Biggest series of its kind

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32959, 4 July 1972, Page 24

Biggest series of its kind

The Christchurch Harrier Club will celebrate its 50th anniversary with the biggest cross-country race series held in New Zealand on Saturday. The Christchurch Club, which is the largest and the oldest in the South Island, has received 507 entries for the annual Skellerup steeples meeting.

The senior race, over 10,000 metres, has attracted 232 entries —the most to contest an individual event in New Zealand. Three Olympic representatives and five national representatives are among the 10 invited athletes to take part. They come from as far afield as Auckland and Dunedin. The international class field will, include R. Dixon (New Zealand 1500 metres representative at the Munich Olympics), R. Tayler (the Olympic 5000 metres representative), and the Mexico Olympics bronze medallist, M. Ryan. Other invited runners of note are J. Dixon (Hobson) placed second in the race last year, J. Robinson (Tokoroa), B. Rose (Wellington), D. Sirl (Owairaka), B. Sutcliffe (Tokoroa), N. Wyatt (Hamilton), and B. Tyrell (Tokoroa). The meeting, formerly known as the Kennet Cup series, has been held since 1931. Since 1905 the races have been held at Queen Elizabeth II park, but this year the race has reverted to Riccarton racecourse.