Thurlow, O’Connor win road titles

Press, 1 October 1979, Page 27

Thurlow, O’Connor win road titles

Alan Thurlow (Olympic) and Mary O’Connor won the 1979 Canterbury road running championships on the river circuit from Porrit Park, Christchurch, on Saturday.

Thurlow had to hold off challenges from title-holder Martin Couldwell (University) and last year’s runnerup Tony Good (Olympic). He broke away after the halfway mark and opened up a gap which he kept to the finish, recording 48 mins 09 secs for the 16km distance. Miss O’Connor, the New Zealand women’s crosscountry’ champion, made no race of the senior women’s 4km race, going into an early lead which she retained to the end, to win in a time of 12 mins 40 secs.

One of the more exciting races was the veteran men’s race, in which a bunch of five took an early lead, with title-holder and New Zealand veteran cross-country champion Jim Macdonald, biding his time and using the bunch to shelter from the wind. Don Greig (New Brighton) took the lion's share of the pace, and was beaten into fifth place, while Eric Hunter (University) ran one of his best races to finish second behind Macdonald, heading off Christchurch’s Vic Sykes by just 8 secs. Fourth was Olympic's Doug Reece.

Another race providing excitement for spectators was the girls’ under-18 event, in which favourite Maria Moran (Timaru) was expected to be tested bv a trio comprising Debbie Tipner (Avon), Robyn Miles (Olympic) and Lee Hunt (University). This group, with Lynne Tipper, went to an early lead, but Miss Hunt could not handle the hot pace and dropped from the bunch after 800 m. Lynne Tipper withdrew after half-way with a injury, and Miss Moran gradually pulled away from the others to assert her superiority.

Miss Moran, who won the Canterbury inter-secondary schoolgirls’ cross-country title last week, edging out

Debbie Tipper, took third fastest time over all on Saturday, beating on time all the senior women except the first two. She intends to compete on the track in the coming season.

In the women’s race, Jocelyn Fraser (University) showed improved form to take third place, while Maree Benjamin (Timaru) ran a good race with a fine sprint finish to head off both Sue Taylor (St Martins) and Christine Burden (University) for her seventh place.

The boys’ under-18 event was a spectacular race, with no clear leaders for the first part of the race. It was not until about 3km from the finish, with the wind behind him, that New Brighton runner, David Roberts, began to move away from the bunch, which had sorted itself into about six runners, Andrew Wilson, who has dominated the age I group during the crossj country season, did not start. Joyce Wilkinson (Avon) tried to “steal” the under-14 girls’ race over 3km by using her long stride to take an early lead. But Andrea Devine (Avon) kept chasing her and passed her as the pace began to tell. The ultimate winner and favourite, Robyn Brownie (New Brighton), ! moved through from a handy I position to win by 4 sec. : Theresa Woodham (United) won her first Canterbury title in the veteran women’s race. She led from start to finish. Mrs Woodham was third in the crosscountry championships and has been among the top six during the season. She has 'been running for two years, j averaging about Bkm a day. ! The events were organised by the cross-country committtee of the Canterbury Centre of the Amateur Athletic Association. MEN Results:— Senior men.—A. Thurlow (Olvmpic) 48:09. 1; T. Good (Olympic! 48:32, 2: M. Couldwell (University) 48:46. 3; D. Greig (New Brighton) 50:05. 4; B. Rattray (Christchurch) 50:22. 5: B. KenI neliv (University) 50:45. 6: C. I McLennan (Ashburton) 50:52. 7; 1 D Patchett (Toe H) 51:32, 8; I.

Shatford (Te Kura) 51:34, 9; s McLean (Toe H) 51:58, 10; G. Donaldson (Christchurch) and W. Kennedy (Christchurch) 52:08, equal-11; D. Rowell (University) 52:24, 13; D. Macdonald (Olympic) 52:27. 14; J. lliot (Te Kura) 52:45, 15. Team- Christchurch 1, University 2, Olympic 3. Juniors (8km): G. McEwan (University) 25:00, 1; B. Hart (Olympic) 25:37, 2; I. Lauder (Toe H) 25:52, 3; B. Ballinger (New Brighton) 26:38, 4; R. Sprott (University) 26:40, 5; G. Sudlow (Toe H) 26:46, 6.

Under 18 (8km): D. Roberts (New Brighton) 26:11, 1; D. Ellis (Christchurch) 26:29, 2; B. Baxter (Christchurch) 26:33. 3; M. Smith (Cashmere) 26:48, 4; J. Schutte (Te Kura) 27:16, 5; J. Rogal (United) 27:23, 6. Team: New Brighton.

Under-16 (4km): R. Mulcahy (United), 13:03, 1; G. Starling (Methodist) 13:33. 2; J. Inston (New Brighton) 13:34, 3; R. Ayson (Te Kura) 13:35, 4: D. Drummond (Toe H) 13:50, 5; T. Bedford (Greymouth) 13:50, 6. Team: NewBrighton.

Under-14 (3km): K. Fox (United) 10:01, 1; N. Grev (Toe H) 10:17, 2: K. Faas (Avon) 10:26, 3; K. Mulcahy (United) 10:27, 4; K. Daly (Rovers) 10:38, 5; S. Carrick (Olympic) 10:49, 6. Team: Olympic.

Veteran (12km): J. D. Macdonald i Olympic) 40:21, 1; E. Hunter (University) 40:54. 2: V’. Sykes (Christchurch) 41:02, 3; D. Reece (Olympic) 41:38, 4; I. D. Greig (New Brighton) 41:43, 5; J. Hamilton (Greymouth) 42:13, 6. Over-50: J. Hamilton (Grey mouth). Over-60: T. Bain (Christchurch), 50:52. WOMEN Senior women (4km): M. O’Connor (University) 13:40, 1; A. Wilson (University) 13:55, 2; J. Fraser (University) 14:30, 3; M. Hadley (New Brighton) 14:42, 4; D. Smith (University) 14:44. 5; S. Miles (Olympic) 14:47. 6; M. Benjamin (Timaru) 14:57, 7: C. Burden (University) 14:58, 8; S. Taylor (St Martins) 15:06, 9. Team: University. Under-18 (4km): M. Moran (Timaru) 14:03, 1; R. Miles (Olympic) 14:12, 2; D. Tipper (Avon) 14:22, 3: L. Hunt (15:54, 4: H. Hami Hon (Greymouth) 16:23, 5; M Hami Hon (Greymouth) 16:45, 6. Under-16 (4km): S. Bruce (New Brighton) 14:22, 1: N. Evans (New Brighton) 14:41, 2: D. Robinson (Ladies’ Pioneer) 15:54, 3; S. Davies (Avon) 15:55, 4; C. Baker (Christchurch) 16:02. 5: C. Cant (New Brighton) 16:17. 6. Team: New Brighton. Under-14 (3km): R. Brownie (Netv Brighton) 11:08. 1; A. Devine (Avon) 11:12, 2; J. Wilkinson (Avon) 11:28. 3; M. Kyle (Cashmere) 11:30. 4; L. Alexander (New Brighton) 11:59. 5; S. Mac Kay (Cashmere) 12:05. 6. Team: Avon.

Veterans (6km): T. Woodham (United) 24:66, 1: P. Rhodes (Olympic) 25:18, 2: J. Miles (Olympic) 25:50, 3; D. Stead (Technical) 26-27. 4: B. Tweedie (Christchurch) 26:33, 5; J. Holland (Ashburton) 26:53, 6.