RALIAN OUTSTANDING RUNNER World record bid fails, but N.Z. time equalled

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32565, 26 March 1971, Page 24

RALIAN OUTSTANDING RUNNER World record bid fails, but N.Z. time equalled

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. One world record-holder equalled a New Zealand record, another did not, and a third, who was the greatest of all, finished well to the rear these were the adventures and misadventures of the Winstone international track and field meeting which attracted thousands of Aucklanders to Mount Smart Stadium last night.

The successful man among these outstanding runners was the Australian, K. O’Brien, who with a tremendous kick 250 yards from die tape, well sustained to the finish, equalled the New Zealand two-mile record set only a fortnight ago by T. J. L. Quax, of Auckland.

The time of Smin 25.6 sec, however, was 6sec outside R. Clark’s world record. But it was an excellent performance, the best of the night. Quax was second to O'Brien, in tain 28.8 sec, and the world record-holder, J. Ryun (United States), finished a long way behind, in Bmin 41.4 sec. T. von Ruden, the American who holds the world’s 1000 metres record, decisively won the mile from the Otago runner, R. Tayler, by a powerful sprint at the last bend. But the hoped-for destruc-

tion of the famous fourminute barrier was not to be. By this time, the rain was flooding down, and the conditions were discouraging. Von Ruden’s winning time was 4min o.7sec and Tayler, who was second, clocked 4min 2.lsec.

Ryun, who was recovering from a calf injury which had upset his training programme for the last fortnight, was beaten off little more than halfway through the twomile race.

At that stage, his head was beginning to 101 l on his shoulders, an infallible sign of want of match-fitness. And as O’Brien, having followed a yard behind Quax for lap after lap, was preparing for the surge which won him the race, Ryun was at least 100 yards to the rear. 61 sec first lap The first lap of the two miles was promising. N. Healey (Auckland University) burst away like a sprinter and led the field through the first lap in about 61sec, with O’Brien about a second slower.

By the end of the first halfmile, reached in about 2min ssec, the New Zealand international, M. R. Ryan, was in sixth position, a step or two ahead of Ryun. Thereafter, the field was rapidly reduced to Quax and O’Brien, with P. Reeves (Auckland) in third place and Ryun gradually moving up. O’Brien clung in behind Quax, and the two were running extremely well. But at the mile the time was 4min 13sec, and by this stage it was evident there would be no world record in the race. In the fifth lap, Ryun was beaten off. He could not hope to sustain the pace. He was economical in his running and stylish in the way he got up on his toes, but the physical tone was not there. Crowd’s favourite So Quax and O’Brien fought on, with the crowd yelling for Quax. Then, 250 yards from the finish,

O’Brien began his move. Quax held him, and for 30 yards it was an even contest However, the Australian went past the New Zealander, and with every subsequent yard improved his lead. Down the straight he was running magnificently, completely untroubled. He had an advantage of 3.2 sec on Quax at the finish and not quite 16see on Ryun. O’Brien was credited with a time of 7min 53.1 sec when passing through the 3000 metres. This was o.3sec better than Quax’s New Zealand record. The Auckland runner, S.

King, in the one mile, took off from the gun as if he had just won a jackpot and he was through the quarter in 57sec. Von Ruden clocked 60sec, and after the next lap, when he was lying fifth, he was 2min Isec.

Going out of the straight for the third lap, Tayler went to the front, but the lap took 63sec. The rain was falling and the hopes of a sub-four-minute mile had disappeared. So the race descended into a contest between Tayler and Von Ruden. The tall American held his peace until the last bend, then he sprinted and was away. Tayler held on well, and the 19-year-old Otago athlete, T. Sutherland, got up for third, and assuredly will soon be winning in better times than his 4min 3.7 sec.