Strong field for annual ‘Ton Run’

Press, 23 October 1981, Page 24

Strong field for annual ‘Ton Run’

A field of nearly 100 runners, eight of them women, have entered the fifth annual Symon and Lowther 100 km “Ton .Run,” which the Mayor, Mr Hamish Hay, will officially start in Cathedral Square at 6 a m. on Saturday.

This year’s field is the most prestigious since Auckland’s “Super Cop,” Detective Senior-Sergeant (Tiger) John Hughes, won the first Symon and Lowther 100 km in 1977. Hughes, who recently won fame for a new record for the Sydney to Melbourne run, called the Symon and Lowther 100 km, over the hilly Banks Peninsula Roads, “the toughest 100 km course in the world.”

Heading the list of internationally famous ultra-dis-tance men is Siggie Bauer, the world record holder in the 1000 mile race from Pretoria to Cape Town. Now equally famous as the world’s new record holder for 24 hours on the road and strongly tipped to win on Saturday is Gary Regtien, of Auckland. Regtien’s recent record run of 255.41 km for 24 hours, beat Max Telford’s claimed best performance by some skm.

Regtien’s strongest opposition could come from the Timaru athlete, John Souter. A former holder of the New Zealand doubles tennis title, Souter is now fitter than at any time in his career. Another strong contender is Stewart Hill, a former winner of the New Brighton 50-mile event and noted for his strength in weight-lifting and prowess as a wrestler. Another local runner, Lex Blair, of “The Press” staff, has tackled the 100 km before and is sure to give a good account of himself.

The most outstanding Australian entrant is Melbourne’s noted exercise physiologist specialist and consultant, Bob Bruner. Bruner’s impressive list of sports achievements include

representing Canada at boxing at both the Cardiff 1958 Empire Games and the 1960 Rome Olympics as well as representing Canada at soccer. He has a best 500mile time of 7 days 6 hours and has competed in long distance races in Israel, England, the United States, Finland, Mexico and South Africa.

His wife, Patty, who has many long distance runs of 50 miles and more to her credit, is the best candidate to beat the course record for women set by Joan Etwell, of Auckland, in a time of 9hrs 56mins 22s in 1977. Besides Regtien, Bruner and Bauer, several entrants have 100 mile and 24-hour runs to their credit, including Don Cameron, founder of the event, and John Drew, who completed last year’s Symon and Lowther 100 km at the age of 67. The course record of 7hrs 16min 37s was set by Roger Alcorn, formerly of Christchurch and now of Perth in 1978 in an epic battle with the talented Canterbury marathoner, Merv Austin, of the St Martins Club. Previous winners are: 1977, John Hughes; 1978, Roger Alcorn (Perth); 1979, Dennis O’Keefe (Canterbury); 1980, Tom Gillis (Sydney). From Cathedral Square the runners proceed down Colombo Street to the junction of Dyers Pass and Hackthorne Roads, thence down Hackthorne Road for a 25km look in the Halswell-Prebble-ton area.

The route is then a return climb, up Hackthorne Road to the Sign of the Kiwi, then along to Gebbies Pass via the Sign of the Bellbird to Teddington, Governors Bay, Lyttelton, up Evans Pass and along the Summit Road, past Mount Pleasant and back to the Kiwi. Then down Dyers Pass Road to Hoon Hay Road via Cashmere Road to the finish at the Hillmorton High School in Upland Road.