Games boost for harriers

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33516, 23 April 1974, Page 26

Games boost for harriers

Canterbury’s three top harrier clubs—New Brighton, Olympic, and University—have remarkably strong teams in the first inter-club race of the season, the Hagley relays on Saturday. The occasion will mark the start of the biggest crosscountry season in Canterbury history, with nearly all clubs having enlarged club rolls.

The reason for this is the remarkable impact of the Commonwealth Games, according to W. Hobbs, a senior official and selector for Olympic.

The University club, which had the largest and highest grade pre-season trial in its history last Saturday, is determined to take Saturday’s race from last year’s winners and record-holders. New Brighton. P. Reilly, formerly of Auck-

land University, won the trial narrowly from the former England international R. Robinson, with P. Morton, J. Coates (Vancouver), and B. Taylor—recently returned from Canada—close behind. The trial left no doubt that University is stronger than ever and must be regarded as a favourite for the race.

Olympic have J. K. Macdonald, K. Fagan, J. Sheddan, N. Reid, B. McClelland and J. D. Macdonald for its A team.

Olympic’s strength is such that the former national mile champion. B. Burns, who recently came to Canterbury from Otago, has been relegated to the B team for Saturday’s race. New Brighton also had a record of 42 starters in the Hagley relay trial last Saturday. It will rely on a fast young team, led by R- Sharpe,

D. Greig, W. Swords and M. Radcliffe —the first four place getters—also T. Ellis and probably B. Rollo. Like New Brighton, Olympic has six teams and in fact has, so many new members that two teams of its runners have not raced in Canterbury. The race will also be notable for the number of veterans; New Brighton, University and United and Christchurch all plan to enter veterans teams.

New Brighton must surely claim a record too with an entry of eight women’s teams, including one in the veterans grade. Its womens A team— M. O’Reilly, J- Gilling, A. Bidwell and A. Duncraft—seem assured of an unchallenged win. The race is six laps of two miles and a half in North Hagley Park.