Schoolboys to run length of N.Z.

Press, 19 February 1983, Page 3

Schoolboys to run length of N.Z.

Twelve pupils of a Wellington boys' school will pass through Christchurch next week on what is likely to be a strenuous way to promote their new sports hall. The boys are among 36 pupils of Wellington College who left Wellington today to travel the length of NewZealand under their own steam to publicise a $1.5 million sports and arts complex soon to be buuilt on the college site for use by both the boys and the public. A team of runners will travel from the top of the North Island to the South Island and 12 swimmers will cross Cook Strait by relay. The South Island runners will leave Bluff tomorrow and will take turns at covering the route to Picton. The organiser of the activity, a Wellington College teacher, Mr B. McCrea, said the boys would run for 14 hours a day and would have to keep up a speed of 18 km/ h to keep their schedule. He said that both the runners and the swimmers should make good progress as there were several New Zealand age-group sports champions and Wellington i representatives among them, i The young athletes had been sponsored by Adidas New Zealand. Ltd. which is based in Christchurch, and it was only because of this that the expensive undertaking had been possible, Mr McCrea said. Both the runners and the swimmers had been training for a year in preparation for the activity, which is due to ■ finish in Wellington on Friday. February 25.