A depleted Victoria harrier contingent did well to finish fifth in the teams' section in the Wellington Centre annual 10-mile road championships.

The team consisted of Roger Clark (recently returned from New York), Jim Callaghan, Philip Burgess, Ian Stockwell, Murray Pinkham, Ian Hunt, Tony Woolhouse and Martin Fisher.

First in for Victoria was Ian Hunt (18). 56min .03sec, followed by Ian Stockwell (23) 57min 24s. Martin Fisher (36) 58min 34s. Murray Pinkham (40) 59min 45s and Jim Callaghan (52) 61min 24s.

Takahe-Akaroa Relay

This 48 mile relay event is open to all clubs in NZ every four years and is the premier road relay when this does occur.

Victoria's eight-man team comprised Peter Simpson, Peter Konig, Ian Stockwell, Tim Beaglehole, Bryan Dawkins, Murray Pinkham, Steve Havill and Tony Burge.

Victoria's overall placing of 29 out of the 72 teams competing was a creditable performance considering that the team was not Vic's number one squad.

Tim Dravitzki, a fifth year Commerce student, and a member of the renowned New Plymouth harrier family, won the Vic Harrier Club's annual handicap race for the Endeavour Cup.

This race which is between 6½ to 7 miles long, starts in Kelburn Parade opposite the Robert Stout building and from there the course is up Glasgow Street to Upland Road, along Upland Road, across the viaduct to Northland Road, up Northland Road through the Northland shopping centre to Orangi-Kaupapa Road.

From here the course is over Tinakori Hill to Wadestown Road, along Wadestown Road, Wilton Road, Curtis Street, up Old Karori Road, down Chaytor Street, through the Northland tunnel down Northland Road, along Upland Road, Glasgow Street to finish opposite the Robert Stout Building on Kelburn Parade.

Tim Dravitzki, running off 6m, soon caught the limit men John Riseborough and Connor McBride running off 20 m.

However, he had his hands full in catching Philip Burgess and did not succeed in doing so until ¼ of a mile from the finish.

Peter Konig passed Philip further along Upland Road to beat him home for second place by two seconds.

Record Broken

Running off scratch Ian Stockwell with a time for the race of 45m 47s, sliced 7s off George Seconi's record for the race which stood at 45m 54s. This record had been established in 1965, with the previous record being established in 1954 by Dr. J. C Hawke (46m flat).

Second fastest time was recorded by one of Vic's juniors Eric Cairns (47m 56s) and third fastest time was Tony Burge (48m 13s).

Third senior home was Ian Hunt in 48m 54s.

Others to break the 59 minute barrier were Peter Simpson (49m 10s), Tony Woolhouse (49m 23s). Murray Pinkham (49m 27s), Tim Dravitzki (49m 46s) and Steve Havill (49m 47s).

Martyn Fisher and Len Watson would undoubtedly have broken 48m if they had not cut out the Old Karori Road, Chaytor Street part of the course and subsequently been disqualified.

Wellington To Masterton Relay

The Vic Harrier Club disappointed with its performance in the annual Wellington Mas-terton Relay (62.4 miles) which the Wellington Harrier Club won for the first time in its history.

Some 23 teams (230 runners) took part in this event.

The relay race itself lacked "atmosphere" this year with the absence of the powerful Auckland clubs — Auckland University. Owairaka, Onehunga and Lynndale.

The Wellington Masterton Relay consists of 10 laps of varying distance as follows: from Wellington to Petone (6.9 miles), Petone to Taita (6.6 miles). Taita to Upper Hutt (7.0 miles). Upper Hutt to Te Marua (4.1 miles), Te Marua to Kaitoke (4.9 miles), Kaitoke to the Summit (3.9 miles), Summit to Featherston (6.6 miles), Featherston to Greytown (7.8 miles). Greytown to Clairville (6.9 miles), Clairville to Masterton (7.7 miles).

The Vic runners in the order they ran the laps, with times and with last year's times in brackets were as follows: Ian Stockwell 38m 3s (37m 26s). Jim Callaghan 40m 42s (35m 42s). Murray Pinkham (39m 40s (40m 43s), Steve Havill 24m 26s (21m 51s). Bryan Dawkins 30m 33s (30m 45s), Tim Dravitzki 26m 51s (25m 8s). Tony Woolhouse 34m 11s (33m 4s), Martyn Fisher 42m 32s (43m 21s). Tony Burge 40m 12s (38m 1s), Ian Hunt 43m 58s (43m 11s).

While Victoria's placing (11th) in the race out of 23 teams was the same as last year, the time (6h 1m 28s) was considerably slower than that for 1968. (5h 49m 22s).

In fact the total time for 1969 was the slowest Vic has recorded since 1964.