52 Miles At 52

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31003, 8 March 1966, Page 19

52 Miles At 52

A 52-year-old Christchurch distance runner, J. Drew, of the St. Martins Athletic Club completed a 52mile training run on Saturday.

Drew’s run has helped focus attention on this year’s New Brighton 50-mile race on April 2.

The race manager for the “New Brighton 50." J. Taylor of the Technical club, ran with Drew for part of the distance on Saturday. The distance was run in lans over an extended circuit of north and south Hegley Park. Drew, who completed the rnn in good shape, ran New Zealand's first 24-hour time trial at the age of 50 when he ran 104 miles in 1963. : After The Run Drew said last night that he felt no stiffness or any other physical after effects, although he had found it hard to deep after the run. “It is rather a thumping to the system and one tends to s»ay awake at night and renin it.” he said. ‘lt was less severe than, ?nv other long runs I've done. Towards the end 1 thought,; now what would it be like to ! go another 50. but I boggled I at the idea. I ran the lasti two laps a bit faster, but I didn't feel like going any further."

t In the last year Drew has . run about 2500 miles in trainling— “not as far as some of (the young distance men,” he I added with his customary I modesty. New Zealand Classic The “New Brighton 50" has already earned its place as a •classic event in New Zealand j athletics. It is the longest road ‘race in Australia or New Zea- ! land and only three races of this distance are held annually in the world. The other two are the Brighton run in Britain and the •Comrades marathon in South j Africa. The international marathon star. J. L. Julian of Auckland, was the first to win the race here in 1962. Another international marathon representative, I. Keats, has also run the race. Already the “New Brighton 50” has attracted good entries and is expected to draw its I largest field yet. This year the course skirts the outer edge of the suburban area and will start and finish at New Brighton. Substantial prizes were being offered this year, said Mr Taylor. The race was being subsidised by the New Brighton Businessmen's Association.