BIG HARRIER EVENT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 188, 11 August 1939, Page 5

BIG HARRIER EVENT

NEW ZEALAND TITLES WEST COAST FAVOURED . ! TEAMS AND FORECASTS FOR TO-MORROW (By “Second Wind.") f | Six teams, representing the cream of : - New Zealand cross-country runners,! 'will compete in the national harrifi championships to be hold at Havelock I North to-morrow. The race w ill bc ( 3 run over a 61-mile course of two laps. [each team comprising six runners. A I i number of individual runners will aLo i I participate. Otago will defend th'' championship shield, and C. Welle; .(West Coast) the individual title. ; Teams will be as follows: ’-I )- | West Coast (N. 1. d ! is ! C. Weller, H. Brown, C. Cox. Hill, it iM. Hunt and G. Bromily. Individuals. c j |A. Pemberthy and N. Hearsey. ManG | ager, Mr. S. Dustin. ; Although he was only sixth in the 5e West Coast championships, C. Weilci (Palmerston North), last year’s charni- pion, showed greatly improved form in his most recent race, and may lake | a lot of beating. He and H. Brown (New Plymouth), who was runner-up I for last year's title, and only a foiil night ago won the West Coast title, jarc likely to prove a formidable pair Both C. Cox (Wanganui) and F. Hili ■'Marton) are running at the top oi i‘heir form, and backed by M. Hunt i (Marton) and G. Bromily (Wanganui) | should see that the West Coast centre attains leading honours. The individu- | als, A. Pemberthy (Wanganui), and IN. Hearsey (Palmerston North), are n ! both strong r unners, and capable <-t ,v | producing outstanding efforts. Wellington , W. Pullar, C. Bruce, A. Bourgeois, '■ ; G. Gregory, W. Owens, A. Congai’.on. 11 , Winner of the national title four 11 years ago, Pullar is one of the favc ; ourites this year, after the convincing n manner in which he won the Welling--11 ton championships recently. Howeve», he will need to be at his best to beat ' Weller, Brown and R. Geddies (Otago) to-morrow. A. Bourgeois, formerly oi Wanganui, who was seventh last year, should also be well up. The team in- ■ eludes throe runners who beat BourI geois in the Wellington championship.,, ! and seems stronger than last year. Otago I L. J. Logan. T. O. Kennedy. G. 11. ’ I Davie, A. C. Marett, W. Mackinnon, I I A. R. Geddes. ■ ’ This year Otago has quite a good I • team, which will take some beating. I ] Geddes, who finished third last year, I is still the best runner in the southI ern centre and should be in the first four placings to-morrow.

Canterbury A. H. Wayman. C. Dickie, S. Johns, |N. Novis, W. J. McDowell. I The Canterbury centre has novel been very strong in cross-country | running, the likeliest prospect for tui morrow being Wayman, holder of the I centre title, Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay ! J. Mclntyre, H. E. Taylor. A. Taylor, |D. Shattky, R. Gollop. G. Robertson. ' Although not very strong as a team, ■I he Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay has two good runners in the Taylor brothers. Auckland , A. Harding. A. Browne, ’l’. Kofeod. C. Littler, D. Porter, L. R. Watters. The Auckland centre is unfortunate jin that several of its leading runners I are not available. Of those competing, Watters, Harding and Browne should give a good account of themselves. Writer’s Forecast I My placings for the teams championships are: West Coast 1, Otago 2 'Wellington 3, Auckland 4. Cantei- ' bury 5. Individual placings in my opinion 'will be: H. Brown 1, W. Pullar 2, C. | Weller 3, R. Geddes 4. L. Watters 5. jL. J. Logan 6, A. Bourgeois 7, C. ! Bruce 8, F. Hill 9, C. Cox 10. I WANGANUI CUB TO-MORROWS RUN j A training run with a mile run-in I will be held to-morrow for members of the Wanganui Harrier Club not | visiting Hastings for the New Zea- | land championships. j The run will be held from the Lion Inn at 2.30 p.m.