CROSS-COUNTRY RACE

Wairarapa Age, 13 August 1928, Page 5

CROSS-COUNTRY RACE

DOMINION CHAMPIONSHIP AT WANGANUI. ROSE DECISIVELY BEATEN BY SA VIDAN WELLINGTON WINS TEAMS EVENT WANGANUI, August 11. The New Zealand Cross-Country Championships, run here to-day, resulted in a decisive win by approximately 200 yards for Savidan (Auckland), with R. A. Rose (Wellington) second and F. Silver ’ (Wellington) third. Wellington easily won the teams championship scoring 19 points. Otago was second with 33. Other scores were: Auckland, 41; Wanganui-Taranaki 68; Canterbury, 96. Apart from being a Dominiom. championship, the run had a special interest for the athletic world in that Rose made his first appearance in a L'ominion crosscountry championship. The meeting of Rose and Savidan was looked forward to eagerly.

The course of six and a quarter miles was chosen by the Wanganui-Tara-naki Centre and had 35 fences, 1$ miles of road, all with easy grades and edges, 4 1 miles of grass country with four steepish hills and. approximately a quarter of a mile of boggy country. From the start the course was through gradually rising country. Four of the fences were considered to be too high to jump. The competitors got away to a good start from the Racecourse, Clarke (Wanganui), Silver and Bayne (Wellington), and Moore (Wanganui) assuming the- lead. Rose was close behind and Savidan in the middle of the bunch. Before the first mile was travelled, Savidan went to the front. Ten yards separated him. from Rose, with a wide gap to Silver and Pedersen (Wellington), next in order and after another gap Stevens and Andrews. From that out, the Auckland champion increased his lead, and at the turn for home was 100 yards ahead of Rose and Silver (who were close together. A gap of 300 yards separated these two from Tapp (Otago) and Stevens and Bayne (Wellington). The finish of the run was arranged to take place at Spriggens Park, at the interval in the representative Rugby match between Wanganui and Marlborough. Savidan entered the park maintaining his substantial lead and running steadily round the playing enclosure to an accompaniment of rousing cheers from the crowd' of over three thousand. As he entered the straight New Zealand champion, he was played to the winning post to the strains of the “Conquering .Hero,” by the Dominion’s champion band, Queen Alexandra’s Own. It was a fitting finale to a great race. Rose and Silver entered the last lap together, 200 yards behind Savidan. Neck and neck they raced lound the enclosure, Rose a yard behind his team-mate. Entering the straight, Silver set his teeth to stave off Rose’s challenge, but the effort was unavailing, Rose surging past to gain second place by two yards. Tapp was just behind the third man, with Slovens, Morris, Kells and Gibbons following at intervals. A sprint took place between Gibbons and Andrews, the Wanganui man reaching the tape a second ahead of his Wellington, challenger for eighth place. The placings of all who finished, with the times of the first nine, are as -follow: Savidan (Auckland), 38mins. 46secs.; Rose (Wellington), 39mins. 30secs.; Silver (Wellington), 39miffe. 30 l-ssecs.; Tapp (Otago) 39mins. 51secs.; Stevens (Wellington),, 40mins. 16secs.; S. Morris (Otago), 40 mins. 36secs; Kells/ (Auckland), 40 mins. 46secs.; Gibbons (Wanganui), 40 mins. 55secs; Andrews (Wellington), 40mins. ufisecs. The order of the remainder was: Barnes, Farquharson (Otago); Sheppard (Wellington): Crum (Auckland); McLaren (Otago); Moore (Wanganui) ’: Pedersen (Wellington); Walsham (Wanganui); Barker (Auckland); Frye (Otago); Clarke (Wanganui), Allen, Austin, Mahon (Canterbury) ; Henshall (Auckland); Hingston (New Plymouth); Simpson (Canterbury) ; Witten (Auckland); Hunter, Brown (New Plymouth.)—(P.A.'i