Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Salient: Victoria University of Wellington Students' Newspaper. Vol. 32, No. 4. 1969.

Harrier Club Begins Season

Harrier Club Begins Season

(Sports Editor)

The V.U.W. Harrier Club at its A.G.M. recently has decided to hold its opening run this Saturday, March 29, from the tennis pavilion near John Reid's squash courts at 2 p.m.

The first internal club competition run, the Novice and Veterans' Cup Race is to be held on 3 May, a week before the Shaw baton relay.

With the beginning of 1969 a number of harriers have left or are leaving the club.

George Caddie and John Souter have moved to the South Island, Chris Corry leaves soon for England and George Seconi, three times club champ in the last four years, and Bob Wilson, the 1968 secretary, have gone to the wilds of Teachers' Training College in Christchurch.

George Seconi in his last annual report in his capacity as club captain had some interesting observations to make about Harriers in general.

He pointed out that at Victoria harriers generally operate on the premise of "getting away from it all."

Cross-country running, or long distance road running is really a highly individualistic affair, because no matter how concerned a runner may be with team running, in the end it is every man for himself.

Each harrier rises and falls by his own efforts, admittedly aided by the impetus of club success or failure.

But at Victoria, this latter factor does not assume the importance it seems to in other clubs, for Victoria harriers while wishing perhaps that their club too could be tops, do not regard this aim of prime importance.

Victoria runners do seem able to grasp the fact that it is the activity and not the winning which is important.

They also seem to appreciate the fact that effort, and its results are personal factors, and do not demand constant top performance from a proven runner.

For this reason a friendly spirit prevails in the club, and it is a spirit one would not like to see dispersed by pressure being placed on Club members for success ahead of enjoyment.

It is an attitude that enables Victoria to retain runners who require harriers to supplement, and not replace their university study and work, and also enables the retaining of harriers who may have been top juniors but find senior competitions a little harder.

It is at this point that Victoria Club succeeds in putting sport where it properly belongs —as a recreation and not a livelihood.

Highlights of 1968 were Vic's seventh placing in the Shaw baton relays and the Dorne Cup and the 11th placing in the Wellington-Masterton relay, with Victoria recording its third ever fastest time.

George Seconi performed well to be selected as reserve for the Wellington cross country team, and along with Roger Titcombe he made the NZU team.

The AGM saw the election of a new group of officers.

The following can be contacted if any further information is required about harriers.

Club Captain: Tony Burge, 29 Ngaio Road, Ph. 759-929.

Vice-Captain: Dave Bullock, 44 Ottawa Road, Ngaio, Ph. 797-281.

Secretary: John Horsley, 114 Kelburn Parade, Ph. 757-557.