Third Win For Macdonald In Holloway Harrier Race

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31096, 27 June 1966, Page 9

Third Win For Macdonald In Holloway Harrier Race

J. D. Macdonald won the annual Holloway memorial harrier race on Saturday, for the third successive year. Already he was the only man to win the race twice in two years, and he was untroubled to win again.

Macdonald’s record achievements did not end there, however, as he set a new time for Canterbury’s longest and most gruelling cross-country run. Completing the 12.3 miles of road, paddocks, and bog in 76 min 7sec, Macdonald cut 3min 3sec from his last year’s time.

Two former winners filled the next two places. Macdonald’s Olympic team-mate, R. J. Stevens, was second, and W. K. Kennedy (Christchurch) was third, after having been second the previous two years. It was ironical for Stevens that his second place time, of 76min 36sec, was more than a minute faster than the time for his first place in 1961. Stevens had much to thank Macdonald for in achieving the improved time. Although no arrangements had been made before the race, the two teamed up, with Macdonald “carrying” Stevens to over nine miles, well clear of the field, before pushing ahead to make sure of his win. The performances were helped somewhat by the conditions. Although the going was heavy in patches, with occasionally a light dusting of frozen snow, generally it was better than for most previous years. The fine, sunny weather was a sharp contrast to the chilling wind and rain that hampered competitors last year.

A steadily widening gap over the last few miles gave the impression of increasing pace by the leading runners but this was an Elusion. Macdonald cut out the three laps of 4.1 miles each in even tomes, the first In 25min 2sec, the second 25min 31sec, and the last 25min 34sec. , Such was the strength of the Olympic club's entries that its teams took both first and second piaclngs in the teams' contest. It was only the ability of Kennedy that prevented the Olympic No. 1 team from taking first place with the minimum possible points. With three individuals of the four-man teams to count In compiling a team's tally. Kennedy split the winning Olympic trio of Macdonald. Stevens, and T. Preece, by coming in third. Close behind Preece was T. McGillivray, the first of the Olympic No. 2 team to finest). Christchurch club's hopes of gaining a prominent place in the teams' match received a set back when K. E. WiKtams withdrew. A former winner of the race, Williams was in difficulty with a leg injury. After struggling through for about two-thlrds of the distance, he withdrew. Running together, Macdonald

and Stevens took a good lead on the first lap. at the end of which McGillivray, Preece, Kennedy, and WilMams came through in close succession in seventh to tenth places. Kennedy, McGillivray, and Preece pulled up to be third, fourth, and fifth starting the last lap, with Kennedy having made a six-second break on the other two. With about two males and a half to go, Macdonald stepped up the tempo to make a quick break on Stevens, just before going over Murray Aynsiey spur, and increased this to 160 yards by the finish. In an impressive run the first year junior, J. Tomlinson, was too powerful for his opponents in the junior race which was decided around one lap of the senior course, Tomlinson took the lead after 300 yards and was not seriously challenged. B. Rollo and P. Hesp had convincing wins in the colts’ under--16 and under-14 events, run over two miles and a quarter. Abbreviations used in the results are:

(Ch.l, 77:36, 3: T. Preece (O.), 79:13, 4; T. McGillivray (O.), 79:24, 5: C. Harris (P.). 80:09, 6; R. Sharp (St. M.), 80:34, 7; R. McMillan (T.P.), 80:40 , 8; B. Curie (O.), 81:13, 9; P. Brown (0.). 81:23. 10. Teams.—Olympic (Macdonald 1, R. J. Stevens 2, T. Preece 4), 7 points 1; Olympic No. 2, 26. 2; St. Martins, 38, 3. Sealed Handicap.—J. Cleland (R.S.) (handicap 14min), net time 70:23, 1; C. Harris (P.) (9mtn), 71:09, 2; P. Wastney (Meth.) (15mln), 73:06, 3. Junior Individual. J. Tomlinson (N. 8. 25:58, 1; B. A. Bruce (St. M.). 26:11, 2; J. McHraith (P.) 26:38, 3; P. Robertson (M.), 26:47, 4; N. Sidaway (O.), 26:58, 5; P. Ayers (P.), 26:59, 6. Teams. —St. Martins (Bruce 2, T. EHiis 9, A. Searle 10), 21 points, 1; Marist, 33, 2; Olympic, 48, 3. Senior Colts Individual.—B. Rollo (N. 8. 11:23 1: G. Manley (Ch.), 11:38, 2; A.' Daikee (Ch.). 12:03. 3. Teams. —New Brighton, 14 points, 1; Christchurch, 16, 2; St. Martins, 30, 3. Junior Colts Individual. —P. Heap (Pi), 13:32, 1; I. McGregor (Ch,), 12:55, 2; P. Parkhouse (M.), 13:09, 3. ' , Teams. Presbyterian. 18 points 1; Christchurch, 18, 2; Marist, 32, 3; Anglican, 32, 4.

O„ Olympic: Ch., Christchurch; P., Presbyterian; St. M., St. Martins: T.P., Timaru Presbyterian: R.S., Rover Scouts; Meth., Methodist; N. 8., New Brighton.

Senior Individual.—J. D. Macdonald (0.), 76:07, 1; R. J. Stevens <O.), 76:35, 2: W. K. Kennedy