HARRIERS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1860, 20 September 1913, Page 9

HARRIERS.

(Bj "Mercury.") THE CHRONICtE WEEk.'< IThe Park Event. The fourth event, held on the Athlotio Park last Saturday,-under thepatronage of the Wellington Bugby Football Union, took tho form of a teams relay race. It was a success. 'Not only was the race in itself a good one. but, for once, club interests were sunk in preference to the interests of the sport. This desirable state of affairs waß chiefly brought about by the fact that the teams were selected with some degree of evenness arid irrespective of the club to which members happened to belong.' Tho conditions were that the teams iWere composed of four men, each to icover half a mile. A much more interesting and faster race would have ensued had the distance been only a quarter of a inilo for cach competitor, as, on the day, the miners in each relay kept well together in the first lap, but faded away in the second. It is a well-known fact that our cross-country runners are practically all of the same speed over tho first quarter-mile, and even the novice can get a look in. In the first relay five of the competitors were certainly the weaker runners for their team. Tho sixth, who could jeasily compete successfully with higher grade runners, did not achieve tho succcss which he anticipated for his team. Naturally he led from the start, and cracked the pace, but, in > tho. second lay, his lead was considerably shortened, until at the finish he had only ai> advantage of u very few yards. Tho next four competitors were well bunched, but tho team's chance was rendered extremely doubtful, as its first man finished some distance behind the first batch.

The second; relay was also a fairly teven contest, and, at; tho finish, four teams were still well in the hunt. The third relay saw 111© men stringing out, and the final sprint between Kerr and Coffey gave .them an additional lead over their follows, tho result being that, in, the filial relay, only two men got away together. These two—C. Murray and W. Donaldson—put in,a"hard fight over the first tbreo hundred yards. At that stage O. Murray had established a lead, and, ovor the last hp, the! race •was a mere procession. ■ R. J. Ballarityiie, G. Hutton, \V. Bonnott, and F. : J. Byrne were given so much ground to make up in the final relay, and) wero separated l -by so great a distanco from each other that they did not get a chance of oven putting in an interesting finish. The Central Club. Tho Central Harriers championship fcvas decidcdi last week at Miramar, the jrfcarttag point being the'old golf house and the course was two laps—l\ miles more or less. Judging by tlio time recorded by Hodson (27mm. 235e0.), it ' is apparent that tho course was considerably under the stipulated distance (5 mites). Four and a half miles seonis nearer the mark. The favourite was F. Hodson, and, according to report, ho won fairly easily. Ho displaced his his nearest opponents about a milo from tho finish, and was clocked I 'fifteen seconds in front of tho next mam. F. 'J. Burrell finished second, his time for the course being 27min. 38sec. D. W. Rutledgo filled third place. Tho scaled handicap trophy in this event wasi annexed by Butledae. Wellington Club. At Miramar - to-day the Wellington Club will hold its annual r competition for the club (distance five miles). Tho starting point will bo the old golf house,, Miramar, and tho course will bo a complete circuit of the Miramar flats. Tho course is one familiar to members, and will bo the same as that traversed in the 10-mile handicap a few weeks previously, lho presont ohampion—W. B. Bennett-will defend his titlo, and, althoiigh be anticiipates a hard lie cxpects to again capture tho championship. W. Donaldson ia ono who should put up a good performance. W. Press, R. kaglo, T. J. Kerr, and T. Farrmgton, will also form a strong contingent.