10,000 run in City to Surf annual jog

Press, 20 March 1978, Page 2

10,000 run in City to Surf annual jog

The public response to the •‘Christchurch Star” annual City to Surf jog from Cathedral Square to Queen Elizabeth II Park on Saturday exceeded all expectations. The event lived up to its reputation as one of the woriu’s fastest growing fun runs.

The count of official entries was a record of 8764 runners, whose ages ranged from six to 86.

Adding to this figure the many who were still queuing close to starting time at the late-entry booths and others who ran unofficially the total would have exceeded 10,000. The crowd was so dense close to the starting time at 9 a.m. that it had spilled into Worcester Street for some hundreds of metres. Such was the enthusiasm to get going that at least 2000 had begun the run some five minutes before the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr H. G. Hay) had fired the starting gun. This was all to the good because it relieved the lastminute crowd congestion in the Square and could well have been a factor in preventing runners from being trampled on in the helterskelter starting dash bv inexperienced newcomers — a hazard which had been of continuing concern to the jog chairman (Don Cameron) and his organising committee.

In brilliant weather there; was a carnival atmosphere at Queen Elizabeth II Park! at the finish, where hun-i dreds of supporters and) their families lined the route from the entry gates to the I finishing chutes to cheer on' the runners. The crowds of arriving runners were ably mar-' shalled to the finishing chutes by the former Canterbury rugby representative, Ron Forscutt. The oldest man in the run. Eric Sharp, aged 86, running with the United Club member Brendan Cosgrove, finished at least 1000 placings in front of the tailenders. Looking quite in command of the situation. Sharp returned the cheers of the crowd with a confident wave as he entered the finishing chute.

Every finisher received I with a certificate of achieve-; ment a printed invitation to. take part in “The Press” i Park to Park run on May 7.1 On the reverse side of the leaflet was an invitation to join one of Canterbury’s 20 registered running clubs along with a list of the clubs and how to get in touch with them.

Saturday's jog was notable; for the gay array of colour-1 fu) T-shirts from almost [ every business house in | Christchurch as well as club; uniforms worn by athletes. ( Within a few minutes of the j start, there was a solid; column of moving colour fil- j ling Worcester Street from| side to side for about a kilo-; metre. Members ot the organising committee for the run! stayed back in the Square for'about 20 minutes to fold! up the start banner, coil' ropes, and generally tidy up' before setting off after the 1 main body.

They caught up and en- 1 couraged hundreds of ■ runners along the way. and; had the unusual experience' of passing scores of cars reduced to a slow pace be-! cause of the wide column off runners who filled the road’ for kilometres ahead. Such was the impetuosity of the main stream of runners that many who tried to get drinks at the feed stations, manned by service clubs along the way, were swept past by the press of other runners.

Those who managed to, detach themselves from the main stream scrummed en-

thusiastically to secure drinks. After the huge: column had departed, service : club members were busy! sweeping up thousands of! paper cups.

This year, more than ever,) householders cheered the runners from their front gates and several provided cooling sprays from garden ihoses welcomed by many, but not all, of the passing runners. Some soldiers among several platoons from Burnham camp, who rar in boots and service gear, were treated! for exhaustion after the run. Besides the several platoons of soldiers there were 150 Gurkha soldiers, now on • training exercises in New Zealand. They coped with; !the hot conditions with evident ease. The guests of honour on 'the run were a team of 20

!men, women, and children! 'from the Singapore Jogging! Association, all of whom fi-j nished well. After the jog the Sing-j apore team were shown I over the Queen Elizabeth II! P°rk stadium by the City, ! Council’s Recreation Officer i (Mr P. McOscar). and; I watched the inter-secondary I I school sports meeting. ! The “Christchurch Star”, gave a reception at Noahs! I Hotel after the run for i members of the organising (committee and their helpers, 'and to welcome the Singapore jogging team. The team leader. Dr Siak, I told the gathering how 'pleased he was to see the South Island’s two biggest (newspapers, “The Press” and! (the “Christchurch Star,” put-!

I ting aside rivalry in a; 'common bond to promote! fu. running in Christchurch ! I He wished “The Press” simi-| Jar success in its annual | (Park to Park run on May 7. !

Dr Siak said Queen Eliza-1 beth II Park was one of the! i finest stadiums in the world | !and had an idvantage over! the big Singapore stadium! because it also had a splendid swimming pool and ca-i tered for more than one! sport. He said the architec- ! ture of the complex was I “superb.” ! An apt comment came from the editor of the “Christchurch Star”, Mr M. B. Forbes. When congratulating the chairman of 'the organising committee, if.fr Cameron, and the “Star” I news editor, David Gee, on 'the success of the City to I Surf run, he said: “This has (been the most exciting thing [ that has happened in i Christchurch.” ! Mr Forbes apologised for [not running in the City to .Surf event because he had I torn a leg muscle while playing tennis. But, he said, !h. hoped to be sufficiently (recovered by May 7 to take 'part in the “The Press” Park to Park run.