Feilding Harriers’ Club

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 172, 24 July 1939, Page 3

Feilding Harriers’ Club

FIRST ANNUAL RELAY RACE SUCCESS FOR MARTON CLUB

In ideal weather conditions teams from the Feilding Harriers' Club contested with teams from the Marton Club, the first annual relay race between Marton aud Feilding, a distance of approximately 19 miles. The Marton Club’s A team was successful winning by S-imins. from Feilding, with Marton B third, 4Minins, behind Feilding. The run proved a good one with the runners keenly contesting the race throughout. Marton Club officials acted at the checking points and assisted Feilding officials at the finish. The Marton A team registered good time, doing the journey in 39mins. 20secs. The start was a good one, M. Hunt (Marton A) taking the lead and setting a fast pace from Tolley (Marton B) and S. Morris (Feilding). Hunt covered three miles in lomins. and’ then the run was taken over by S. Christopher who ran solidly right through until M. Griffen took over. C. Hill (Feilding) second man, ran his three miles solidly and passed Holden (Marton B) and carried on to complete wliero H. Moss started off on his three-mile journey. J. Taylor ran next for Marton B, some minutes later. W. Edge for the Marton A team was next after Griffen carried on through Halcombe with a big lead to hand the stick on to D. Smith. B. Clel'and was the next Feilding runner to carry on from Moss and perfbrmcd very well to hand over to E. Batten. Gibbs took over from Taylor and ran well to hand over to D. Stent. Smith for Marton A had a considerable lead on Batten who suffered cramp after covering half-a-mile and was given a massage by a Marton competitor. He then carried on to complete his journey for R. Lamberton to start out on* the last lap. F. Hill (Marton A) had left earlier and was a long w r ay ahead on the last lap. The Marton B team runners were a long way behind, M. Hunt running the last lap as the team was a man short. He had already covered the first three miles for the A team. Feilding’s team made the time of lhr. 4Smins. 40secs. The finish in Feilding was witnessed by a large gathering of spectators and a good crowd saw the start at Marton while tho race was followed by many cars. A four mile race wag held by the Feilding Club on-Saturday for those not taking part in the relay event. A small field started and the ruu resulted as follows: G. Whittaker (Gmins.) 1, L. Moore (7min.) 2, J. Haycock (scr) 3. R. Evans was the only other starter and he withdrew. The day’s proceedings concluded with a dance held in tho Feilding Foresters’ Hall. The cup for the relay race was presented to Mr. Dashwood of the Marton Club by the president of the Feilding Club, Mr. Webb. Medals were presented to members of the winning team. The dance proved most successful and the competition dances were won as follows: Monte Carlo, Miss Carlson and Mr. Gibson; lucky spot, Miss D. Barrett and Mr. K. Mills; lucky Gay Gordons, Miss K. Noble and Mr. R. Pilcher. Trophies for the Feilding run on Saturday were also presented during the evening by Mr. Webb. These took the form of medals for first and second. A gymnasium practice w'ill be held on Wednesday evening.