MODIFIED MARATHON

Evening Star, Issue 23374, 18 September 1939, Page 4

MODIFIED MARATHON

R. A. WILSON AN EASY WINNER NICKELS GUP TO MCRNINGTON Good performances were put up* in the modelled Marathon run by the athletic clubs on Saturday afternoon. Both the winner, IR. A. Wilson (Mornington) and G. L. Austin (Caversham), who ran second and put up the fastest time, finished strongly, and seemed good for more. . The race was inadvertently lengthened by the unlucky accident of a section of the road being closed, and the officials having to take a longer route. They wore not in time to head off the leaders, and an extra mile and a-ha!f was run. The Nickels Cup went to Mornington, which secured first place in both the Marathon and tho Port Chalmers. road race. This latter event had given Mornington a lead of 14 points over Caversham’s 29, and they increased it to win by a total of 22 points. From Mosgiel the course lay one mile along the 'Bush road, thence along tho ißicearton road past SiKerside, along the Dukes road to the south of the Chinese gardens, into the North Taieri road, and home along the Mos-giel-Outram highway, THE RUNNING. Wilson was 10yds back from his fellow-starters at the mile. Austin had gained nearly a minute on the limit men, and Barnes had done even better. Shortly afterwards, just before reaching the Middlemarch road, M'Millan haa lost his place to Mackinnon and M‘Gregor, who had made up at least a minute and a-half. Instead of taking the turn south of the Chinese gardens, the whole pack ran on half a mile or more to the North Taieri road, before they left Duke’s road. A leg weakness caught out J. Barnes, and thereafter there were a few withdrawals. Half a mile before reaching the Outram-Mosgiel highway, Wilson took the lead from Hughes, and maintained his position until the finish. With four miles to go, Wilson, who was paced by a car at something slightly over ‘lO miles an hour, was going well, 80yds ahead of Hughes, who in turd was 150yds in front _of Carroll. Half a minute behind this group, Young, Crooks, Sunders, Austin, and ilackiey were running in that order, separated bv distances of up to 60yds. At the Five (Roads. Wilson had increased Ids lead over Hughes, who was showing the effects of the run, to 300yds. Austin overtook Cgrroll at this point, but he was a good quartermile behind Wilson, and had no hope of overtaking him. Sanders and Crooke were running together 200 yds_ back, and behind them was a similar distance to Young, and again to Fincham. M'Gregor with Mackinnon was not far behind. RESULTS. The results were as follows: R. A. Wilson (Mornington), 9min yg sec , ... 1 G L. Austin (Caversham), scr ... 2 R. Hughes (St. Paul’s, Invercargill), 9min 15sec ... ••• .•••••• R. M. Carroll (Celtic United), 9mm losec 4 F. Sanders (Mornington), Sunn ... 5 F. Crooke (Mornington), Train ... 6 W Young (Caversham), 7miu 45sec 7 M.’ Mackinnon (Civil Service), 4miu 30sec ••• >•• *•* ••• 8 D. Fincham (Leith), smin 30sec ... 9 C. MacGregor (Caversham), 4min ... 10 Fastest times were put up hy Austin (ROmin Usee). MacGregor (87min oOsec) and Wilson (87min 56sec). TEAMS’ RACE. Mornington (Wilson 1, Sanders 5, Crooke 6) ••• ••• ••• ••• 1 Caversham (Austin 2, Young 7, M'Gregor 10) 2 NICKELS CUP. Mornington (26) 1 Caversham (48) 2