. He entered the first Brighton 50—running 30 miles the week-end before to prove himself he could read the halfway mark —and finished second to J. L. Julian.

Victory in the unusual event followed last year and again this year.

Coif Win.—The Hamilton golfer, S. M. Leech, beat M. S. Thompson (Tauranga), 3 and 2. over 18 holed in the final of the South Auckland Open golf championship at St. Andrew's, Hamilton.