Shapely legs spur for Navy runners

Press, 14 December 1977, Page 21

Shapely legs spur for Navy runners

By

JOHN DREW

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For the first time in the history of the Canterbury Road Runners’ Association, crewmen from a United States warship may run in the annual Rangiora 20 mile road race from Christchurch, which starts in Caledonian Road this evening at 6.15. The sailors have received a special invitation by the president oi the Road Runners' Association (Mr Jack Taylor) and. according to the executive officer of the U.S.S. Gray, a 140 m frigate now in port, Lt Cmdr Jim Schultz. a number of the crew members will take part. This can be regarded as a fairly sporting gesture considering the limited training facilities rhe men hav on board the U.S.S. Gray. They train on an II lap to the mile circuit and a fair proportion of the ship's complement of 275 use the circuit for recreational running. Besides on-board running, the crew trains at all ports of call, including recent visits to Auckland and Tauranga. And Cmdr Schultz said the men ran in an 18 mile cross-country race with United States Marines when the ship visited Okinawa last October. According to Mr Taylor there will be a record number of women runners in what will be by far the biggest entry the race has ever had. ' “We can confidently expect to see some of the best legs in New Zealand among the women runners this evening.’’ Mr Taylor said Lt W. Kyle said he had some doubts about the ability of all the men to run the. 20 miles to Rangiora but thinks the men would be all the more keen to try when told about the women competitors. “That sounds great’’ said one crew runner on the ship last night. However. the United Stales Navy men may be well advised to have a good early look at the legs at the start because it may prove only a fleeting glance, judging from the outstanding form shown by women in last week-end’s Edmonds Tang race over 21km at Tai Tapu. On that form most of the women tn todays race seem likely to soon be out of sight of the sea-faring visitors. M. Taylor said a strong contingent from the New Zealand Army will also take pari: including Major Brian Dilger, who performed creditably in the recent 100 km Syrnon and Lowther race around the Port Hills. It is recognised that Canterbury caters for runners better than any other province. Canterbury is the only province in New Zealand with organisations catering especially for summer road running. The Canterbury Road Runners’ Association and the Long Distance Runners' Club of New Zealand have a comprehensive programme of annual events over most distances to suit both men and women of all ages. But it took the New Zealand international representative athlete. Beverley Shingles, of Wanganui, to make the point that Christchurch has by far the most advanced facilities for women runners. “Long distance running is the best way of keeping women looking young and beautiful and Christchurch is giving a lead to the rest of New Zealand in the way women runners are being catered for here.” said Bev in Christchurch last week-end. “You have everything going for you in Christchurch. it is becoming the running city of New Zealand for women and men too.” Which is perhaps appropriate. since New Zealand for the first time in athletics history. has a woman president of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association. And she considers that coverage of running by noth tiw print and broadcasting news media here i- belter than in any other

part of New Zealand and this is an important factor in bringing more women into the sport. Bev says that during her overseas tours with the New Zealand team it was obvious that top cardiologists regarded dis tance running as one of the best ways of preventing coronary heart attacks. Bev. aged 37. a vivacious housewife with two children who does 60 miles a week in training and has a figure of a 20-year-old, came specially from Wanganui to run in New Zealand's annual 21km race for women ai Tai Tapu. She won the event in record time, fairly easily, but, in spite of being the fastest woman over 26 miles 385 yard marathon distance in the country she by no means overshadowed the striking per formances among several in the 35 women in the field. Bev praised the Long Distance Runners’ Club for its initiative in establishing the race. “It was really a delight to run in a race for women only after having run all my road races against men.” she said, running and childbearing She made the point that races for women are one of the strongest attractions in bringing more newcomers of all ages Kid abilities into the sport. She is omphalic that running and childbearing go well together. She did not have her first child until she was 26. Yet she did her best international track and cross-country running in the interval between her first and second child was born. She said she continued training close to the time of both births and said that being fit made for less trouble in delivery. Her daughter Denyse is aged 11 and her son Kelvin, 4. She ran New Zealand's fastest women's time for a marathon two years ago and improved it further in the Eclipse Wire marathon in Hamilton in Oftober. Her time was 2hr 47nnn. She said she kept training close to the time when her children were born and quickly regained running form afterwards. She said her fellow team member for the world cross-country championships, Vai Robinson, wife of the former New Zealand marathon champion John Robinson, used to train almost, up to the time of the birth of her baby. Like most runners she has had leg and tendon injuries but says that long distance events give her less achilles tendon trouble than when running fast 1500 metres events on the track. Now, she says, turning to long distance events like the marathon has given her a new keeness towards the sport. She intends to go on with marathon events and hetplans include running the annual Honolul7 marathon and the famous Boston marathon. While Beverley has run all her life — she began her career with sprint races and began running at 12 — some of the best performances in Saturdays race were from newcomers. Clare Leathwick (Olympic) and Susan Taylor both broke the course record, although both had been running for hardly a year and, like many others, first discovered their running talents when taking part in the Christchurch Star “City to Surf” event. The chairman of the long distance runners' club, Don Cameron, was delighted at the outcome of the women’s event. But what pleased him and his organising

committee most was the remarkable level of improvement by women runners compared with their times in last year’s half marathon. Some of the most startling improvement was among women of veteran age. “The older they get the faster they get, so it seems,” said Mr Cameron. For instance l he Olympic Club runner C ollee n McKenzie improved on last year’s time by a massive 22 minutes. Frances Clarke. the oldest woman in the race al the age of 53, improved on her time by more than five minutes. The prominent Toe H club runner, Wendy Gilbert, improved on last year’s time by a creditable 10 min. The Dutch-born Olympic club member, Anna Hendrick, now over 40, improved on last, year by 15 minutes. Chris Tennant of the New Brighton club, with whom, Bev Shingles was billeted while in Christchurch, must have caught, some of Bev's enthusiasm for her time on Saturday was 11 min better Camille Reed (University) who won the prize from Arthur Lydiard, president of the Long Distance Runners’ Chib for the first preveteran runner home, improved by 8 min. Noeleen Bates and her sister, June Miles, both of the Olympic Club, improved, "by 7 min and Omin respectively. Don Cameron’s wife, Patricia, in spite of doing a big job as race secretary. improved on her time by about 2 min. Meanwhile, with more women running and a big entry of newcomers wishing to see how they like taking part, in a big competitive road race, the Canterbury Road Runners’ Association is expecting a record crowd in this evening’s event. Mr Taylor points out that his association is making newcomers welcome to run one event. After that, if they wish to continue taking part, in events controlled by the association on behalf of the Canterbury centre of the N.Z.A.A.A. they will be required to run for registered clubs and be registered with the centre. Tonight's race starts in Caledonian Road at 6.15 p.m. and runners follow a course to Bealey Avenue, then along Papanui Road, turning right into St Albans Street then along Cranford Street and onto the main road, through Belfast and Kaiapoi. The runners turn left at Woodend and then have a straight leg of about four miles, finishing outside the Rangiora Post Office. The race is sponsored by the Rangiora Businessmens Association. The Long Distance Runners Club is expecting the biggest field to take part in any of their events when the Aulsebrooks Turkey Trot is held from the Hillmorton School next Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. Don Cameron said the event will have special attraction for women of all ages as well as men because no pace running is involved. All the runners have to do is to nominate a time in which they intend, to run the event and the runner who runs a time closest to that nominated wins the Christmas Turkey. “This is always a verypopular even! every year all oxer the United States and we feel we will have to be prepared for a really big crowd on Saturday” said Mr Cameron. He said Aulsebrooks was also giving a Pewter tankard as a “for keeps” trophy.