Record 100km run by John Souter

Press, 25 October 1982, Page 14

Record 100km run by John Souter

By

JOHN DREW

The former Davis Cup representative. John Souter of Timaru. consolidated his status as the best performed ultra-distance athlete in New Zealand, when he scored a fine win and personal best time in the testing Symon and Lowther 100 km event on Saturday. Souter's time of 7hr 40min 26s was a course record for a veteran (over 40). runner and third best all comers' time since the race was founded by Don Cameron, of BluffCape Reinga running fame, six years ago. Graeme Sword, of the North Canterbury club, also got a personal best time of 8:4810 for a meritorious second placing. John Baxter ran well for third and Graeme Hughson was fourth. Again advised by his capable handler and former 100 km winner. Denis O'Keefe, of the St Martin's Club. Souter made none of the common mistakes of a too fast early pace which has caused the downfall of many in this event. He actually bettered O'Keefe's 1980 winning time by about a minute. He kept with remarkable accuracy to a planned schedule. Souter showed he is obviously handling ultra-distance events better and with more confidence as he matures. He has run three 100 km events this year and won two, as well as his win in this year's New Brighton 50-mile event. The former Otago crosscountry representative, Dale Fincham, of Dunedin, was at the age of 71, the oldest to complete a 100 km event in New Zealand. Running with his friend Bob Heseltine, Fincham completed in the excellent time of 12:56.19 for an over-all placing of nineteenth.

Stephen Lewis (Cashmere Hillmorton) the youngest finisher. at the age of 23. showed he is acquiring a sound reputation as a longdistance athlete having completed the New Brighton 50mile race this year, and performed well in the recent 100 km track event. Two well-known schoolmasters. both veterans, recorded notable improvements over last year's times. Frank Collins, (58), senior master at St Andrew's College, ran well for twelfth placing in 11:59.58, bettering his last year's time by about an hour.

Peter Wolden (42) the big red-bearded art master from Lincoln High School, recorded another startling performance to knock nearly five hours off his time in this event last year. He looked one of the freshest to finish in 12:14.04. For the faster finishers, the conditions were ideal: but some of those at the slower end of the field encountered severe cold weather over the last stages. The course gave runners magnificent scenic views of Lyttelton Harbour, the Southern Alps, the farmlands of Canterbury and the Kaikoura mountains: and on Saturday much of Canterbury's fascinating variations of'weather.

In the early stages the weather was typically warm

and mild and windless. North-westerly conditions developed later and in parts of the sheltered route onwards from Teddington it was almost uncomfortably warm for running. Later a southerly change brought heavyshowers in the Governor's Bay area and this was followed by a savage late change to blizzard conditions along the tops of the Summit Road. The last runner left on the Summit Road, who got the full brunt of the storm, said the gale-force winds were blowing him across the road on the steep grade up to Mount Pleasant Driving sleet, hail and snow iced up the windscreen of the support car accompanying him. Because of the severe windchill he said that even a well clad runner could easily have succumbed to exposure in a few minutes at the height of the gale about 7.30 p.m. near the summit of Mount Pleasant. The storm was driving through two thicknesses of wet weather equipment. Although he was still full of running, his second, a former well-known police senior-sergeant. Ernest Tuck, advised him to abandon the race. Mr Tuck said the storm was one of the most spectacular he had seen. An efficient Citizens Communication team performed well to keep constant check on all runners throughout the race with regular reports to the race headquarters at the finish at Hillmorton High School. The severely testing, steeply undulating route makes this race the toughest ultra-distance event in the country. After the runners leave the Square they proceed down Colombo Street and up Dyers Pass Road to the junction with Hackthorne Road. Then follows a 30km loop out and back through the Halswell and Ladbrooks farmland area, a return io Cashmere and up to the Sign of the Kiwi. The runners turn right along the Summit Road to Gebbies Pass, thence to Teddington. Governor's Bay. Lyttelton and Evans Pass, from there along the Summit Road past Mount Pleasant, back to the Kiwi, about 10km down Hackthorne Road and then via Hoon Hay Road to the finish in Upland Road outside the Hillmorton High School. The Mayor of Christchurch, Sir Hamish Hay. sent away a field of 36 starters from Cathedral Square at 6 am. and of these 21 completed the race. Results: John Souter (Timaru) 7:40:25.1; Graeme Sword (Nth Canterbury) 8:48:25, 2; John Baxter 9:13:57. 3; Graeme Hughson (Nth Canterbury) 9:49.11, 4; Allan Jacobson (Invercargill) 10:05:36, 5; Stephen Lewis (Cashmere) 10:25:30, 6: Bob Baxter 11:07:56, 7; John Kerrison. Robin Waters. 11:18:21, equal 8: Colin Farrell 11:29:28, 10; Brian Thompson 11:55:19. 11; Frank Cob lins, 11:59:58, 12; Peter Wolden. 12:14:04, 13: John Costello 12:37:19, 14: Des Lennon and Jim Knapp (Westport). 12:38:01, 15; Raymond Chinnery 12:54:54. 16: Michael Foster 12:54:54. 17: Dale

Fincham (Dunedin) 12:56:19. 18:

Bob Heseltine 12:56:19, 19; Bruce Donnellv (Nth Cantebburv) 13:03:19.’ 20.