‘The Press’ sets a good example

Press, 4 May 1978, Page 14

‘The Press’ sets a good example

For more than 10 years, “The Press” has from time to time published the opinions of prominent visiting overseas heart specialists that long-distance running is an effective means of preventing and retarding the onset and development of coronary artery blockage which, in New Zealand, kills about 51 per cent of all men over 50. Each year, “The Press” Park-to-Park fun run is held to encourage more newcomers of all ages to take part in running. This year’s Park-to-Park run on Sunday is expected to attract a record turnout when the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr H. G. Hay) sends the runners away at 9.30 a.m. from Sydenham Park for the out-and-back run round both North and South Hagley Park. “The Press” also helps to encourage running by giving a lead to the community from the practical example of its staff. “The Press” has probably the largest number of registered long-distance runners on its staff, who are members of affiliated clubs, of any newspaper in the Commonwealth. There is at present a total of 14 registered athletes on the staff, of whom 10 can claim the elitist achievement of having run a marathon, which the world’s first sub-four-min-ute miler, Dr Roger Bannister, called the “acme of athletic heroism.” They are variously members of seven different affiliated clubs, and most of them are members of the Long-Distance Runners’ Club of New Zealand, which on June 5 will conduct, the Sedley Wells winter marathon on the 1 9 7 4 Commonwealth Games course from Queen Elizabeth II Park to Christchurch Airport and return. They come from almost every department of the newspaper. Six are on the editorial staff, two on the

clerical staff, two on the printing staff, one in the process department, one on the advertising staff, and one in the sales and circulation section. Jim Young, Kevin Barnes, Ken Coates, Lance Early, Tim Dunbar, Nevin Topp, John Collins, Peter Brown, Lex Blair and Rod Rutherford have all completed a marathon. Young and Barnes are both Canterbury marathon representatives. Young Blair, and Ruth’ erford have also completed both the marathon and New Zealand’s longest single-stage road race, the New Brighton 50. The latter two also completed a 100 km run last October. Mr Frank Aplin the Park-to-park fun-run coordinator for the Rotary Club of Christchurch South, the originator of

the event, has also two marathons to his credit as a member of the Olympic Harrier Club. So the 3000 or more runners who are expected to take part in “The Press” Park-to-park run on Sunday morning will be in good company. As in the case of members of athletic clubs running in the ParkrtoPark event, athletes on the staff of “The Press” will treat the event for what it is —a fun-run and not a race. They will run at the pace of the slowest of their own family groups or stay back to chat with and encourage newcomers at the back of the field. Members of “The Press” staff will not be eligible for Air New Zealand’s

offer of a free trip for two to Sydney which all other runners who finish the course on Saturday will have a chance to win. The procedure is simply that on completion of the course, runners must exchange their run cards for a certificate of achievement, and the cards will then be placed in a barrel near the finishing line. All run cards must bear the owner’s name and address. The barrel is then rolled and a card withdrawn. The owner of that card, having answered a simple question about Air New Zealand’s Pacific services, will win the trip for two to take part in the Sydney City-to-Surf run in August, as well as four days free accommodation at Sydney’s luxurious Koala Motel.