Leading runner transferring

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32522, 4 February 1971, Page 22

Leading runner transferring

(By our athletics reporter)

The nationally-ranked 800 and 1500 metres track athlete, B. Robinson (High School Old Boys), will represent Canterbury for the last time, in the New Zealand championships at Inglewood on February 26 and 27.

He has been transferred on promotion to Hamilton by his employer, a leading clothing manufacturer, and will take up his new position immediately after the national championships. Last Saturday, running for Canterbury against Auckland at the Mount Smart Stadium, Robinson recorded one of the fastest 800 metres times in i New Zealand this season— Imin 50.9 sec—and he is a leading contender for the proIvincial 800 metres title which

will be decided at Rugby Park on Saturday. Only one other Canterbury athlete, G. McKechni.e (Uni-versity-Shirley) has run faster this season. He beat Robinson by a tenth of a second at Auckland. Both athletes broke the 11-year-old Canterbury record of Imin 51.1 sec held by G. F. Hack.

i At the same meeting, Robinson proved his great resilience by also running inside the Canterbury mile record with a time of 4min ssec. However, even this fine effort will not be entered in the record book under his name. He was beaten by A. Gilmour (Technical), who recorded 4m in 4.Bsec. Throughout his career, Robinson has been trained by the successful High School Old Boys’ coach, Mr P. Davies. Robinson was originally a 400 metres hurdler and it was Mr Davies who first saw his great potential as an 800 metres runner. Since making the switch, Robinson has been a regular Canterbury representative. In 1969, at Seddon Park, Hamilton, he finished third in the New Zealand 880 yards championship. This season, his form suggests that he will finish even higher.