THE HARRIER WORLD

Waikato Times, Volume 122, Issue 20522, 11 June 1938, Page 22 (Supplement)

THE HARRIER WORLD

AUCKLAND ROAD RACE LOCAL PACK RUN HAMILTONIAN'S MISFORTUNE By “Stamina”) The first open road race of the season was held in Auckland on Saturday last, and was conducted over a 33-mile course around Lake Pupuke by the Calliope Club. The event was wnp by Porter, of Papatoetoe. with Thompson. of Calliope. second. Thcmpson is a newcomer to the

harrier world, and is a welcome addition to the ranks of the Calliope Club. He will no doubt be a visitor with that club to meet their local opponents .In a fortnight's time. Of the seven Hamilton competitors the first man home was M. Smith, who gave a creditable performance to finish twelfth in a field of almost 100 runners. The fastest Hamiltonian was A. P. Crabb. who gave a good showing ! off the short mark of lmin ssec. As always, the Hamiltonians were handicapped by their hurried travelling to i the scene of the contest, although the Calliope Club showed a consideration which was greatly appreciated by | delaying the race till 3.15 p.m. to suit the Hamilton visitors. Unlucky Irwin Without a doubt the unluckiest man last Saturday was L. D. Irwin, probably the. most, promising harrier or track athlete in Hamilton at the present time. Running off a- mark ten seconds behind the ultimate winner, he was accounting for most of the field, and was in fact jus# in behind Porter when he suffered an attack of cramp. His chances appeared very rosy, when he was forced to withdraw from the conlest. To add further to his troubles he has since sprained an ankle at induor basketball, and this

will put him on the injured list for '■ne or two months. His loss wdll be severely felt, by the Hamilton Club in i's match with Calliope on the 25th of this month, and more severely still in the Ten Men's Team Race on July 16. if he is not fit by that date. The congratulations of the Hamilton Club, however, are due unstintingly to Jimmie Neil, who scored fastest time at Auckland last Saturday. Jimmie is well known to all Waikato competitors and his Hamilton friends hope to see him go farther and faster this season than ever before. The Local Run | Last Saturday's local run consisted of a seven-mile Journey over road and country at the hack of Hillcrest. The paper led from Brookfield Street" into Graham Street . and through a gorse paddock into Sillary Street, and thence down the MorrinsviUe Road to the .bottom of Hinton’s Gully. Leading to Itlie left, up Silverdale Road the paper •made a detotir of about two miles I around uneven country, and in this j distance two difficult swamps were j negotiated. Rack on the road the trail I continued for three-quarters of a mile 1 along Hillcrest P.oad from Silverdale j Road, and covered a further half-mile

! of country across to Knighton Roal and continued for 200 yards along th’s road until joining Hillcrest Road. The final stage of the journey comprised a solid mile of road work along Naylor and Grey Streets. Altogether the run was a sound one, and neither pack took it at too fast a pace, although there was no time lost by either division over the last two miles. Prominent Starters The most prominent starters in the slow division were Dowd, Watson, Richardson and Hood. Dowd is showing a return to his form of two seasons ago and will make a good handicap man later in the season. Watson and Richardson are improving with every run. and Hood seems to be ill better trim than in past seasons. Sanderson is another beginner who has onlv to stick at it to make a forward showing. He is the right build for a harrier and can be depended upon for a solid effort later in the season. R. Dent had no trouble In showing ' the fast pack the way home. He led I a bunch away from the stragglers I two miles from home and went great j guns for the rest of the journey. C. j Hill gave another sound exhibition i and he will be a man to watch in the near future. A visitor from Te Kuiti and an old member of the club, in D. Sylvester, ran with the fast pack, but lack of training in the last two months told its tale. At his be'st, Dave could show the Hamiltonians the way home without being pressed. A first-year member to show improvement last Saturday was G. Whiting. Geoff, was having his first outing with the fast pack, and although he got behind in the middle stages he covered the last mile as fast as the best of them. He has tons of stamina and should be at his best in runs of about seven miles.