HARRIER ACTIVITIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 August 1939, Page 9

HARRIER ACTIVITIES

NX CROSS COUNTRY TITLE PROSPECT FOR SATURDAY. I j PULLAR’S CHANCES BRIGHT. (By “Idle Along.”) After his magnificent show.ing at Silverstream W. A. C. Pullar, of the Masterton Club, should easily win the New Zealand cross country title at Hastings on Saturday next. Pullai’ is one of the finest athletes this country has ever produced. He commenced his running in Dunedin and was first coached by R. O. Johnson, a well known runner and versatile athlete. Bill first came into the limelight when he annexed the National 440yds Hurdles Championship in 1934. The same year he was successful in winning the Cross Country Championship. Later he took on middle and long distance competition. In 1937 he won the one mile title in a great race, defeating the renowned A. R. Wilson in lime that has only twice been broken in the Dominion—4min 14 4-ssec. Last summer he again won the mile title from.V. P. Boot and also collected the three mile championship. His strongest opponents at Hastings will be C. Weller, the present holder of the title, whose form this season has been very indifferent. After running sixth in the West Coast Championship Weller won the interclub race at Palmerston North, a race of 5 : ; miles, in record time. It is very doubtfid if he will be able to produce this form over cross country.

H. J. Brown, of New Plymouth, the West Coast provincial champion, should run a good race. He finished second to Weller last year. A. R. Geddes, of Otago, can always be relied upon to run a good race at Championship meetings. He has filled minor placings for the last four or five seasons and has gone very close to winning the New Zealand title on several occasions.

L. R. Watters, of Auckland, is the best of the northern rivals. Though perhaps not of Pullar's class Watters should find this course to his liking and he should finish well up.

Of the Canterbury team A. H. Wayman is their strongest. Wayman finished twentieth last year and may go better on a firmer course. The Hawke's Bay team will be well conversant with the course but they lack anyone outstanding in their team. As a team, however, they should go well and record low points.

The team race will be hard to pick

but if Masterton's other man. G. Gregory, along with A. Bruce. A. Bourgeois and W. Owens, can reproduce their recent form and race as a team Wellington should bo hard to beat Many of the Masterton runners and supporters are making the trip on Saturday and no doubt will do their bit in urging "Bill and "George” to put their best into the race and once again bring the New Zealand Cross Country title to the Masterton Harrier Club.