Power Outstanding In 10-Mile Championship

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31519, 6 November 1967, Page 15

Power Outstanding In 10-Mile Championship

A determined burst shortly after the halfway point by J. Power (Timaru) broke up the leading bunch in the Canterbury 10-mile road championship on Saturday and gave him a lead which he never surrendered.

The out and home course in the Hoon Hay area suited Power's temperament perfectly. He crossed the finishing line by the Olympic club's pavilion in Mathers Road in the outstanding time of 49mm 57.7 sec—more than a minute ahead of the second man. R. Sharpe <St Martins). This time was the second! fastest recorded in a Canterbury championship and the fastest ever by a runner domi-! ciled in the Canterbury prov-i ince. The only two Canterbury runners with faster times to, their credit are the two Grey-! mouth internationals, D. C. Me-1 Ktnzie and E. M. Gray, who did not enter Saturday s race. McKenzie's best time in the Canterbury championship of. 4'riiin 46.55ec was achieved in 1966 when the race finished at Lancaster Park during the international meeting against the | Russians. Power, who was third in the Marist open marathon a few i weeks ago. ran intelligently and* strongly throughout and once he had made his break it seemed unlikely that anyone would have the speed or stamina to haul him in. It was his first Canterbury road title. In previous seasons his mam emphasis has been on track competition. Sharpe also ran extremely well for second place, although it was touch and go whether B. ; Turner (Cashmere), who was I closing fast over the final quarter-mile, would get therei before him. At the finish there, was only a few yards between, them. Turner recording 51min; lOsec.

J. D. Macdonald (Riccarton) showed he had lost none of his fitness or ability in spite of his absence from the recent harrier season. He finished fourth in 51min 57sec. At the half-way point he was only eighth but he came through very strongly over the last few miles. Next was Olympic s B. Craig. Sixth place was only decided by a furious sprint over the last 50 yards between B. Welch (Ashburton) and G. Clarke I • Olympic). Clarke was ahead! 20 yards from the line but Welch had more in hand to snatch sixth place by half a second.

The standard set by the competitors was the highest ever in a Canterbury championship. D. J. Reece (Olympic) and I. Sim (University), who finished in 52min 24sec and 52min 38sec. respectively, to take seventh and eighth places, achieved faster times than W. K. Kennedy • Christchurch) recorded in winning the title last season

The first 32 all finished inside an hour, an indication of the great depth of ability in the huge field. C. F. Reece (St Martins), making a comeback after more than a year away

I from athletics, was eighteenth in 55min 13sec. He finished very | easily, suggesting that it will not be long before he is back I at the top. He was runner-up . to McKenzie in the champion- | ship in 1966. P. L. Gray (Timaru), winner of ■ the Marist open marathon, led I the field of 40-odd runners off . the starting line in Mathers Road. But this race was too short for him and he was I quickly enveloped into the main I bunch. I After three miles the main : bunch had sorted itself out into Turner. Power. Sharpe. Craig, and Clarke. With about four miles gone Clarke dropped back slightly. The order was then Power. Craig, Turner, Sharpe, all bunched, with Clarke, Gray, D. J. Reece, N. Reid and Macdonald not far behind. By the half-way mark in Ash'grove Terrace the leading 'bunch had been reduced to three. Turner, Power and Sharpe. The trio turned for home in the outstanding time ! of 24min 55sec. Craig was fourth in 24mm 57sec. Clarke fifth in 25min 12sec, and Gray . sixth in 25min 20sec. Then followed D. J. Reece. Macdonald, Reid. Welch and Sim. Not long after this Power made his bid and by six miles was 50 yards clear of Sharpe, who was’in turn 20 yards ahead of Turner. Craig was still in fourth place, but Macdonald had come through very fast into fifth place and not long afterwards moved up past the Olympic runner. the other major placings remained unchanged until the finish, although it was never certain whether Turner or Sharpe would be runner-up. Running very steadily. Power continued to increase his lead slightly until the end. JUNIOR TITLE Exceptional promise was dispiayed by the winner of the i fixe-mile junior event, J. Shed- i

dan (Olympic). He finished well clear of the second man, R. Harding (Cashmere), in the impressive time of 25min 43sec. Harding’s time was 25sec slower, but his was also an excellent performance. Sheddan and K. O’Sullivan (Timaru), one of the favourites, made a break on the leading bunch shortly before the halfway point, and it seemed as though these two would fight out the finish. However, O’Sullivan, who had looked very strong early in the race, unexpectedly withdrew a mile from home, exhausted. Sheddan continued on to win easily. D. Dixey (New Brighton) comfortably won the inaugural women’s two-mlle championship. She beat another New Brighton runner, C. Russell, home by llsec in 12min 18sec — a time well below her capabilities. The only other competitor,' L. Smith, recorded 13min 7sec for the two miles. Results were: Women’s Two-mlle Road Championship.—D. Dixey (New Brighton), 12:18, 1: C. Russell (New Brighton), 12:29, 2: L. Smith (New Brighton), 13:7, 3. Junior Men's Five-mile Championship. J. Sheddan (Olympic). 25:43. 1; R. Harding (Cashmere). 26:8, 2: B. Rollo (New Brighton), 26:20. 3: G. Rollo (New Brighton). 26:25, 4; I. Adcock (Christchurch), 26:38, 5.

Canterbury 10-mile Road Championship (44 entires).—J. Power (Timaru), 59:57.7, 1: R. Sharpe (St Martins), 51:6, 2; B. Turner (Cashmere), 51:10, 3; J. D. Macdonald (Riccarton), 51:57, 4; B. Craig (Olympic), 52:7. 5; B Welsh (Ashburton), 52:11, 6: G. Clarke (Olympic), 52:11.5. 7: D. J. Reece (Olympic), 52:54, 8: I. Sim (University), 52:38, 9; P. L. Gray (Timaru), 52:52, 10.