HARRIERS Olympic Sets Record For Port Hills Relay

Press, Volume C, Issue 29513, 15 May 1961, Page 15

HARRIERS Olympic Sets Record For Port Hills Relay

Bad weather did net deter harriers on Saturday, when the Olympic club ’won the 22-mile Port Hills relay organised by the Marist club. The five Olympic No. 1 team runners, with a time of ihr 56min Usee, took 3min 24sec from the time established last year, when the race was first run as part of the Marist club’s silver Jubilee celebrations. The sealed handicap section was won by Methodist by only 6sec from Hover Scouts. Over the first stage the diminutive Canterbury harrier champion, R. Stevens, set the pattern for the other Olympic runners with a recordlbreaking run over the 4.2 mile stage from St Peter’s school, Fisher avenue, to the Kiwi. Stevens’s time of 24min 39sec clipped 68sec off last year’s best time by B. Curie. Succeeding Olympic runners maintained the excellent start given by Stevens. Two other members of the Olympic No. 1 team set lap records also and, but for alterations to the length of the lap, might have improved on another. Only on one of the five sections did the Olympic No. 1 runners fail to gain the fastest time, and that was on the second stage, on which the best time was returned by the Anglican junior, A. Bayard, who is the Canterbury junior champion. The Start R. Inder, the Anglican No. 1 runner, led the closely bunched field from the start, with M. Gosney (Methodist) handy. The Olympic No. 4 man, S. Payne, led at the foot of the hill, but by that time, Stevens and K. Richards (Olympic No. 2) were working through the field. Stevens surged away up the hill for a quick break and steadily improved his lead to the Sign of the Kiwi, where he sent C. F. Reece off with an 81sec start from P. Brown (Olympic No. 2). Methodist was the third team away, with G. Wood taking over 51sec behind Brown. Then at closer intervals came Christchurch No. 1, Anglican No. 1, Technical No. 1, and Marist No. 1. Although Reece retained a substantial lead for Olympic No. 1, Bayard made the best time over the second stage to bring his team through from fifth to second at the next stage, where the Bridie Path crosses the Summit road. There Methodist passed Olympic No. 2 for third place.

20 Miles an Hour Over the third stage leading down Mount Pleasant to Redcliffs, D. Reece increased Olympic No. I's lead with a fine run in which he was checked at more than 20 miles an hour on some of the steep downhill sections. In taking second fastest time on this lap, S. L. Jelley pul Olympic No. 2 back into second place, beating R. Lloyd (Anglican No. 1) in by 2sec. C. Saxon improved Technical No. 1 to fourth position, ahead of R. Caldow (Methodist) and R. Perry (Christchurch No. 1). A. Evans took Technical No. 1 into third place behind G. T. Wilson (Olympic No. 1), who set a new record of 16min 30sec over the fourth lap of 3.3 miles to the Heathcote railway overbridge, and T. Preece (Olympic No. 2). With a lead of 2min 43sec starting the last lap Olympic No. 1 was certain, but even so J. K. Macdonald ran the 5.5 miles in a new record time of 27min 26sec, a full minute better than the previous time by C. F. Reece. The only change in the other leading teams over this lap

was that M. Chandler took Christchurch No. 1 past P. Betts (Methodist) for fifth place. Results:— Teams.—Olympic No. 1 (R. J. Stevens. C. F. Reece, D. Reece. G. T. Wilson. J. K. Macdonald), 1:36:12.0, 1; Olympic No. 2 (K. Richards. P. Brown, 6. L. Jelley. T. Preece, W. L. Hobbsi, 2:02:55.0. 2; Technical No. 1 (P Watts, A. Cook, C. Saxon. A. Evans, B. Buckley. D. Greig) 2:03:33.0, 3; Anglican No. 1. 2XM:49.0, 4; Christchurch No. 1 2:06:27.0. 5; Methodist. 2:06:28.0. «. Sealed Handleaps (Net Times Given i.—Methodist (handicap 15:30.0), 1:50:58.0, 1; Rover Scouts (19:00.0). 1:51:04.0. 2: Marist No. 2 (24 00.01, 1:51:47.0. 3. Fastest Lap Times.—Lap I (4.2 mile*; record, B. Curie. 25:47.0): R. Stevens (Olympic). 24:390, 1: K. Richards (Olympic), 26:00.0. 2; M. Gosney (Methodists 28:51.0. 3. Lap II (5.3 miles: changed, no record): A. Bayard (Anglican). 2805.0. 1; C. Wood (Methodist), 28:46.0 . 2: J. Wells (Rover Scouts), and R. Green (Christchurch) (equal). 28:48.0. 3. Lap 111 (3.7 miles; changed, no record): D. Reece (Olympic). 18:17.0. 1: S. L. Jelley (Olympic). 18:44.0. 2; C. Saxon (Technical), 18:59.0, 3. „ Lap IV (33 miles; record. R Stevens, 16:51.0): G. T. Wilson Olympic). 16:30.0. 1: A. Evans (Technical), 16:37.0. 2; T. Preece (Olympic). 16:41.0, 3. Lap V (5.5 miles; record, C F. Reece. 28:26.0): J. K,_ Macdonald (Olvmpic). 27)261). 1: W. Hobbs (Olympic), 30:36.0. 2. B. Buckley (Technical), 30:42.0. 3.

CLUB RESULTS Bryndwr Club The club held its annual Umile handicap race for the Brvndwr Challenge Cup' on Saturday. Results: P. Fhlllpson 1. B. Anderson 2, J. Sinclair 3. M. Dixon 4. Anglican Ladies’ Club As the guest of Mr and Mrs C. R. Ogle, the club ran from St. Phillip’s Church hah. Beckenham. No. 1 pack: F. Perkins 1. E. Atkinson 2. P. Bavard 3. No. 2 pack: C. Arnold’ 1. M. Bennett 2, S. Bavard 3. Midgets’ pack: W. Korr and L. Atkinson (equal) 1. G. Teague 3 Pioneer Ladies’ Club The club was the guest of Mr and Mrs W. A. Kennedy. Centaurus road. St. Martins, and followed a four-mile trail on Huntsbury Hill. Fast pack: M. Dixey 1. D. Dixey 2. Medium pack: A. Kennedy 1. M. Ward 2. Slow pack: D. Chisholm 1, H. Melhuish 2. P. Ovington 3.