AUCKLAND – HAMILTON

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18654, 4 June 1932, Page 9

AUCKLAND - HAMILTON

LONG RELAY RACE. HARRIER CLUB’S VENTURE. GREETINGS FROM MAYOR. An innovation in Hamilton so far a? long distance running is concerned was staged yesterday when 21 members of the Auckland Technical Old Boys’ Athletic Club carried a message from his Worship, the Mayor of Auckland (Mr G. W. Hutchinson), to his Worship the Mayor of Hamilton (Dr. F. U. Pinfold). The race, which was arranged ,so each participant should run a distance of four miles was perfectly timed and as had been arranged the full number of harriers esoorted by eight members of the Hamilton Club entered Rugby Park at half-time in the Auckland-Waikato game.

After circling the field the runners, who showed little evidence of their long run, came to a stop before the Deputy-Mayor, Mr A. J. Denz, and handed him the package containing the letter from Auckland and amid cheers Mr Denz read as follows: —

“ Dear Dr. Pinfold, —I take this opportunity to convey, by runners of the Amateur Athletio Association In their relay race to Hamilton, on the King’s Birthday, my compliments and fraternal greetings to you. “ I trust that the stamina of those who complete the run will prove up to the best standards of our athletes of the past, so that your reception of the runners will be performed entirely in your Mayoral, and not your professional capacity. (Laughter). With kind regards, yours sincerely, Geo. W. Hutchinson, Mayor of Auckland.” “1 think you will agree in saying with me that the Club’s run from Auckland is a truly meritorious performance," commented Mr Denz. “A few days ago we found that it was necessary to get an iron man to perform the opening function at the Waikato Winter Show. That would seem to indicate tjiat the humans \vei;e to some extent slipping; but after seeing the splendid manhood contending for victory on the park to-day and when we know that the Auckland Harriers have just finished a run of nearly one hundred miles we are forced to realise that there is still something in the human race worth while.”

“ The run has been a complete success,’’ he added, “ and on behalf of the Hamilton people I congratulate the runners and offer them a hearty welcome to Hamilton. They are the bearers of a message from His Worship the Mayor of Auckland to His Worship the Mayor of Hamilton and on his behalf I most gladly receive it. I can assure the harriers that I will take the first opportunity to hand it to him. I thank the Mayor of Auckland for his kind thoughts which I am sure the people of Hamilton will heartily reciprocate.”