Milford Track run in six hours

Press, 19 April 1982, Page 6

Milford Track run in six hours

Thirty-five runners on Saturday became what is believed to be the first organised group to run the 53km Milford Track in Southland. The. track which includes a steep climb over the McKinnon Pass, was run by the fastest in the group, Ross Bush, in six hours nine minutes. The walk normally takes organised trampers from three to five days. Bush, who runs for the Olympic Harrier Club in Christchurch, is a former top road cyclist and has completed the annual New Brighton 50 mile running race. Although the run was not organised as a race; the second to finish was a Te Anau man. Ray Willett, who finished in 6hrs 14mins. Mr Don Cameron, a spokesman for the Long Distance Runners Club which organised the run in conjunction with Mt

Cook Airlines, said that conditions were ideal, though most felt the' climb up the McKinnon Pass and several complained of sore feet after running down the other- side, which’ was littered with stones. Among those tc finish was Lyn Ferris, a Sumner Road Running Club member, who finished in Bhr 55mins. Cameron said that the 35 runners split into several groups and each group had one runner with a first aid kit, while each runner included food, warm clothes and survival gear in his backpack. Other tracks which groups from the Long Distance Runners Club have run include the Stewart Island track, the Heaphy. the Wangapeka and the Wharfdale. Cameron said that the next challenge could be the track in the Abel Tasman ■ National Park which connects Totaranui with Mairehau.