HEAVY COURSE FOR NOVICE HARRIERS

Southland Times, Issue 23538, 18 June 1938, Page 15

HEAVY COURSE FOR NOVICE HARRIERS

By

WHISTLE

This afternoon the Invercargill pack will visit Oreti Beach for a run from the Surf Club Pavilion. This is expected to be a good training run and harriers should make an endeavour to be present. After the run, the pack will be entertained at tea by Messrs W. Torrance and G. McAngrgney. Last Saturday’s novice race was run over a heavy course and the time was not fast in consequence. While the field was smaller than usual, it was a good race and the handicapping was fairly accurate.

J. Cooper, however, upset all calculations. It was generally recognized that he would run well, but he made no face of it. From the start, in whjch he was giving the limit man Imin 15sec, Cooper went out after the field and at the end of the first lap, was 50 yards in the lead. He won comfortably by a margin of 50secs. It was a good performance for a runner who has had no training and it is obvious that Cooper has a future as a distance runner. .

J. Stroud, who had 15secs start on Cooper, ran at a steady pace and was content to hold his place some 40 yards ahead of E. Walker. The latter is a new junior harrier and thoroughly deserved his place, having been running and training steadily since joining the pack. R. Watson was unfortunate in being kept out of the race by an injury. He would almost certainly have done well.

The back-markers were F. Thompson and H. Walker, both of whom failed to get on terms with the placed men. The latter, however, ran very solidly and more will be heard of him later in the season.

P. Giles, last season’s junior champion, has. returned to Invercargill and is training with the intention of defending his title.

In an impromptu short-limit race for those runners ineligible as novices, B. Crowther won in a sprint from A. Ker. Crowther is going as well as ever this season and has been taking his training seriously. Last Saturday he was content to let the field make the pace for him until the last lap when he moved into second place, sprinting 50 yards from the tape. A. Ker ran a solid race having to go practically the whole distance on his own in the front of the field. He will make good as a harrier. , J. Metcalfe filled third place some distance back. However, he is gradually getting fit and his ability to deliver the goods when the pressure is on is too well known to require any explanation here. , ST. PAUL’S CLUB The St-. Paul’s pack will be the guests of Mr and Mrs C. Couling, the run starting from the High School at the usual time today.