AMATEUR ATHLETICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22193, 21 August 1935, Page 18

AMATEUR ATHLETICS

HARRIER TEAMS' RACE difficult course covered lynndale team successful One of the most important inter-club fixtures of the year, the Auckland harriers teams' race, of 10 men a-side, was run last Saturday at Birkenhead under unfavourable weather conditions. Heavy rain overnight made the six miles' courso soft and treacherous, and intermittent showers during the race made running unpleasant and difficult. In spite of the conditions, 150 of the 170 runners who had entered faced the starter, making a record field for the event. There were representatives of the nine Auckland clubs—Technical Old Boys, Lynndale, University, Auckland, Presbyterian, Wesley, Calliope, Papatoetoe and Baptist. In the absence of Savidan, Cooper, Nicholson and Harding it was difficult to anticipate the winner, as heavy conditions suit some runners who do not show up on a harder track. It was thought likely, however, that Littler and Birtwistle would fight out the finish, with Briggs close up. At the gun Birtwistle, Clow and Briggs took the lead, closely followed by Hill, Mackenzie and Littler. Then came Valder, Francis, Crompton, Neil and Brown. The first leg of the course took in three-quarters ol a mile of bitumen road, and the hard, fast going suited Littler and Birtwistle. At the trig station at the top of'Glenfield Road the runners turned into the muddy fields, and places began to change. Briggs took the lead, followed by Brown, but slowly Littler and Birtwistle dropped back, and Hill came up. The last-named relished the heavy going. Valder lost ground rapidly, the great stride that has won him many a mile race on the track being useless to him under the conditions. Mackenzie moved up, followed by Clow, Clayton, Neil, Wilderspin, Crompton and Francis, with the rest of the field spread out half-a-mile behind. Order at Half-way Turning into Moore Street and Glenfield Road, that marked half-way and the end of the first lap, the order was Briggs and Brown, teaming together in first place 50yds ahead of Hill, who was followed by Birtwistle. Mackenzie, Littler, Crompton, Clayton. Clow, Francis, Valder and Neil. - It was then seen that Lynndale had a strong chance of winning the teams' race, with three men in.the first halfdozen, and that Papatoetoe was not far behind. Threo miles hjid been covered and in pouring rain the runners turned into the heavy going again. Briggs drew away from Brown, who began to tire in the mud. Hill, running very strongly, drew level with Brown, whom he and Mackenzie passed. Wilderspin, coming up from a long way back, was now running strongly. He passed Francis. F. Savidan. Brierl.y and French. Turning into Moore Street and*Olenfield Road, on the run home, the same order was maintained, with Briggs' lead increased to 100 yds. Briggs further increased his advantage and won by 120 yds, with Hill second, Mackenzie third and Brown fourth. Then came Littler, Birtwistle, Crompton, Clow, Clayton, Neil, Wilderspin, Francis, French, Valder. Stevenson, F. Savidan and Brierly, in that order. Lynndale, as anticipated, won the teams race with 214 points, made up from Ist, 4th, 7th, 18th, 20th, 22nd, 29th, 37th, 41st and 45th positions. Papatoetoe was second with 315 points; Presbyterian, 341, third; University, 344, fourth; Calliope, 530, fifth; and Wesley, 648, sixth. Technical, a past winner in the event, was unable to enter a full team, while Baptist and Auckland did not have scoring teams. Briggs' Success Briggs, winning his first big mterclub race, has shown greatly improved form. A much-needed rest from summer racing has stood him in good stead, and he is now fitter than he has ever been. His striding is much freer, and a little racing on a flat track has improved his pace. Hill, always inconsistent, showed some of his real form. He was at hia best in the heavy going, and improved five places on his showing in the provincial championship. MacKenzie showed that he had recovered from his staleness throughout last summer. Brown improves with evory race. A member of every representative team from 1929 to 1933, he has during the last two seasons shown disappointing form.

PROMINENT RUNNER

SUCCESS OF W. A. PULLAR W. A. Pullar, who ran second and was the first Now Zealander to finish in the 10,000 metres harrier test race against Australia at Parramatta last Saturday, is 21 years of age, and is the youngest member of the New Zealand team. He ran second to A. R. Geddes in tho Otago junior cross-country championships in 1931 and the following year was the first to finish in this event. During the" 1933-34 track season he turned his attention to hurdling, winning tho Otago 440 yards championship and the Dominion championship in Wellington.

During last harrier season ho took up cross-country running seriously, winning the Edmond Cup steeplechase and the Otago and Dominion cross-country championships. Last track season he ran sonio great mile and three miles races, and, although twice beaten by Matthews at Christehurch, finished the season by winning the Otago throe miles title from Atton in the fast time of 14m o2s Ho could not get leave to compete at the New Zealand championships. This winter he has won both the Edmond Cup and Otago cross-country championship.