Alcorn’s epic alpine run

Press, 20 February 1980, Page 26

Alcorn’s epic alpine run

By

ROD DEW

The cross-country journey from Otira to the Lewis Pass highway at Giynn Wye was covered at a run last week by the former New Zealand ultralong distance champion, Roger Alcorn,- now living permanently in Australia.

Alcorn, in Christchurch on holiday, completed the solo 100 km journey in 15 hours wearing running gear and carrying only a parka and some powdered nourishment

“Last year was not a good one for me,” said Alcdrn, referring to a back injury and an attack of glandular fever which limited his running. “I thought this would be a good way to test myself:” ’ Alcorn caught the train to Arthur’s Pass last Wednesday and that same afternoon ran to Otira,

where he spent the night. He left Otira at 6 a.m. the next day, went up the Taramakau River, over Harper’s Pass to Lake Sumner, over Kiwi Pass and down the Hope River, and onto the Lewis Pass highway. He arrived at the highway at 9.15 p.m., slept the night under a tree, and hitch-hiked back, to Culverden on Friday. The final leg of his trip to Christchurch was done in the comfort of a bus. • Alcorn recalled that several Christchurch long distance runners had made .the journey from Otira to the Lewis Pass in two days about five years ago. “I thought it would be a

real challenge to see if I could do it in a day.” ' To make the trip even tougher, it was raining the whole . time. The greatest danger was crossing the Taramakau River on his own. “It is not the sort of thing I would recommend to anybody,” he said. However, Alcorn is well pleased with his performance oh the trip, which he considers as good as the 100 km he ran in 7hr 15niin two years ago'. ' He is keen to run a marathon this year, and hopes' to get back into cross-country. He still recalls with pleasure his record five wins in the New Brighton 50. His

record of shr 18min for the 50 miles stands unchallenged. “I think I am close to the level of fitness I had then," he said. “I would like to run another New Brighton 50. A run of 50 milco seems nothing after the 100 km cross-country run.”

Alcorn, now living in Wagga Wagga, considers that training in Australia makes a runner tougher than' his New Zealand counterpart. He regularly trains in temperatures of 25 to 30 deg., and sometimes in 35 deg. “You get used to the hot, dry conditions. It makes you much toughter, mentally. Running in New Zealand is too easy,” he said.

He returns to Australia tomorrow.