HARRIERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18804, 5 July 1929, Page 3

HARRIERS.

COMBER CUP. NEWS AND NOTES. Last Saturday the Presbyterian Club held its annual handicap race for the Comber Cup. Twenty-four runners lined up for the race, which was held over the Cashmere championship course. The ground was heavy, and a cold wind helped to slow down the pace. 1 Results were as follows:

The Presbyterian Club’s team in the Temuka-to-Timaru road race will be selected from the following, all of whom will be competitors: J. C-rombie, G. Wilson, M. Robinson, J. Watts, G. Ilervey, M. Comber and J. Mosley. 25 25 34 Kaiapoi Club. The Kaiapoi Club held its run last Saturday from the Power Boat Club Rooms, Kaiapoi. Nineteen members turned out, and followed an eight-mile trail laid by M. Lilley and C. Cross. The paper led along the Main North Road for some distance, and then across to Clarkeville, through the Eyre River and home again via Ohoka Road, Sneyd Street and Raven Street. The first to finish was C. Hercus, of the slow pack, with A. Tozer second. The fast pack overtook the intermediate pack at Clarkeville, and in the run in L. Harper was first to finish, followed by R. Graham and L. Hill. Last Saturday evening the club held a dance, which proved to be quite a success, but it was very discouraging to the committee to find that it was so poorly patronised by the members of the club themselves. A. D. Kane has been indisposed for the last two Saturdays, but will be out with the club again to-morrow. The committee has decided to hold a team’s relay race to-morrow afternoon, and it will be run over a distance of ten miles, being twice round the local championship course. The race will start from the Power Boat Club Rooms, Kaiapoi. Combined Run. The Christchurch and Baptist Clubs combined last Saturday in a run from thq Ileathcote Arms Hotel. The run consisted solely of road work in pre paration for the Temuka-to-Timaru road race next week. The forty-three runners were divided into four packs, each of which held a run-in, the results being as follows: Slow pack—A. G. A. Baigent (Baptist) 1, L. A. Reid (Christchurch) 2, J. I. Mitchell (Baptist) 3. Intermediate pack—E. 11. Shirley (Christchurch) 1, H. Howath (Christchurch) 2, D. W. Taylor (Christchurch) 3. Fast pack—J. W. M’Lean (Christchurch) 1, C. F. Jones (Baptist) 2, J. T. Hobbs (Christchurch) 3. Racing pack—G. L. Austin (Christchurch) 1, J. D. Pascoe (Christchurch) 2, R. M. Barrer (Christchurch) 3. Considerable disappointment was felt at the absence of A. Park (Bap tist), whose sensational time the pre vious week bad made him a centre of interest to all harriers. To-morrow the Christchurch Club will hold a race over a course of about seven miles. The teams for Timaru will be selected on the form shown in this race. The following are the Christchurch Club’s entries for Timaru: R. Smith 11. Cookson, C. G. Mahan, G. L. Austin, E. Knight. A. H. Candy, Boyd, E. H* Shirley, E. A. Sayers, W. V. Dromgoole. J. K. Martin, R. J. Hyde, E. C. Jackson, J. D. Pascoe, J. G. Barnes and W. R. Olliver. To-morrow's Runs. Presbyterian Club—Guests of Mrs W. B. Allan, 37, Hoon Hay Road, Spreydon; No. 7 car from the Square at 1.55 p.m. Christchurch Clul>—Guests of Mr and Mrs G. P. Crimp, 63, Sandwich Road. Beckenham; No. 2 car at 2.7 p.m. Baptist Club—Guests of Mr P Miles, Woodham Road, Linwood. Methodist Club—Guests of Mr and Mrs W. Thomas, 130, River Road Opawa. Kaiapoi Club—Ten-mile teams’ relay race, starting from the Power Boat Club’s rooms. Timaru Club—Claremont School. « i: a New Zealand Championship. The council of the New Zealand Ama teur Athletic Association has advised the Otago Centre that it must conform to the rules regarding the date of the New Zealand cross-country champion ship. Therefore, the Otago body has changed the date from August 24 to August 31. The alteration is quite suit able to Canterbury. k w Auckland Activities. This year the Dominion cross-countrj championship is to be held at Dunedin, and it is to be hoped Auckland will t»e in the position to make a bold bid for provincial premiership, as well as for the individual honours now held by Savidan (says the Auckland “Herald'') Of course, the Auckland champion is outstanding in New Zealand, but not far behind are Kells, Whitten, Coopei Crum, Barker, Scown, Wengdall and several others all showing fine form A team selected from the above should easily form the strongest combination of recent years and stand an excellent chance of having at least three in the first ten to finish. At present the financial difficulty of sending a team is the hurdle to be overcome, but it is hoped by the time action is needed in August public interest in athletics win be stimulated enough to allow Auck landers the chance to place their name at the head of cross-country teams running in New Zealand. SAM FERRIS’S PLUCK. GREAT MARATHON RUN. Sam Ferris, the airman athlete, completed a wonderful sequence cn May 18, when he won “ The Sporting Life ” trophy for the Windsor-London Marathon for the fifth year in succession. A strong challenge by the Finn, Laaksonen, was shaken off some few miles from home, and Ferris, though suffering from a hand injury sustained in a traffic “jam,” had completed the two laps of the Stamford Bridge ground before the Finn put in an appearance. Of the crowds of spectators who lined the twenty-six miles route from Windsor to Stamford Bridge to witness the great Polytechnic Harriers’ Marathon Race for “The Sporting Life” £SOO ‘Trophy, the section awaiting the ar-

