HARRIERS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 42, 17 August 1929, Page 22

HARRIERS

By "p+ukchaskh"

PROVINCIAL CHAMPION

TO-DAY'S BIG CONTEST

The real test of the cross-country season, the 6J-mile provincial championship, is being held at Hutt Park this afternoon. Five clubs will be represented, and it is expected that a field of forty runners will face the starter —Mr. "Dorric" Leslie. The B grade event is timed to start at 2.30, and the A grade at 3.15. Bronze medals will be given to the first and second men in each race and to' the members of the winning teams. Four men put of the selected six from each club will count in team points..

Stevens (Scottish) is most likely to win the individual A grade title, with Brooklyn as . the team winners. Today's event also marks the final opportunity for the selector to choose the team to represent Wellington at the New Zealand championships at'Dunedin a fortnight hence.

Three clubs held their. championship runs last, Saturday, the Scottish and Brooklyn Clubs being -at Hutt Park, while Wellington selected the stiffer Vosseler Shield course. The Scottish Club was the first to start at Hutt Park, some 15 runners competing. The event was but another step in the brilliant harrier career of A. L. Stevens, who romped home an "easy winner, a good 400- yards ahead of F. S. Silver in 37min 48sec. Eight from the start it was'apparent that tho win-, ncr was determined to twin, -and the further he went the greater the gap created between himself, and his clubmates, and he never looked like a loser. On his form Stevens should go close to annexing the New Zealand title. Silver, who finished second, ran a good race, and should be well up in to-day's event. Sinclair, the third man home, was really a disappointment. After his brilliant showing in the Vosseler Shield and Winter Show oveats great things wore expected from him. G. Zander finished in fourth place, followed by W. Zander, but they were a long way behind tho first three men. The scaled handicap in conjunction withthe race fesulted in another win for A. li. Stevens.

The Brooklyn Harrier Club.held its championship race over a course of 6J miles at Hutt Park. There was a. large field, 26 runners facing the starter, Mr. P. N. Denton, and no fewer than 19 finished the complete course. At the outset Bibby, Barclay, and Pedersen took charge of the ra"ce, leading the field by a good margin- from Eoberts, Prosser, Miet, and Kothwcll. At the end of the first lap Barclay was in the lead by about 75 yards, followed by Bibby, Pedersen, and Miet, the latter then withdrawing from the contest Barclay increased his lead ana finished a good first, and about 300 yards ahead of Bibby, who was closely followed by Pedersen, Eoberts, Prosser, ana Bothwell, all of whoni constitute) the club's A team for noxt Saturday's big race The times of the first, three home in the "club championship were respectively 38min 17 l-ssec, 39min 2$ 4-saeo 40min 5 4-ssec. The sealed handicap for the Sherwood Eose Bowl, run in conjunction with the race, was annexed by Swain, with Prosser ana Davies secona and third respectively. The Brooklyn Club will probably run three teams toi ayr2H, B1' and B2 -' Ifc is sported that Pedersen has had a bad ankle, and Bibby, for the w N eek preceding the championship, was down with a bad cola.

The champion of the Wellington Club proved to be J. Shepherd, whose time for one lap of the Vosseler Shield course at Lyall Bay was 30min 57see. The winner is really in a class by himself so far as the other members of the club are concerned. T. Watson- and B Fraser finished second and third'respectively, their performances being considered creditable. :

■The Olympic Club held a training run last Saturday at Miramar. A runin over the final half-mile resulted in a win for C.. Campbell, with P. Wilson second and Atley third The Hutt Valley Club held a free^ and-easy run at Hutt Park,' and followed the Scottish and Brooklyn Clubs' championship events. : D. Dome, who represented Now Zealand a few years back, is taking part in the championship run to-day. The cross-country championship of Otago is taking place this afternoon over a five-mile course, which is said to -provide a severe test to runners. On the form shown will depend the selection of the Otago team for the Aew Zealand championships. The Caversham Club is again the favour! ne for. to-day's race, which it won last year This club, however, will not have matters all its own way and the individual title is expected to be fought out by J. Morris (who was second to J. Burnea last season) and J. Tapp. Other runners are also expected to be prominent, and altogether the race should be quite as interesting as those that have preceded it Those who were under the impression that J. Savidan, New Zealand j harrier champion, was not up. to'his ojd form will now no doubt realise that his recent performance at a steeplechase meeting in the north shows the title-holder to be as good as ever if-not better. Last year he covered the six-mile championship distance in the fast time of 31miu 14 3-ssec. It is almost certain that a runner named. Francis, who resides : at Gisborne, and who has some wonderful performances to his credit in England and has also • put .up some great runs in this country, will bo a competitor in the NewvZealand ehampionsMj,