HARRIER RACING.

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20207, 29 May 1937, Page 21 (Supplement)

HARRIER RACING.

HAMILTON CLUBS RUN. SOME FINE PERFORMANCES. FORTHCOMING CALLIOPE RACE. (By ‘‘Stamina.’’) A muster of twenty-five members of the Hamilton Harrier Club assembled at the Frankton school last Saturday afternoon to set out on a five-mile run over a clean, but exceptionally hilly, course. The trail led for two miles over the undulating country in the direction of Whatawhata before crossing the Raglan road, and then traversed a further two miles of hillwork before joining the Tuhikaramea road. A solid mile of roadwork completed the arduous trail, the layers of which are to be commended on finding a course of a type wh'ch may well be expected in the forthcoming Calliope event at Auckland. The three packs set out at tenminute intervals, but two miles from home the medium pack caught up on , the stow one and the last pack -were right on the tracks of this combined group at the finish. Reading and 0. ( Thompson were first home in the slow division, and, if hurried, could have registered stronger performances. Mead, a newcomer to the club, was unfortunate to hurt his ankle during the run, and it is hoped that he will be seen out to better advantage within the next week. Gawn is a young plodder; but should not take things too hard for a year or two yet.

Alan Gardner Runs Well. Ivan Kernot showed the mediums the way home and is running consistently well this year. Miller was second home in this pack, and made a welcome re-appearance after being on the sick list for a fortnight. George Woods was the next in, but would do better if he took things a little easier at the beginning of the run. He faded badly towards the finish on Saturday, but has plenty of stamina if he judges his run correctly. There was no holding Alan Gardner and he had no difficulty in leading the fast pack in. He appears to be the fittest man in the club at the present time and is improving every time he goes out. His brothers, Jim and Ron, will need to hurry things along to he'ad off the youngest of the trio. Alec Crabb ran solidly on Saturday, but would probably have been more at home with a few hills less. Joyes stayed the distance well and finished very strongly, overtaking all but A. Gardner and Crabb in the final quartermile. Roberts enjoyed the hilly going and appears to be returning to his form of last season. Choat ran another solid race, and with a little experience should show further improvement. The general standard of performances was sufficiently high to give the club an even chance of retaining the Patterson Cup against the Calliope Club on June 12.

The Teams Race. Next' Saturday will see the annual contest for the Gilchrist Rose Bowl at present held by a team led by IR. Livingstone. This is an event which embodies the principal features of harrier racing and is being contested earlier this year, as a»practice for team work prior to the Calliope visit. Every member should participate in this event, teams for which will be picked prior to the commencement of the run.