Harriers. SPORTS MEETING

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 236, 18 September 1936, Page 12

Harriers. SPORTS MEETING

Interesting Gathering at Racecourse VARIED PROGRAMME (By “Fence”) By way of a change from the ordinary weekly cross-country run the Hastings Harrier Club conducted a programme of varied athletic events on Saturday afternoon on the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club’s racecourse. It is several years now since the club has tried a similar experiment, and from the success achieved it is fairly safe to say that room should be found for a similar day more frequently

in future. One thing which can spoil a sports meeting but which has no effiect on a harrier run is the weather, and on this occasion summery weather prevailed. With capable officials in charge, the races were run off as expeditious!} as possible. Although no outstanding performances were put up, several of the younger runners showed distinct promise in various events. A large number of runners faced the starter in each event, and it was neces-

sary to despatch four heats in the century dash, while in the longer races, such as the 220 and the halfmile, when the whole field got away together, the track seemed alive with black singlets, as over 20 men must have been running in each race. The Individuals. The first heat of the 100 yards saw G. Spurdie win, with B. Andersen second and C. Eves third. The time was I'3 seconds. The second heat was slower etill, B. Cooper winning in 13 1-5 to head C. Wright and N Chapman. The time improved a lot in the third heat when G. Ready showed a good turn of speed to lead H. Marshall and A. Lee home, in 12 l-ssec. The last heat was a about the same, the ultimate winner. L. Cochrane, winning in 12 1-5, with Taylor Bros, behind. The final was a really good race, L. Cochrane defeating Cooper and Ready in the good hairier time of 11 2-ssec. with the other 13-second men well behind. A junior boys 100 yards race was run, E. Lay winning in 13 3-5, ahead of A. Porter and J. McKay. Field Events.

A strong-man event, putting-the-shot, saw Cochrane have his second win with a putt of 26 feet 10$ inches. Close behind him was C. Eves, W. Jones and Alex Robertsen. The New Zealand record for this event is about 46 feet. The long jump was also won by Cochrane with a jump of 16 feet five inches, ahead of Eves and Clark. The club has unearthed a sack race champion on Saturday’s showing, for A. Hunt literally left the field standing in his heat of the 50 yards sack race. The other two heats were won by A. Lee and R. Clark, but they were no match for Hunt who won again in the final with ease.

Half-Mile Event. The half-mile was the only handicap race on the programme, all the others being scratch events. I'he field appeared very large and no doubt it seemed a long way to many. Distance is notoriously deceptive, and those who have been used to running their hall-mile on the ordinary quarter-inile running track would find an almost straight half the longest they have ever tackled. However, quite a good race was witnessed, Henry Marshall winning off the 00-yard mark in the good time of 2min. 8 2-sseo. A scratch man, Taylor, was second, running a good race to do so, while Hunt, off 40 yards, was third.

The 440-yard walk was a fiasco, very few having any idea of the requirements of this branch of athletics. While even the best walkers break at times there is a big difference between a break and a run. Several were disqualified and several more deserved it. However, T. Taylor was awarded the race with A. Taylor second and G. Spurdie third. The art of speed pedestriauism is not cultivated at a moment’s notice, much practice of the heel-and-toe action being required. The cricket-ball throw, an event not often put on, was woli by C. Eves who hurled the ball 71 yards 1 foot 11 inches. O’Shea was second, and for his size his was a good effort. Apperley filled third position

Harners *>n WheelsFor the first time the harriers tuok to wheels instead oi legs to get them along, and the one-lap bicycle race attracted a big field, mounted on ma- • hines oi every make and eonditii n. Modern touring models, stripped rue , iiig machines and a good proportion oi i the junk that is due to be abolished Irom the roads made up the mounts Gears, too. were many and varied, from very low to really high ones. C. Wright, on one of the secondclass mgchinet, won the race in 3

mins. 20 1-5 secs., with A. Taylor second and C. Evos third Points Awarded. L. Coehrone secured most points on the day and proved himself a good performer over the distances held. Eves was runner-up in this, and a surprise, but nevertheless well-deser-ved third, was A. Tajlur,