Thurlow wins third road race title in three starts

Press, 27 September 1982, Page 25

Thurlow wins third road race title in three starts

Alan Thurlow (Olympic) won his third Canterbury

16km road championship title from three starts on Saturday, in a time of 48 minutes 26 seconds over a course at Clarkville.

Probably the only man in Canterbury who may have prevented him from winning was Tom Birnie (New Brighton). but Birnie did not start. Thurlow won the 1979 championship from Tony Good (Olympic) in 48:09. then followed that up by beating Birnie in 1980 in a time of 48:03. Thurlow did- not race at Timaru last year, when the Commonwealth Games representative, Don Greig (New Brighton), won in 49:53 with Good second. Neither Good nor Greig started on Saturday. Thurlow, formerly of Otago, represented New Zealand at Edmonton on the track over 10.000 m and in Ireland two years ago in cross-country. He- is a former New Zealand 10,000 m champion and in October. 1980. won a marathon at his first attempt, in a time of 2:21:05, beating Gerald Dravitski (New Plymouth) by 12 seconds.

Thurlow will leave Christchurch soon for Australia, where he will complete in the Melbourne Big M marathon on October 17. His race on Saturday may have been his last in Canterbury, as he intends to settle in Australia.

Thurlow is noted for his aggressive front-running tactics, but on Saturday Chris Tobin (Timaru) made the early pace, with Thurlow not 1 far behind and a bunch of 13 runners content to sit back from the pace.

Thurlow made his break on Tobin going into the wind on the long Heywards Road straight up to Tram Road. Tobin withdrew at the end of 9km.

Another to withdraw from the big bunch after the first lap was the former United Club runner, Dave Askin, of Southland.

The Canterbury and national junior road champion. Dave Burridge (University), broke from the bunch to finish a minute behind Thurlow, but a minute ahead of Mel Radcliffe (New Brighton), who was third. Then came the Greymouth trio of Steve McMaster, Eddie Gray, and John Boland, with "a disappointing Bruce Rattray (Christchurch) seventh. University won the teams’ race.

Conditions for the race were warm and blustery, with the runners facing the wind on the long Heywards Road straight and having it behind them down South Eyre Road, when the heat had its greatest effect. Only 118 senior men finished, the lowest number for many years. Mary O’Connor (University) continued her domination of the women’s title, winning the Bkm event in

27min 595, Margaret Walker (St Martins) was a good second in 28:24. and Joan Merrifield (University) third in 29:03, in another creditable performance. Niki Evans (New Brighton) was the first of the younger brigade to finish, for fourth, oustprinting Christine Burden and beating her by Is. Bryan Atkins (United) won his first veteran title at his first attempt, though he has won other veteran races. He led the veteran field on a merry chase, the only one who could keep with him being Dennis O’Keefe (St Martins). They were together until the Bkm mark but Atkins drew away slightly over the last 4km to beat O’Keefe by 3s. in a time of 39:42. Vic Sykes (Christchurch) maintained third position throughout, while Dave Evans (New Brighton) broke away from a big bunch with 4km to go to catch Ronnie Stevens (Olympic) and snatch fourth place. Don Cameron was sixth and first veteran over 50. while A. Coy (Rovers) was first over 60 in 52:24. Tom Bain (Christchurch) and-Les Smith (University), both in the over-65 category, finished full of running. Marie Stokes (Q.E.). running in her first competitive season, won the veteran women’s title. She went with a bunch comprising Colleen McKenzie (Olympic), Pru Taylor (University), and Therese Woodham (United), the cross-country title-holder and former veteran women’s road champion. Mrs Stokes, who ran the Nike marathon this year in 3hr 23min, lasted better than the other three, increasing the pace about half-way and drawing away from Mrs Taylor. June Miles (Olympic) was first in the over-45 section.

Colin McDonald (Technical) won the junior race to add to his provincial and national cross-country titles. Robert Mulcahy (United) was a surprisingly close second. Results were: MEN

Senior (16km)—Thurlow, 48:26,

1: Burridge. 49 27. 2; Radcliffe. 50:42. 3; McMaster. 50:59. 4: Gray. 51:17, 5: Boland. 5129. 6. Rattray. 51:38. 7. B Meder (University). 51:48. 8: G. Donaldson (Christchurch). 51:53. 9. K. O'Sullivan (University). 52:02. 10. D. Sprott (University). 52:23. 11: J. Elliott (Olympic). 52:35. 12; A. Stopforth (University). 52:41. 13; D. Macdonald (Olympic). 53:04. 14; G. McEwan (University). 53:05. 15. Teams: University. Veteran (12km}—Atkins. 39:42.

1. O'Keefe. 39.45. 2; Sykes. 40:43. 3; Evans. 4; Stevens. 5: Cameron. 6 Teams: Olympic. . Junior (Bkm)-McDonald. 25:49. 1: Mulcahy. 25:57. 2: T. Hiles (University). 27 38. 3. Under ,18 (Bkm)—P. Baker (H. 5.0.8. 26:38. 1; E. Drayton (Avon). 26:40, 2; S. Balderstone (North Canterbury), 26:54. 3. Under 16 (4km)-S. Nalder (Toe H). 12:32, 1; R. Gordon (Timaru). 12:41, 2; C. Williamson (H. 5.0.8. 13:08, 3 Under 14 (3km)—W. Lemon (Timaru). 1036. 1: W. Park (Timaru). 10:40, 2: K. Weaver (New Brighton). 10:52, 3.

Under 12 (3km)—S. Bastiaanse (North Canterbury). 10:44. 1; C. Tavlor (Avon). 11:09, 2; P. Arnold (Toe H). 11:39. 3. WOMEN

Senior (Bkm)-O'Connor. 27:59. 1; Walker. 28:24. 2; Merrifield. 29:03. 3; Evans. 29:48, 4; Burden. 29:49, 5: S. Harnett (New Brighton). 29:56, 6: L. Tipper (University). 30:24, 7; A. Kennedy (Christchurch), 30:28, 8; M. Warne (University), 30:53, 9; S. McEwan (University), 31:04. 10; J. Barnes (Christchurch), 3127, 11; K. Ward (Christchurch), 31:28, 12. Teams: University. Veteran (Bkm)—Stokes 31:14, 1; Taylor 34.01, 2; Woodham, 34:37, 3. First over 45; J. Miles (Olympic), 36:16. Under 18 (Bkm)—A. Devine (Avon), 32:42, 1; P. Daly (Cashmere), 32:50, 2; B. Moth (Toe H), 33:34, 3.

Under 16 (4km)—R. Hocking (Christchurch) 15:12. 1; S. McKay (Cashmere). 15:29, 2: D. Diprose (Avon). 15:48. 3. Under 14 (3km)-C. Clarkson (Toe H). 11:35,1; L. Denby (Avon). 11:47, 2; L. Renton (Timaru), 12:02. 3.

Under 12 (3km)-C. Barrie (Q.E.). 11:35, 1; S. Rollo (North Canterbury), 11:47, 2; L. Weaver (New Brighton), 13:09, 3.