ATHLETICS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 63, 12 September 1910, Page 2

ATHLETICS.

WELLINGTON HAREIERS AT INVERCARGILL. The members of the Wellington aud Brooklyn Harriers who journeyed to Invercargill to represent the Wellington Centre at the cross-country championship meeting returned yesterday. They speak in high terms of the hospitality shown them, both at the meeting and also at Dunedin on their return journey. The teams were astonished at the amount of enthusiasm thrown into this winter sport in the south. In Dunedin and sv»onrbs alone, there are no less than 15 harrier clubs, each with as many members as the Wellington clubs possess. The field of choice is thus much larger, and great rivalry exists for the honour of a place in the team. The Otago Cenfcre meets their expenses. Leaving out cf consideration M'Knight and Beatson— Avho are in rank by themselves. — there I are quite six other teams who aro good enough to compete. Of the race itself, the Wellington men report that the I course was flat, but embraced rough tus- [ socks, barbed-wire fences, low depres- , sions (filled with wet slush), gorse, railway gates, and a piece of hard road. The finish was on the track at the football ground, where about 1500 people were assembled. M'Knight wa§ first home, having out-distanced his competitors on the soft going, which seemed to suit him particularly. On entering the track, Riobery (Wellington), who had made the pace a cracker at the early part of the race, was running second in front of Beatson (Otago). This position he held until, thinking he had enough in hand, he eased off, only to find Beatson rushing past him on the tape and beating him by inches. Bad judgment only lost the Wellington man second honours. The remaining members of the team either did not run up to their usual form or else met better material. Bennett finished tenth, Hodson eleventh, Murray fourteenth, Curry fifteenth. Wellington lost second place by three points. It is only fair to say tha.t Curry was running with a weak ankje — sprained a few weeks back. In the telegram from the south it was stated that O'Grady, last year's champion from Ashburton, gave up after running two miles. This is not correct (a correspondent points out), as Simpson, who was last year's champion, did not compete this year. CROSS-COUNTRY RUNS. It has been decided by. the Wellington Harriers to request the centre to invite the council to fix Wellington as next year's testing ground for the cross-coun-try championship. If this is done it is hoped that greater interest will be shown in cross-country running next winter.