PORT ROAD RACE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21989, 26 June 1933, Page 12

PORT ROAD RACE

D. DIVERS’S SURPRISE WIN FASTEST TIME TO E. C. BROWN LEITH TAKE TEAMS’ RACE. The Port Chalmers-Duuedin Handicap Road Race, conducted annually by the Otago Athletic Centre, was decided on Saturday afternoon under ideal weather conditions. Eighty-three runnei-s faced the starter,. 75 completing the course, and the winner (D. Divers, of the Anglican Club), who started off the Gmin lOsec mark, put up a good performance to cover the distance in 44min 24sec. Divers, who is comparatively unknown in competitive ranks, was the “ dark horse ” of the race, but the ease of his win left no doubt as to his capabilities. He ran to the front soon after the start, and, after leading all the way, he came home an easy winner by 150 yards. One of the back-markers —E. C. Brown, of the Civil Service Club—who took fifteenth _ position—registered fastest time, his figures (39min 39sec) beating the previous best by 20sec. S. A. Anderson (40min 20sec) and D. W. Lorimer (42min 25sec) put up second and third fastest times respectively. \ The winner holds the Hooper Cup for 12 months. One of the conditions of the race-* is that competitors are allowed to select any route from the starting point at Mussel Bay to the finishing point, provided that they do not go inside the railway fence. Thus, for the greater part the race was contested on the road, but on reaching the top of the hill before Sawyers’ Bay a short cut was made use of. Leaving the road here, the runners made down the hill to Sawyers' Bay, through some paddocks, coming out on the road at the rear of the station. The road was followed for a few hundred yards, and the competitors then made across country again, emerging at the top of Tunnel Hill. From here to the finishing post, which was on the main highway just beyond the bridge, the race was along the road. The Nickels Cup is awarded in conjunction with the Port and Modified Marathon Road Races, the first three men home in each event counting for points for the cup, which is awarded to the team with the best aggregates in the two events. The Civil Service Harrier and Amateur Athletic Club has held the trophy during the last two years. The Modified Marathon Road Race will be held on September 9. Divers ran to the front soon after the start, to show the way across the _ short cut and along the road by Sawyers’ Bay, and on rejoining the road he had a lead of 100 yards over the rest of the runners, who, by this time, were well strung out. Passing through Blanket _ Bay, Divers was gradually increasing his advantage, and was 160 yards in front of R. Scott and T. B. Robertson, who were almost together. Wallace, at this stage, was lying fourth, and Leader eighth, while Anderson and Lorimer were prominent in the rear division. Divers was leading by 200 yards as they went through ; St. Leonards, and at Burkes he had the same lead and was running very strongly. A stumble lost him a few yards, but he was up'again, and as they came abreast of the bluegums he was showing out from Bussell, Leader, Wallace, Robertson, Scott, and Rockcliffe in that order. By the time Ravensbourne was reached Wallace and Bussell had dropped back, and Leader and Robertson had run up into second place, with the rest of thd* field 100 yards back. _ From Ravensbourne to the finishing line, Divers easily maintained his lead, with Leader as his closest attendant, but the placings behind had undergone a considerable shuffle, and D. Scott, Lorimer, Wallace, Lucas, and Pope were included in the next dozen, with Brown and _ Anderson going the best of the back division. When Logan Point was reached Leader drew up and decreased the gap between him and the leader, but be could not catch Divers, who stayed on well to breast the tape with 150 yards to spare. Scott was 100 yards back, in third place. The following are the results; — Individual Placings. D. Divers (Anglican), 6min lOsec .. 1 C. G. Leader (Leith), Cmin 2 D. Scott (Roslyn), 4min lOsec .... 3 J. C. Wallace (Cargill Road), smm 509GC •• •• • • •• •• •• •• • • •• 4 S. A. Anderson (Leith), Imin 15sec 5 D. W. Lorimer (Dunedin), . 3min 15sec .. .. ~**,, 6 R. Rockcliffe (Anglican), 4min 40seo 7 C. A. Pope {St. Eglda), Smin 40sec. .’ 8 L. Gerrie (CaVersham), 4mm 9 D. S. Lucas (Pacific), Smin 20sec .. 10 The winner’s time was 44min 24sec. TEAMS’ RACE. Leith (C. G. Leader 2, S. A. Anderson> 5, R. Nr Watson 13), 20 points 1 Anglican (D. Divers 1, R. Rockcliffe 7, R. Scott 16), 24 points 2 Caversham (L. J. Gerrie 9. R. Knox 18, A. G. Sadler 22 and Pacific (D. S. Lucas 10, C. G. Lucas 19, L. Hill 20), 49 points (equal) .. .. .. 3 V FASTEST UNPLACED NOVICE. The centre’s trophy for the first novice home after the three placed first was won by J. C. Wallace, who ran fourth. WINNERS TO DATE. Following is a list of winners to dale (names of winners being first, and then that of the runner gaining fastest time); — , 1902. —G. W. Cowle; P. Bennett, 4Gmin 17sec. 1903. —J. F. Frew; H. C. Murray, 43minl2sec. " 1904. —-P. Eomerll; A. Melville, 43min 58sec. 1905.—A. French; A. Melillo, 43min 07sec. 1900. —J. Swanson; A. Melville, 47mln 17scc. 1907.—J. V. Quclch; J. Beatson, 43min 24sec, 1903.—.1. Beatson: G. M'Knlght, 41min 45sec. 1909. J. M'Lauchlan; H. C. Murray, 43mln 42sec. 1910. J. A. Bond; G. G. Notman, 42mln 19X1. —D, Jack; G. G. Notman, 43mln 25sec. 1912. G. G. Notman; G. G Notman, 41mln ssec. 1913. —V. C. Stephens; 1). E. Thompson, 43mln 2flsoc. 1914. —G. E. Tapp; M. Mlchelson, 44min 7scc. 1921.—R. Monaghan: C. W. Frye, 43min 47scc. 1923. —J. B. Blbby; C. W. Frye, 45mln 22scc. 1924. J. Cameron; J. W. Tapp, 42min ITsec. 1925. R. M. Stevens; J. W. Tapp, 42min 3Gsec. 1926. —W. Buskin; B. G. Cox, 43min Isec. 1927;—E. P. Rowlatt; R. M. Stevens, 42mln —C. E. Birt: J. G. Barnes, 42min 4Gsec. 1929. T. Chcttloburgh; P. H. Francis, 41min 1930. S. Anderson; J. G. Barnes, 41mln 14sec. . 1931. L. It. M'Millan; J. G. Barnes, 41mm jT 1932.~E. C. Brown; E. C. Brown, 39min 55scc. „„ . „„ 1933. —D. Divers; E. C. Brown, 39mm 39sec.