CROSS-COUNTRY RACES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 12 August 1913, Page 7

CROSS-COUNTRY RACES.

NEW ZEALAND CHAMPIONSHIPS; OTAGO WINS THREE EVENTS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, Last Night. The New Zealand cross-country championships were held yesterday afternoon, on a course laid out partly on the Wingatui racecourse and partly on the adjacent country. The trail included sod walk, brush fences, ditches and one or two small . wire fences, so that the course was a fair te*st of the ability of the competitors. The day was damp and fairly cold, but. a fair crowd of interested spectators witnessed the races, which could Be followed practically all the time from the racecourse grandstand. Despite some rain the ground was in very fair order. Three teams entered, Wellington, Otago and Southland, though the latter was only raisied at the last minute. The teams were as follows: —Wellington: J. F. Byrne, R. Ballantyne, G. Hutton, C. Murray and F. Hodson (captain). Otago: J. Beatson j G. A. MpKnight, D. R. Jack, C. Frye, and D. R. Thompson. Southland: J. O'Brien, W. Buchar, W. D. Sheehan, D. Frew, and J. Welch. The result proved a handsome win for Otago, whose five : men got home first, headed by J. Beatson, who did the distance in 29min ssec. Only four Wellington men finished, one (Hutton) suffering from chest trouble, and being forced to retire. No Southland men finished. The Wellington men led at the start, but half-way through the Otago men started to go to the lead, andi Southland had practically all retired. Beatson finally won, running easily, by about 50 yards, his men following him at about the same interval. Results:— Teams Championship.—Otago (J. Beatson 1, D. R. Jack 2, G. A. McKnight 3, D. R. Thompson 4), 10 points, 1; Wellington (J. F. Byrne 6, R. Ballantyne 8, C. 'Murray 9, F. Hodson 10), 33 points, 2. Individual Championship. —J. Beatson, 29min ssec, 1; D. R. Jack, 29min 11 l-ssec, 2; J. A. McKnight," 29min 23sec, 3; D. R. Thompson, 29min 28sec, 4; C, Frye, 29min 35sec, J. F. s ßyrne. 29min 45sec, 6; G. Crimp, 30min osec, 7; R. Ballantyne, 30min 45sec, 8; C. Murray, 31roin 30sec,. 10. Only, the ten men (out of sixteen starters) finished. Sealed Handicap.—D. R.' Thompson (Otago), 45sec, 1; J. F. Byrne (Wellington), lmin, 2nd; C- Frye (Otago), '1 Osec, 3 ; D. R. Jack (Otago), 15sec, 4 ; G. A. McKnight (Otago), 25sec, 5. : The visiting teams were entertained at dinner in the evening.