HARRIER ACTIVITIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 August 1938, Page 9

HARRIER ACTIVITIES

BENSON TROPHY RETAINED BY WANGANUI The Wanganui club successfully defended the Benson Trophy against tlie Masterton club on Saturday afternoon. In the contest earlier in the season at Wanganui, the Wanganui team secured a lead of 184 points, but on Saturday their win was of such a decisive nature, 61 points to 85, that it was unnecessary for the visitors to call on their points scored on their home course. In Saturday’s race the teaming of the visitors was the deciding factor of the race. Evidence of this is given by the fact that when the runners crossed the Oval the first time, seven out of the first 10 runners were Wanganui men, and this, coupled with the superior, general all-round fitness of the visitors, scored Wanganui’s win. The race on Saturday was held on the club’s 61 mile championship course, which was very muddy in places, and the runners who were unfortunate enough to have rubber-soled shoes only, were at a disadvantage from the start. The race was unusual in that the winner could not be determined until the last few hundred yards. About 40 runners lined up to take part in the race, which was started by Mr J. Hunter, and by the time a halfmile was covered, Johnson (W),

Bevege (W), Gregory (M), R. Shaw (M), and Pullar (M), were the leaders, and this quintette ran together for the greater part of the journey. Halfway through the second lap Shaw had the misfortune to fall rather heavily in a swamp, and this affected ,his running to the finish of the race. Cutting across the hospital paddocks Gregory and Pullar, running together, had opened up a gap on Johnson, and were beginning to drop Bevege. When the Masterton men reached Te Ore Ore road they clapped on the' pace, opening a gap of 30 yards on Bevege, who led Johnson by about 25 yards, Shaw being a. similar distance further back. Gregory and Pullar ran onto the Oval together, and in a sprint home, Pullar won by about 3 yards. Then came Bevege, Johnson and Shaw at intervals. Time, 36.34. The following are the placings of the two teams: —Pullar (M), 36.34, 1; Gregory (M), 36.36, 2; Bevege (W), 36.54, 3; K. Johnson (W), 37.9, 4; R. Shaw (M), 37.16, 5; H. Hoppe (W), 37.39, 6; H. Clarke, 38.14, 7; Pembethey (W), 38.45, 8; G. Johnson (W), 38.48, 9; T. O’Dowd (M), 39.4, 10; Hallam (W), 39.7, 11; G. Frederickson (M), 39.16, 12; J. Carr (W), 39.29, 13; A. Clarke (W), 39.35, 14; Wilkins (W), 40.1,15; J. Haise (M),40.2, 16; Ravenswood (W), 40.16, 17; C. Long (M), 40.41, 18; L. Stevens (W), 40.56, 19; Corby (W), 41.5, 20; C. Ross (M), 41.7, 21, The Masterton Club’s sealed handicap was won by G, Frederickson, with lan Shaw second. Shaw Rose Bowl Points are as 'follow: —Frederickson, 12; I. Shaw, 11; R. Shaw, 10; Haise, 9; Pringle, 8; O’Dowd,,’ 7; Ross, 6; Carle, 5; Gully, 4; .Long,\3; Pullar, -■ 2; Gregory, 1. The . visitors were entertained at lunch on arrival at the Empire Hotel, at afternoon tea, following the race by the club’s ladies’ committee, at a dance on Saturday night as the guests of the club, and on Sunday at morning tea as the guests of Mr and Mrs G. Shaw, at their residence, Te Ore Ore. During the course of the senior race a one mile handicap was held on the Oval, and once again P. O’Brien showed a clean pair of heels to his clubmates L. Reynolds (second) and M. Sunnex (third).

KIATERE CLUB WIN FOR BURGESS On Saturday in the presence of a good muster of enthusiasts, fifteen competitors faced the starter, Mr J. Turnbull, for the annual 6j miles club championship, and S. A. Mills cup. The recent rains left the course in a sloppy state, but in spite of this some good performances were recorded. Bill Burgess, the ultimate winner, proved that, when in form, he is/in the frontrank of cross-country runners, and on Saturday his judgment throughout the race, and strong finish in the excellent time of 36min 37sec, left nothing to be desired. For the • first mile W. Burns and W. McDonald held the lead from Alex McDonald and Bob Greeks. The finish of the first lap showed a slight change with W. McDonald leading from W. Burns, and then came Burgess, with Greeks and J. Laing handy. With a mile gone in the second lap Burgess assumed the lead; the last mile saw him bowling along splendidly, running in comfortably ahead of W. McDonald, who was also responsible for a very sound performance. W. Burns, J. Laing and R. Greeks, who finished in that order held on doggedly in a race that proved the most gruelling one so far this season. The placings and times were as follows:—W. Burgess, 36min 37secs, 1; W. McDonald, 37min, 4sec, 2;W. Burns, 37min 36 sec, 3; J. Laing, 4; R. Greeks, 5. Next Saturday, over a four mile course under open handicap conditions, the initial race for the silver rose bowl presented by Mrs R. Falloon, will take place. This event, coming as it does, a week before the visit to the Olympic Club in Wellington, should see the club at full strength.