Harriers. BIG ROAD RACE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 212, 23 September 1937, Page 14

Harriers. BIG ROAD RACE

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> \ Review of Now Zealand Championships WELLER'S VICTORY

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The invifation run from tbe residence of Mr. A. M. Robertson took place last Saturday. Keeny looked-forward-to for a long time, tbis outing proved as enjoyaMe as any tbla season Tbe easy pack run was a , ■ welcome relief after tbree consecutive races, and a good let-up before this Saturday's big roaa raca from Napier to Hastings. Witbout any knowledge of tbe start* eis or handicaps it is impossible to giv« a reliable review of wbo will be wbo* On tbis season 's form no runner ap* years to be in tbe necessary bard con« dition to run sucb a hard raee success* fully. One or two wbo snggest tbem* selves as a likely winner are G. Den* ford (Napier), wbo won dn 1935, A. Hunt (Hastings), or perhaps N. Taylor (Hastings) should be receive tbe limit.Fastest time is -very open witbout G* Wright in tbe field. Hughes (Napier); bas tbe best prospects here. However, it is a long an.d solid race, so anytbing may happen. N.Z. Championships. In connection witb tbe New Zealanct cross-country cbampionsbips beld at Timaru last week, it is interesting toi noto tbat tbe first xeal New Zealan/i cross-country cbampionsbip was beld at tbe same place about 1907. A so-called cross-country was beld tbe previous year in Christchurch at Lancaster Park between Canterbury and . Otago. At Timaru in 1907 tbree provinces were re*. preseuted — namely, Canterbury^ Otagaj, and Wellington — and tbe course* was se* lected at Washdyke, Tbis year tbe start and finish were. at. Caroline Bay. Tbe course selected pro*. vided a good cross-country test. Starti ing at tbe Bay tbere was about 1$ mile* 0 froad, over 3J miles of open country and tben 1J miles of road to finish again. The course was dry and hard; it was also a proved test pf stamina containing three hills, a portion oi plough, and a number of fences, which, while not hard, were trick to negotiate* All provinces were represented with,' the exception of Hawke's Bay-Poverty; Bay. At tbe gun the field moved off at a Tather slower pace tban usual and was bunched for 600 yards. From tben on Weller and Geddes commenced td make tbe pace very fast and tbese twoi runners were well in the lead nntil twai miles from bome, wben Geddes, realis* ing be was up against a better man in Weller, slowed up and Weller went oni on win by a clear margin. Geddes ob*' tained second and Logan, a new runner^ fiuisbed in tbird place, Teahs' Race, Tbe tcams' event was regained faiiy ly easily by Otago witb Auckland sea* oud, West Coast (Nortb Island) tbird, Canterbury fourth, and Wellington fiftb. Tbe cbampionsbips created much in* terest in Timaru and'a large crowd aa* sembled at tbe start; also the course was iso selected tbat tbe runners could be followed, for a good part of the dis* tance, by motor-car along j adjoining; roads, and quite a number of epecta* tors availed tbemselves. of tbis oppor* tunity. Tbe arrangements for tbe entertain* ment and comfort of tbe competitori reflected great credit on the SoutK Canterbury Harrier Sub-eommittee, Weller 'a Victory. Tbe second victory of Weller ha|_ proved tbat bis win at Auckland in. 1936 was no mere fiuke. In 19301 Savidan was. euffering from tbe 'flu and a number of tbe more prominent run* ners, not knowing tbis, kept with Savidan waiting for bim to maka thei pace. However, Weller bravely madd tbe pace from tbe start and kept well in tbe lead wbicb be maintained to thd finish. Some of tbe competitors ex* pressed the opinion afterwards that ii tbey bad known that Savidan was not fit tbey would bave been further up, However, tbis year they were well aware of wbat Weller would do and hfl bas proved bimself a real cbampion. A disappointment to Wellington sup* porters was tbe running of Riddington wbo, till about three weeks ago% bad. been in very fine form, but for somd reason be ha3 gone rigbt off. \ Remits Discussed. On the Friday nigbfc prior to tbd> cbampionship tbe nsual cross-country. conference was beld. Two remits only came before tbe assembled delegateSjj botb forwaTded by Otago. As tbe ra* sult of tbe conference a recommenda* tion is going forward to tbe New Zea* land council to amend tbe rules so that tbe New Zealand cross-country cham* pionship will be beld before tbe middla of August^each year. Tbe second remit tbat tbe annual conference be dispensed witb was defeated. Tbe cross-country cbampionsbips for 1938 have been! allotted to tbe West Coast (Nortb Is* land), and in turn Hawke's Bay* Poverty Bay should be given the cham* pionsbips in 1939. In view of thei proposed centennial exhibition to ba beld in Wellington tbe delegates from; tliat centre applied for tbe cbampion* ships in 1940, but tbe Otago delegates! vigorously protested against tbe pro* posal. The only other matter of 'interest discussed was tbe marathon runs and it was stated tbat two events are to be run tbis year, one in Dunedin and the other in Auckland, botb during tbe Uiontb of Oc.tnliAr.