100KM race to Alcorn

Press, 6 November 1978, Page 14

100KM race to Alcorn

By JOHN DREW Roger Alcorn, formerly Of Christchurch and now teach- ( ing at Wagga, near Canberra, confirmed that he is New Zealand’s greatest 100 km athlete when he won the big annual Symon and Lowther 100 km event on the Port Hills at the week-end from an entry of nearly 150. | His time of 7h 16min bettered by nearly 30min the 'course record set by AuckI land’s John Hughes last year. Alcorn won after a tremendous battle with the talented St Martin’s runner, Merv Austin. Two other top Australian distance men. Don Keyssejcker and Tom Gillis (both Sydney), performed outstandingly to take third and fourth placings. Tn spite of a strong southerly wind and cold driving rain all of the first three place getters broke the course record. IX was a notable run by Keyssecker and Gillis, who had only five weeks earlier taken first and second plac-i

lings in the Australian Dis-: tance Runners’ News 50-mile ' championships. Likewise it was a grand run by Harry Marquet, Ausi tin’s St Martins club-mate t who took fifth placing and i was the first veteran across 1 the line after setting person-" : al best times in the Canter--1 bury marathon championships and the Gebbies clas- . sic , in three weeks. Phil Seaman (St Martins) t was the second veteran home, Pat O’Hagen (Toe H) J third, and Bob Heseltine . i(Olympic) fourth. the St Martin's club eas- ’ ily won the teams’ award. Susan Young (New Brigh- . i ton) was first open and vet-i i eran (Over 35) woman to, . finish. the same disj' tmetion she gained in the last New Brighton “50” .and Canterbury marathon , 'events. • The second woman home, H Moira Forbes (New York). |who had done no formal < | training until she arrived in ilNew Zealand in mid-Septem-•iber, also gave a notable perdformance.

Alcorn, who holds the New Brighton “50” record of 5h 18min and who took a close second in Britain's! greatest distance event, the! London-to-Brighton, said the! Port Hills course Was the toughest 100 km course ini the world. When the Mayor (Mr H.j G. Hay) sent the runners i away from the start in Cath- : edral Square at 6 a.m. on) Saturday he said that the! event was a truly inter-1 ■ national one, including three! Australians. Japanese, and two American runners. Alcorn, a mathematics; teacher in Australia, said the, ; runners had to climb 1500 m during the race which (helped to make it an ex-i 'ceptional test of stamina. Austin set a sizzling pact I at the start of the race and ■was accompanied by the I Olympic Club marathon specialist. Gary Clarke, in the early stages. They maintained their pace for much of the way. Alcorn was never less than a minute behind Austin until the runners approachet Lyttelton after Austin hao

gone thorugh the marathon distance in a fast 2h 40min. Results: K. A. Alcorn I (Australia), 7:16.37, 1: M. I Austin (St Martins), 7:22.19, 12; D. Keyssecker (Australia), 17:42.33, 3: T. Gillis (Australia), 8:0229, 4; H. Marquet (St Marlins), 8:35.45. 5; W. iHopping, 8:51.59, 6: D. Kennedy (Marlborough). 8:52.54, |7; D. O’Keefe (St Martins), 18:55.17. 8: C. England (St ; Marlins). 9:05.05, 9; S. Hill i (Technical), 9:25.41. 10: P. I Seaman (St • Martins). 9:35.36, 11; B. Lewis, 9:33.41, 12; N. Mercer. 9:48.38. 13; K. I Thoms, 9:50.28, 14; ,R. Buchanan (Cashmere), 4:52.28, 15; P O'Hagen (Toe H), 9:54.26. 16: K. Hevworth ’United). 10:01.09. 17; M. Taylor (Army). 10:08.26. 18; Ron Meers (St Martins), 10:16.22, 19; R. Waters (New Brighton). 10:37.34, 20; R. Heseltine (Olympic), 10:37.59, 21. Veterans: H. Marquet, I; P. Seaman, 2: P. O’Hagen, 3; R. Hesletine, 4. Women: S. Young (NewBrighton), 1, M. Forbes New York), 2.