Olympic race favourite

Press, 21 August 1976, Page 52

Olympic race favourite

The Olympic Harrier Club seems set to resume its sequence of fastest times when the United Harrier Club’s big inter-club Port Hills, five-lap road relay is held for the seventeenth successive year today.

The race has maintained its popularity as one of New Zealand’s biggest road relays, with an entry of 285 runners.

The fit Olympic A team of Kevin Fagan, John Sheddan, Gary Clarke, Warren Sheddan and Neville Reid seems likely to take time honours by a substantial margin. They are running off scratch, 70 minutes behind the limit.

Olympic has taken fastest time on nine occasions since 1962. New Brighton, which has taken the fastest time for the past three years, has

only token entries in today’s race because most of their runners are in Palmerston North for the Round-the-Ranges relay. Because of the continually improving standard of distance running in Canterbury and accurate handicapping by Mr J. Hinton, this year’s race promises to be the closest and fiercest competition ever.

At least six teams have the chance of line honours. Among the best placed appear to be Te Kura A, 62 minutes behind, the University Club veteran’s team, on 52. minutes, and St Martin’s A, off 61 minutes. The fit and improved United Chibs A team must be considered as one of the

challengers. One of the most pleasing aspects of the race is the record number of 30 women taking part in six teams

from the Olympic,, roc H and University clubs. It is the first time womens’ teams have taken part in open competition in this race. The fastest women’s time seems likely to go to Olympic H, running 19min 30sec behind the front-markers. The United club has wisely decided to delete the exceptionally steep down-hill section at the end of the third lap which has been responsible for a number of injuries in recent years. This lap has been made 1.3 miles longer but the remaining four laps remain the same, making a total of 23.3 miles. The race starts at 1 p.m. from Fisher Avenue ' and continues to the first baton change at the Sign of the Kiwi, thence along the Summit road, down Mount Pleasant and along the base of the hills to the starting point.