Harriers

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 123, 27 May 1933, Page 20

Harriers

By "Mercury.

LE GAVE ROSE BOWL

SCOTTISH CLUB'S RACE

RELAY EVENT PLANNED

Coming Events.—June 3: Olympic Club, relay race, Day's Bay to Wellington. June 10: Scottish Club, McVilly Shield race, Hutt Park., The principal event of the harrier clubs last Saturday was the Scottish Club's race for the Le Gaye Kose Bowl, presented to the club for annual competition by Mr. H. L. Holthouse. Fortyone runners contested the race, which was held at Eongotai. The pace was very fast in the early stages, and this seemed to upset somo of the runners. McLeod, the first man home, ran his best race to date, and, after his failure in the novice event, was undoubtedly the surprise of the day. McLeod, who runs for the Kiwi Club in the track season, is in his second year in cross-country running. Stevens ran a very solid race but, as usual, lacked pace at the finish. Violich, who filled third place, is improving every year, but has hardly fulfilled the promise of two or three -years ago. His time may yet come. Eiddingtou, who secured first place and fastest time in the club's novice race, was well among the leaders :at the two mile peg, but fell away over ■ the last mile. A strained muscle and.a lack of experience would account for this.. He is a very promising runner and, if not asked to do too much, will be one of the best new men in Wellington this year. On Saturday, week, June 10, the Scottish Club will hold its annual race for the- McVilly Shield, presented by the "Grand Old Man of Athletics in New Zealand," Mr. E. W. McVilly. Mr. McVilly has always been a strong supporter of the Scottish Club, and occupies the position of patron. The other Wellington clubs all held useful runs, and are now working nicely into form in readiness for tho various club and inter-club races, which willbe more numerous from now on. Several of the clubs are having a day off for the King's Birthday on Saturday next. The Olympic Club, however, is staging a relay race from Day's Bay to Wellington. PERSONAL NOTES. Mr. W. Ballantyne, the president^ is ! a tower of strength to tho Scottish Club, taking always a keen interest in the club's doings. He is one who believes that a president can be much more than a figure-head. A notable absentee from the Scottish Club's Le Gaye Eose Bowl raeo was Freddy Silver. Freddy, though still quite a youth, is a veteran among paper-chasers.' Cecil Sherwood, after a spell from cross-country work, is again turning out for Brooklyn, besides lending valuable assistance'to the University Club. While never a champion, Sherwood was always a hard man to beat, and on many an occasion badly upset the calculations of other clubs by his sterling running in interelub events. Billy Savidan is. again in training. .Last Saturday he had his first run of the season in the 2000 yards steeplechase'at the Auckland Domain, easily recording fastest time. In a list of tho world's best ten runners over 10,000 metres, J. W. Savidan is placed fifth; and eighth for. the 5000 metres. Ho filled fourth place in each of these events at the recent Olympic : Games, besides winning the1 six miles eyont at the British Empire Games in 1930. He is undoubtedly the best distance runner in the British Empire at the present time.-And with it all is the same modest, unassuming Billy Savidan that he always was. RECORD BREAKERS. Archbishop Julius is reported as follows from Christehurch recently:— A great deal of our sport—l am not runniriz it down because I value it—means ■ sim ply this—that a few fellows .a re highly trained-to play the game, .and the'rest sit round and howl and think they are learning something, whereas actually they learn nothing and do. nothing. So it is with record-breaking. The few manage it, but the poor dull and slow ones are left." _ However true this may be of some branches of sport, and it can hardly be denied that the Archbishop's criticism does contain a large element of truth, the criticism ought not to be, and the writer thinks cannot be, levelled against harrier running. It is surely a sport, which more than most, can be and is taken up by the "slow ones "Of course, there are champions and record-breakers, but, as the sport is conducted in New Zealand, every encouragement seems to be given to the others—to those who turn out for the run and not for the race. And the more attention is paid to this class of runner, the better will it bo for harrier running and for the health of the community. OTHER CENTRES. At Auckland on Saturday last tho combined opening run of the season ■ was held, and a muster of 163 harriers from six different, clubs shows how the sport' is advancing in the northern city. Two new clubs have recently been formed, viz., Presbyterian and Wesley. • The new spirit in athletics in Auckland is obviously not confined to the track and field side. Dunedin is the home of.harriers so far, at least, as numbers are concerned, many hundreds of runners turning "out Saturday after Saturday. Most of the clubs have now'held their novice races and are preparing for the Edmond Cup steeplechase,: to <be held shortly. This race is open to all clubs in New Zealand. The last occasion on which it was won by a Wellington Club was in 1922, when both Olympic and Brooklyn sent down teams. Olympic proved the winners (with Tom Wilson the individual ■winner)'.-and. Brooklyn's team' filled third place. ■