Running Records broken in classic

Press, 20 October 1980, Page 22

Running Records broken in classic

Peter Renner and Sue Bruce (New Brighton) broke the men’s and women’s records in the annual Gebbies Clasic road running race yesterday.

Renner recorded Ihr 38niin 54s to slash 36s off the record set last year by the St Martins runner Brenton Joyce, while Miss Bruc£ sliced a whopping 4min 38s off the record set by club-mate Donna Cawkill last year.

A record field of more than 120 runnners, many of them put for their usual Sunday long-train-ing run, completed the gruelling 30km. Last year 60 runners finished.

Renner, the provincial crosscountry champion and runnerup in the national cross-country championships, had been resting In the last two weeks and started the race with the’ Intention of using it as a training run. But the competitive instinct in him brought out his best when he was faced with the task of chasing the tear-away Jovce, who opened up a big lead on the downhill run from the Sign of the Kiwi to Governors Bay. Frank Brookes (Toe H), a competent marathon runner, went with Renner and the pair gradually began to peg Joyce- back. Renner - ■ moved ' ' away from Brookgs after the Teddirigton turn-off and caught Joyce before the start of the long climb up. Gebbie's Pass. Reiiner kept tip the Pressure and Brookes went past Joyce to take second place In Ihr 39min 375, just 7s outside the old record. Rpn.ner said after the race that he would probably get ready for bis first track race in about three wekks, then alm for the national trials for the Pacific Games. The trials will be held in December and the Pacific Games in February. Blit Mis main aim is to do well in the natiohil crossicountry trial at Trentham in I February, from which a national team will be. selected to compete Results:— Open: Renner 1:38:54, 1;

Brookes, 1:39:37, 2; Nolan 1:43:20, 3: Joycp 1:44:44, 4; Kitchingman 1:46:21, 5; G. Clark (St Martins) 1:46:22, 6; D. Morrison (St Martins) 1:48:05, 7; R. Rancls (Toe H) 1:48:19, 8; G. Stahley (St Martins) 1:48:48, 9; G. Cormack (NewBrighton) 1:50:33, 10: J. Docherty (New Brighton) 1:t>2;50,' 11; J. Hellema'ns (New- Brighton 1:53:07, 12; P. Hallebrekers (Christchurch) 1:53:44. 13; M. Hamilton (Toe H) 1:54:20, 14; D. Evans (New Brighton) 1:55:16. 15; C. England (St Martins) 1:56:07, 16; S. Hill (Technical) 1:56:49, 17; J. Instone (Q.E.) 1:57:01, 18; J. Baxter (Methodist) 1:57:09, 19; E. Ward (Christchurch) 1:57:15, 20.

Veteran men: Evans 1; Instone 2; P. O’Hagen (Toe H) 1:58:55, 3; D. Cameron (St Martins) 1:59:27, 4; R. Waters (New Brighton) 2:00:44, 5; B. Smith (North Canterbury) 2:03:50, 6; S. King (New Brighton! 2:04:01, 7; R. Creed (University) 2:0o:56, 8. Women:-. Bruce 2:04:01, 1; Tipper 2:07:10. 2; Cawkill 1 2:07:16, 4; E. Baker (New Brighton) 2:22:27 4; M. Flanagan (piympic) 2:25:30, 5; J. Forster (St Martins) 2:27:10, 5; B. - .Tweec|ie (Christchurch) 2:27:48, 7 qnd, first veteran woman. ).'■ in ,the world cyoss-cqun(ry championships in'Spain in March.

.Joycei tyaq about amin slower that) last year, and- was beaten Into fourth place by University’s Frank Ndlan, who ’came through the field strongly after a slow start. Fifth was Clive Kitchingman (Cashmere), who was second last year and was near the leaders throughout the race yesterday, finishing in Ihr 46min 21s. Among the top runners who used the race as a training run were Gavin Donaldson (Christchurch), Tom Bimie (New Brighton), Eric Hunter (University), Alan McLaren "(New Brightonl and Mark Cassidy (New Brighton). Cassidy will be a man to wjtch in thq summer. He is a former top junior, who was ednsistently in the top four placing*

behind the likes of Ronner and Neil Lowlsey,

Sue Bruce, in her first attempt at the distance, qn a well-judged race to record a brilliant' 2hra 4min Is. It was good enough to give her - thirty-seventh over-all placing in the field of 120. Miss Bruce is the Canterbury inter-secqndary school and Capterbury under-18 girls crosscountry champion. Second woman home was another leading under-18-year-old, Debbie Tipper (Avon), also running the Gobbles for th* first time. Miss Tipper also went under the record with a time of 2hr 7min 10s Just holding out * fast-finishing Donna ’Cawklß (New Brighton), whose time of 2hrs 7min 16s was also defter than her record time last year.