PORT ROAD RACE

Evening Star, Issue 23681, 14 September 1940, Page 6 (Supplement)

PORT ROAD RACE

BAPTIST RUNNERS' SUCCESS AUSTIN'S GREAT EFFORT FOR TIME BEST CONTEST FOR YEARS (Written for the ‘ Sports Special.’) Last Saturday's Port Chalmers to Dunedin road race was the best contest held for years, and brought to light a number of promising road men who, given the required opportunity during the next few seasons, should worthily uphold the name of Otago in distance events. The number of starters, 46, was the largest field since 15136, when the race was contested by 48 runners. No outside competitors competed in last Saturday’s race, and with the large number of runners at present on active service the controlling body should be well satisfied with the support given this long established event. Drizzling rain was falling at the start of the race, this increasing as the race progressed, and although it made things unpleasant for those following the race the following wind fully compensated the competitors for its unpleasantness. The race was interesting throughout, and at St. Leonards fully a score of competitors appeared to have excellent chances of winning. It was not till Black Jack’s Point was reached that the winner managed to open up a gap and even then he had to run right out to .maintain his lead to the finish.

Another pleasing feature was that both the winner and runner-up belong to the Baptist Club, which has had a very lean period of late, and it is anticipated that their sterling performances will give added zest to the club and encourage , other members to emulate their deeds. The winner turned up in A. H. Campbell, a 23-year-old member of the Baptist Club, who was making his second attempt at this event. Last year, running from the drain 45sec mark, he finished twenty-seventh, taking 48min 21sec for the journey, Campbell won his club championship this season, finishing twenty-sixth in the Otago cross-country and thirty-seventh in the Edmond Cup. Last Saturday he ran solidly throughout to win nicely at the finish, recording the excellent time of 44min SOsec. Campbell, who can he expected to show up in next v/eek’s modified marathon of 14 miles, has an excellent style, and judging by the way he finished last week’s race, the. extra distance should not trouble him.

L. W. Duncan, also of the Baptist Club, who was in receipt of ISsec from his team-mate, defeated him in th season’s Edmond Cup, in which he finished twenty-third, and finished a place behind him in the club championship and the Otago cross-country. Duncan, who competed successfully in middle-distance events on the track last season, ran side by side with Campbell for fully five miles, but although he hung on gamely he did not possess the stamina of his team-mate. Nevertheless, he put up a sterling performance, being unfortunate in striking the winner in top form.'

Third place went to the young Caversham runner, J. A. Welsh, who surprised even his club-mates by running prominently throughout. He held the lead going through St. Leonards, and when caught he hung on gamely to finish well, only about 120yds from the winner. Welsh, who was off the '6min mark, finished fourth two /weeks previously in his club’s Brighton to Green Island road race. He is a slightlybuilt runner, who should show further improvement with consistent training. In fourth place was Jack Markham (from the Leith Club), who went particularly well from the 4inin 30see mark. Between Burkes and Ravensbourne be was going great guns, and loked a likely winner, but the leaders did not weaken as was expected. Markham ran a good race in the recent Temuka to Timaru road race to finish in second place, and he should be right at home in the 14-mile event next week.

Fifth place went to J. Walker, of the Mornington Club, from the smin 4osec mark. He was in third place at St. Leonards, running with his team mate, Everett, who stayed with hirn as far as Maia, Walker, who was having his first start in this event, hanging on well to hold his position from Ravensbourne.

The first Civil Service man to finish was Tony Caddie, who ran his best race to date to occupy sixth place from the smin 15sec mark. Caddie shows plenty of determination in his racing, hut more attention to stylo would improve his performances considerably.

George Munro, of Mornington, in seventh place, was the first of the back markers to finish, running impressively from the 2min 30sec mark, his performance being on a par with his run last year, w'hen he finished sixth. The slightly-built Anglican runner, F. Dunn, from the smiu mark, was the next to finish, a good effort for a first attempt. .Tim Barnes, in ninth place, turned in a performance reminiscent of his runs in this race a few years ago. Running from the Imin 15sec mark, he quickly made up ground on his nearest rivals, being well amongst the back markers at St. Leonards, and, finishing on very strongly, surprised more than a few of those who tried to stay Vith him. Barnes, with an actual time of 41 min 34sec, secured second fastest time, his' best road performance for a number of rears.

j. J. Everett, in tenth place, completed the Mornington team, and he showed a big improvement on last roar’s effort, when he finished thirtyeighth. Pete Carroll, who last year finished second, was conceded a good chance of winning, but the Celtic United champion, running from the 4min _lssec mark, never looked like a winner, finishing eleventh. Still, his turn may come in next week’s 14-mile, a race in which he performed well last year.

The chief honours of the race go to George Austin, the 37-year-old Caversham champion, who put up a remarkable performance to finish in twelfth place from the scratch mark. Last year he was defeated for time honours by 4sec by Ray Geddes, but last week he turned the tables, going away from Geddes practically from the start to record the excellent time of 40min 42sec, an improvement of Imin 25sec on his time last year. Even allowing for the following breeze, his was a great run, and on a par with E. C. Brown’s course record of 39min 33sec, put up over the shorter course when the shortcut at Sawyers Bay was allowed. Austin’s continuous training of long, slow work over the last few years has built him into the creates! all-round road runner Otago has ever seen, and another great performance can be expected

from him next week, when the extra distance will be all in hi« favour. Morris Collins, otf the 3min maifc* ran well to finish thirteenth. He wa« going very well over the first five miles, the steep hills having no terrors for him, but, like a number of others, lack of condition told over the last couple of miles. . The next bunch to finish comprised a solid team of road men in M'Gregor (Caversham, 2.15), Crooke (Mornington, 2.40), Fincham (Leith, 3min)* Coutts (Civil Service, 2min), Mackinnon (Civil Service, 2.15), Coutts ana Mackinnon being previous winners. The teams race for the Nickels Cup* being the lowest aggregate (three men to count) in both the Port road race and the modified marathon, is now at a very interesting stage, Mornington, Civil Service, and Caversham being within seven points of one another, so that competition should he exceptionally keen next week, especially as soma Christchurch runners have already entered.