Olympic Again Fastest

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31761, 19 August 1968, Page 12

Olympic Again Fastest

For the seventh time in nine years the powerful Olympic No. 1 team took fastest time at the Marist Harrier Club’s testing Port Hills road relay on Saturday.

The New Brighton No. 2 team capitalised on its lenient handicap of three minutes behind to win the event by more than two and a half minutes from Ashburton No. 2 and Presbyterian No. 2. New Brighton had taken the lead by the time the runners reached the end of the first lap at the Sign of the Kiwi and was never in any real danger of being headed. New Brighton led by almost eight minutes at the end of the third lap at Redcliffs, and although it lost some ground later it held on well.

Sterling first and last lap runs by W. K. Kennedy and B. Dyer enabled Christchurch No. 1 to be the second fastest team, 15 seconds behind Olympic No. 1. Kennedy’s 24min lOsec for the first lap of 4.2 miles from Fisher Avenue to the Sign of the Kiwi broke R. Stevens’s 1961 lap record by 29sec. Later Dyer produced his best form for some time to run 28min 13sec for the final lap of 5.5 miles. St Martins No. 1 was the third fastest team followed by Olympic No. 2 and Ashburton No. 1. The colt, and women had races over two miles in the Fisher Avenue area. Results were:—

Port Hills Relay.—New Brighton No. 2 <W. McLeod. F. Nash, R. Forsythe, C. McLaren. B. Beale), overall time, 2:28:8.0, handicap 3mln, actual time. 2:25:8.0, 1; Ashburton No. 2 (J. Carter, T. Rollinson, W. Fairweather, B Rollinson. G. Rollinson). 2:30:20.0, Smln. 2:22:20.0. 2: Presbyterian No. 2 <M. Morrison, P. Larkin. R. Allen, W. Graham. G. Stewart). 2:30:55.0. iOmin. 2:11:55.0, 3: St Martins No. 4, 2:31:17.0. Smln. 2:23:17.0. 4: Marist, 2:31:40.0, 24mln, 2:7:40.0. 5.

Fastest Teams—Olympic No. 1 (G. Clarke, D. Reece. A. Cook, R. Stevens. B. Curie), actual time 110:15.0. 1; Christchurch No. 1 <W. K. Kennedy. N. Mat-

sdn, M. Lang, R. Green, B. Dyer), 116:30.0, 2; St Martins No. 1 (S- McLean, R. Sharpe, C. Reece, C. King. A. Hughes), 117:16.0, 3; Olympic No. 2, 117:38.0, 4; Ashburton No. 1, 2:2:30.0, 5.

Fastest Laps.—Lap one (4.2 miles): W. K. Kennedy (Christchurch No. 1), 24:10.0 (rOcOrd). Lap two (5.3 miles): R. Sharpe (St Martins), 26:24.0. Lan three (3.7 miles): B. Lewis (Olypmic No. 2), 18:54.0 <new distance). Lap four (3.3 miles): J. D. Macdonald (Olympic No. 2), 15:6.0 (new distance). Lap five (5.5 miles): B. Dyer (Christchurch No. 1), 28:13.0. Colts Individual (two miles).— Senior: G. Donaldson (Christ? Church), 12:5.0, 1; A. Keen (Ashburton), 12:6.0, 2: M. Dillon (Christchurch), 12:7.0, 3. Junior: O. Hesp (Cashmere), 13:2.0, 1; W. Sheddan (Olypmic), 13:18.0, 2: P. Smith (New Brighton). 13:24.0. 3. Teams.—Senior: Christchurch, 9 points, 1: Ashburton, 20, 2; New Brighton. 35, 3. Junior: Olympic 1, New Brighton 2, Ashburton 3.

Senior. Individual (two miles): Miss D. Dixey (Ladies’ Pioneer), 14:10.0, 1; Miss C. Russell (Ladies’ Pioneer), 14:27, 2. Junior. Individual (two miles): L. Smith (New Brighton), 15:25.0, 1; A. Tait

(Ladies’ Pioneer). 15:25.0, 2: K. william, (Ladies’ Pioneer). 15:48, 3. Teams: Ladies' pioneer 1, Marist 2. Under 14.—Individual (two miles): E. Hibbert (Ladies’ Pioneer), 15:10.0, 1; H. Sexton (New Brighton). 15:30.0, 2: A. Davison (Ladles’ Pioneer). 10:45, 3. Teams: Ladies’ Pioneer 1. New Brighton 2, Marist 3.