HARRIERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 156, 4 July 1934, Page 5

HARRIERS

L /OC-rROTJ) —. J

The Wanganui Harrier Club sent the strongest team produced sin’ce its inception to race against Mastertoil Club at Masterton last Saturday, and was defeated by 23 points. C. Weller, Wanganui’s star runner who took second place to Savidan last year was beaten by C. Talbot, who headed him home by 13 seconds. It was day out for Masterton, but Wanganui were by no means disgraced. There is everv reason to hope that the tables will be turned on Saturday week, alien the return race eventuates. His better knowledge of the course, and his excellent, jumping at the fences, gave Talbot a definite advantage over Weller, and the Masterton man deserved to take first plave. Weller ran well, as he always docs, but. he was beaten fairly and squarely on the occasion. Although the Wanganui team was fairly confident that it might beat. Mastcrton on its own course, which it has never done so far, it was evident shortly after the race began that. Masterton would carry too many guns. Teaming in threes and fours, the Wairarapa runners out-generallcd the Wanganui men, and arrived home with 23 points to spare. Wanganui established a fine performance in reducing tho number of points secured by Masterton on their own course last year by more than half, which was a good effort. Excel lent teaming was shown by Weller, Bourgeois, and the two Johnstons, who occupied positions two to five. Bourgeois did exceptionally well to take third place. This runner is showing better form this season than ever before. L. Pickwick, with Kiddle and Clarke, did well, all breaking 40 minutes for the course. * Everyone making the trip was delighted with the entertainment they received, and every effort is to be made to reciprocate. Members who will be able to billet the Masterton team are asked to hand their names to the secretary on Saturday, and it. is hoped that a ready response will be made as in past years. It has been decided that the date for the New Zealand crosscountry championships shall be put forward a fortnight, and will now be held on August IS. The West Coast championship will take place at Marton on August 4. A field of six teams, each of four runners, took part in the New Plymouth Harrier Club’s Bell Bloyk teams’ race which was held last Saturday. The race which is run for t.hv Robertson Shield and replicas, is held annually over a five and a-half mile course from the Fitzroy Post Office to the Bell Block monument and back to the starting point. Although the running conditions on Saturday were unfavourable, the wind was behind the runners for the outward run, but in the home run the wind, with occasional rains, was in the runners’ faces and it made the going very arduous, especially along the Waiwakaiho flat. Despite these adverse factors, the time for the race was fairly good, the scratch man improving on his last year’s time by several second* T. Sheppard, who was off tho limit mark and proved the eventual winner, took the lead from his co-niarkers at the showgrounds on tho way out and held his advantage to the end. He has improved a lot on previous performances this season and won in a fairly easy fashion. R. J. Stewart also improved a great deal to finish second, while R. Dingle, who is another new runner to show good form, finished third, L. Thomson was fourth and J. S. Pike fifth. Fastest time was gained by 11. S. Kingston, who has performed very consistently this season, having gained fastest time in all three races C. W Broad gained second fastest time and A. Thompson third. Next Saturday the first inter-club event of the season for Wellington (dubs i.' to be run. Although most of the clubs are enthusiastic over this first try-out. it looks as though Scottish are in the most favoured position, as they have the greatest number of keen runners. Some clubs will have difficulty in finding the ten mon to finish. Brooklyn, Wellington, and Olympic are about on a par numerically, so it remains to be seen which team will acquit itself best in open company. Hutt Valiev are experiencing a lean period, but Presbyterian and University have a host of new members to be pitted against the older clubs. The Methodist harriers have been in solid training and regard very favourably their chances of making a bold showing. r l’he race is being conducted by the Hutt Valley Club, and arrangements are well under way for an excellent afternoon’s sport. Should a track athlete run across country as a harrier during the winter? is a question which is often asked by those who, so far, have confined their activities to the track. Some seem to think that they will spoil their chances for the next track season if they run with the harrier pack, says the Southland Times. Experience shows that this is not true and an analysis of the placingg in the recentlv rontested Edmond Cup race bears this out.

The first eight to finish are all track runners, and at the Otago championships held last February at Dunedin at least one of the eight competed in the following events: 100 yards, 440 yards, half mile, one mile, three miles, 220 yards hurdles and 440 yards hurdles. It will be noted that these are all championship events and that the only events missing from tho list are 220 vards and J2O yards hurdles. Of these the 220 yards flat can be accounted for Jas W. A. C. Pullar (the winner) is the (present Anglican Club 220 yaids chainlion, having won it in 23 4-5 seconds (thus equalling the time registered by A. C. Dcrbie at the Otago championships). Ho also won the Anglican Chib’s 120 yards hurdles two seasons ago. The following track title* are at present held by one of the eight placed; Otago championship 880 yards, three miles, 440 yards hurdles; New Zealand championships, one mile, 440 vards hurdles. In previous years the following have been held by them: — Otago championships, 880 yards, one mile; New’ Zealand championships, one mile. Finally these eight have between them competed in every race from 100 yards to a marathon (in nearly every case championship events), doing the .10 miles in New Zealand record time and equalling tho Now Zealand record time in 440 yards h urdles. » « « • Many experienced runners hold the view that it is an advantage for a track runner to indulge in crosscountry work (not necessarily races) during tho winter and point out that even well-known sprinters and most middle distance men who have boon successful do this. It is interesting to note that this view is supported by runners nf tho calibre of T. Hampson,