AMATEUR ATHLETICS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22465, 8 July 1936, Page 22

AMATEUR ATHLETICS

ANNUAL TEAMS' RACE CHAMPIONSHIP AT AVONDALE LYNNDALE CLUB AGAIN STRONG After the hard intcr-club racing of the previous two weeks last Saturday's easy club runs came as a welcome re--spite to all runners, as they have only 10 days to go now before one of the hardest races of the year. This is the annual inter-club teams' championship contest of 10,000 metres, which will again be .contested over the difficult Avondale course on Saturday week. The race really decides each season which club is on top, as the result hinges on the points of the first 10 of each club to finish and not the first four as in all tho other races. In recent years the Lynndale Club has dominated the event. Although this year's race is very open Lynndale can bo regarded as the most likely club to annex the leading position. Runners like Briggs, Crompton, McCombie, Dolan and Perrett should secure high placings and give their club a good start. To gain the winning advantage the club will rely on middle men like Davidson, Rodgers, Henshall and Lowry. The event will also give a better idea of the individual strength of the runners across country this season. The races held so far have all been on the road where a number of runners do much better than on tho softer and much more difficult going across country. Savidan has shown that he is running as well as ever, and Birtwistle has proved that he is definitely Auckland's No. 2 man. It will remain for the race oh Saturday week to show which is the next best quartet. W. Briggs is likely to bo one of it with his team mate, Crompton, while A. Harding, of Technical, and G. Hill, of the Auckland Club, appeal as the most likely to make up the first half dozen. TRAINING RUNS WINNERS OF TROPHIES Events last Saturday were restricted to club runs, although some hard training was put in by the fast packs. University was at Mission Bay, where L. Barker again led the packs at a fast clip over a hard course. Stephenson was again running well and it appeared that his defeat of Haszard in the road race has given him the confidence to go out fast from the start and force the pace. The weekly heat of the sprint for the Kohn Cup was won by H. Maxwell, j who ran fast from scratch to win nicely from Stephenson and Ziman. Lynndale decided its run over the course at Avondale that will be used on Saturday week. Good form was displayed by all the leading runners. Presbyterian had a big field for its run in tho Hillsborough-Mount Roskill district, where excellent cross-country work can be obtained. Good running was seen in all packs and the races home were closely contested. W. A. Brown was the first of the fast pack to finish, while Constantino, Goudie and Devitt were the winners of the other three races. Technical did not have such a large' field as usual, but nevertheless fast running was made over a course of road and country. The best field of the day was provided by the Wesley and Baptist Clubs, which combined for a run in the Mount Roskill-Waikowhai districts. The fast pack moved at a solid pace throughout, but did not have its usual race in. DORNE OUP EVENT RACE IN WELLINGTON Wellington's first big race of the year, the Dome Cup contest, was run over the usual five miles Hutt Valley course last week and resulted in a brilliant win for J. Riddington from a New Zealand record field of 196 runners. With E. J. Richardson ho drew away from the field after a mile had been covered and gradually outpaced tho latter to win comfortably by 150 yards. A. L. Stevens and G. Pressor, who are ex-Wellington champions, were third and fourth respectively, and both ran well, although neither has the pace now that won him races a few years back. Southern critics arc enthusiastic over Riddington's form and consider that he will give Savidan a hard race at Auckland. He and R. Geddes, of Dunedin, are both showing form that suggests they received much benefit from their Australian trip last year.