rival of the men at Hanwell witnessed the most exciting incident of the day (says London “Sporting Life”). Where was Sam Ferris, the Marathon hero, who had previously won the Trophy four years in succersion? He was running strongly almost ; shoulder to shoulder with the youthful H. J. Bignall (Highgate Harriers) and the challenger with a great record from Finland, W. Laaksonen, and the three men had been in close company for over six miles. Suddenly Ferris, spotting a clear course on the right of the road, made for it. He had to mark time behind a horsedrawn van for a few seconds, and the horses came to a dead stop. A motorcar behind almost trapped Ferris, who, in side-stepping, put out his hand and caught it on a hook on the vehicle in front. The fleshy part of his hand was bad ly cut and bled profusely. But the plucky Ferris did not stop for dressing. He had made up his mind to take the lead, and he kepi it to the end. It was a great performance by Fer ris, but there were other competitors who were always in the picture and deserve the warmest praise. The race was started in the grounds of Windsor Castle by gracious permis sion of his Majesty the King, at 3.15 p.m., and T. Grattage (Chesterfield A.C.) dashed off at a great pace. He had established a long lead at the five miles stage, but there was a dangerous bunch coming along, and it was soon apparent that they would wear him down. Before ten miles had been covered Grattage was out of the running. There were, however, prospects of three men being locked together for the final two laps at Stamford Bridge. They were Bignall, Ferris and Laaksonen, and there was great excitement j at every point where crowds assembled when it was seen that the trio were going smoothly. Several competitors showed great promise up to eighteen miles, amongst them being G. Dolman (2nd North Staffordshire Regiment), a powerfullybuilt, broad-chested athlete, whose fault was too much effort, and A. W. Adams (Scotland), Maryhill H., a stock}' little fellow with a pretty action. During the last five miles Payne once headed the Finn, but the latter came again before reaching the Stadium, and he finished stronger than any other competitor. Bignall is a future Marathon race winner. Laaksonen, the Finn, will have benefited by his race and experience of the course, and if thees two runners meet Ferris again in a month’s time the three would probably fight out the finish on the two’ laps stretch at Stamford Bridge. Ferris ran with his usual fine judgment, keeping always to his own schedule, although he was slower at some points than in his previous victories. Laaksonen ran a very plucky race,' after having a bad time at the eighteenth mile, while young H. J. Bignall, the second Englishman to finish, showed that with another race or two he will make a worthy successor to Ferris. The detailed result was:—

G. Hervey (9Hmin) 1 A. Blyth (10mm) 2 S. Watts (Smin) 3 K. Robinson (lOmin) — 4 S. Fitzgerald (7imin) ... 5 Following were the best times recorded: — M. Robinson Mins. J. Mosley A. Reynolds ... 411 L. Broughton G. Hervey T. Christie S. Watts *.

1 S. Ferris, R.A.F. (holder) h. m. s. 2 40 47 2 W. Laaksonen 2 43 48 3 H. J. Bignall 2 44 31 4 H. W. Payne 2 46 43 5 A. W. Adams 2 51 1C 6 G. Frost 3 0 52 7 C. A. R. Edney 3 4 43 8 G. E. Hubert 3 6 8 9 G. Dolman 3 9 4 10 H. J. Green 3 10 31 Previous winners of the race were:— 1909—H. F. Barrett (P0I3'h. m.s. technic) 1910—Abandoned 2 42 31 owing to death of King Edward 1911—ll. Green (Herne Hill) 2 46 29 1 912—J. Corkery (Canada) .. 2 36 55 1913—A. Ahlgren (Sweden) .. 2 36 6 1914—A. Djebelia (France) .. 1 U5-1918—Abandoned owing to the war. 1919—E. Woolston (Machine 2 46 30 Gun Corps) 2 52 30 1920—A. R. Mills (Leicester) 2 37 40 1921—A. R. Mills (Leicester) 2 51 0 1922—A. R. Mills (Leicester) 2.47 30 1923—A. Jensen (Denmark) . 2 40 46 1924—D. Al. Wright (Scotland) 2 53 17 1925—S. Ferris (RA..F.) .. 2 35 58 1926—S. Ferris (R.A.F.) .... 1927—S. Ferris (RA.F.) 2 40 32 1928—S. Ferris (R.A.F.) .... 2 41 2