MARATHON WAS A TRIUMPH OF ORGANISATION

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32521, 3 February 1971, Page 16

MARATHON WAS A TRIUMPH OF ORGANISATION

’THIS year’s provincial x marathon championship which produced the highest overall standard in the history of the event in Canterbury, also proved Canterbury’s ability to successfully organise what is recognised as the most demanding event which athletics officials can be called upon to control. It was the first time in recent years that the marathon had been held away from Canterbury’s traditional headquarters of athletics—Rugby Park. The course, selected primarily to aid the competitors was an exceptionally complicated route from the officials’ point of view. The way they handled the arrangements left no doubt about Canterbury’s ability to organise and control a marathon at Commonwealth Games level. The Canterbury Road Runners’ Association, ably assisted by the Traffic Department, had 71 officials (more than twice the number of runners) to direct and control this year’s championship. Feed stations, sponge stations, and time keeping

points had to be moved quickly to keep on schedule with runners who completed the distance at nearly fiveminute mile pace. During this year’s marathon 107 moves were made relocating officials at required points during the race. Naturally there were some blemishes in the running of the race. The mile time was not given; time-keepers were misplaced at the 25mile mark; the start, timed at 8.30 a.m. to avoid midday heat, was six minutes late. But the race was notable for refinements of organisation not before seen*at a marathon in New Zealand. An elaborate map of the course, blackboard size, showing the route in clear, contrasting <colours was displayed at the start. A map of the course was also printed on the programme which described it in street-to-street detail. A big results signboard at the finish was constantly kept up-to-date with runners section times, and within a few minutes of their finish runners could read their progress performance throughout the race. All course marshalls held

well-designed direction placards. A leading car with a large sign-written marathon notice and a motor-cycle with similar markings showed front runners the way throughout the course. The officials included timekeepers and recorders required to call times to all runners at six stations throughout the race besides recording the full times of each runner, as well as attendants at sponge stations and feed stations and marshalls at every turn on the course where runners changed direction. An advantage this year was the control of the race by experienced marathon runners. These included the race manager, C. F. Reece, the chairman of the Road Runners’ Association, S. V. R. Young, and Miss D. Dixey the association’s secretary, who has run the marathon and is the only woman in New Zealand to complete the New Brighton 50-mile race. These people were ably assisted by Mr S. Jelley, an official with many years of experience in handling long distance events. This year’s organisation was also aided by veteran

runners from the Christchurch Harrier Club, as well as by highly co-opera-tive support from the Transport Department. While the first consideration in planning the course was the needs of the runners, officials were forced to compromise. The loop course had the advantage over a block course of multiple laps, which experience has proved an inceptive for less stout-hearted competitors to withdraw during acute stages of the marathon ordeal. Some of the faster competitors would have liked a course with less camber. To provide this would have meant selecting a route nearer the city, involving more traffic and fume problems. This year’s course was chosen with a minimum of intersections involving traffic hazards, but an accompanying disadvantage was the extra number of left and right turns. Balanced against this was the planned advantage that there were fewer long stretches, which are so daunting to runners under

the extreme pressures which the race inflicts. Some would have liked a nine o’clock start, instead of 8.30, to enable visitors from outlying districts more readily to travel on the day of the race. Some runners say the race would have attracted more starters if it had been held a week later, because many runners hesitated to enter so soon after, what was for many, an extended break in training over the Christmas holidays. This would have left a five-week gap for recovery before the nationals at Invercargill on March 6. The organisers chose the tree-fringed river route for as much of the way as possible to provide cool conditions. The course was full of variety to distract runners from the pressure of the ordeal. But in parts the surface was not as smooth as that of more frequented highways.

The Commonwealth Games marathon course Will probably be near the city centre, where there will be few complaints about the smooth surface of the roads. This might also complicate details of organising the race. Whatever the demands imposed by this big event, the way Canterbury handled this year’s marathon shows the province has an organisation with ample ability to cope.