CROSS-COUNTRY

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 51, 28 August 1925, Page 9

CROSS-COUNTRY

TO-MORROW'S BIG EVENT. New Zealand has been honoured by the Amateur Atheltic Union of Australia and New Zealand with the control of its fifth biennial cross-country championship, which is to be decided at the Hutt Park Racecourse to-morrow afternoon. The course of 10,000 metres, or approximately 6j miles, has. been carefully selected and surveyed by Mr. S. T. Seddon, and favourably commented upon by members of the visiting teams. With the exception of Rose and Heffer, who arc due to arrive from Masterton to-morrow morning, all of the contestants are assembled in Wellington, and have been assiduously training on the actual course and elsewhere.

Three teams, representing New South Wales, Victoria, and New Zealand' respectively, will compete, while there will also be half a dozen or more unattached runners competing for the individual championship. Now South Wales has an unbeaten record of wins in the four previous > teams' championships, and has also annexed individual honours on three occasions, a Victorian runner having been successful once. No effort has been Bpared to place in • the field a team of runners to secure the honours of this occasion for New Zealand, but it is realised that each of the men selected will require to be at his best to wrest victory from the Coimnon.wcaith runners. . ■ ■ The teams are as follow:— New South Wales: R. J. Fitzsimmoria (captain), C. B. Weeks, A. Gainsford, H. Haydcn, M. J. Mackenzie, aud A. . Swinljourno. Manager, Mr. 11. J. Taylor. Victoria: W. M. Whyte (captain and manager), R. Whittle, E. Mpore, R. Muir, and J. E. BelL New Zealand: R. A. Rose (captain), K. L. Brown, J. Tapp, D. Todd, E. Heffer, and R. Kent. Manager, Mr. J. Taylor. The complete list of unattached runners is not yet available, but will includo T. H. Wilson (Auckland), F. B. Silver (Wellington), R. Gibbons (Wangnnui), L. Keats (Masterton), J. M'Kee (Hutt), and J. Barclay (Wellington). The race is timed to start at 3.15 p.m., and a special service of motor buses has been arranged from Lambtpn station from 1.30 p.m. onwards. .This will be supplemented by an augmented service from tho Petone railway station. As the Australians return to their homes on Tuesday next no other "opportunity of seeing them in action will be available. A special souvenir programme has been drawn up for the event, which, under existing arrangements, will not be again held in New Zealand for fourteen years.

A dinner is to be tendered to the visitors at Barrett's Hotel after the race, and will be followed by a dance at tho Now Century Hall.