Inter-University College Cross Country Championship

Preparations extending over many months wers brought to fruition on Saturday, August 23th when teams from the Harrier Clubs of the four Colleges competed in the first Inter-University Cross Country Championship, which is now expected to become an annual event. The distance of miles was run over the new Wellington Provincial Course at Lyall Bfciy. The visiting runners were shown over the course on the Friday afternoon by members of the local club, but when the race started on Saturday a vicious southerly had converted a normally hard trail into a gruelling test of endurance.

After a plunge at the start through knee deep waves the runners were forced to abandon the correct trail along the beach and take the road, through driving rain, spray and sand, around Moa Point to the foot of the Vosseler Hill. Here the early donination of the Otago team, led by Stewart, Sutherland and Ross, was lessened when Bagnall and O'Connor (V.U.C.) moved into second place. The latter, however, injured a leg just past "Mt. Everest" and retired from the foremost bunch, where Shannon (C.U.C.) had worked up into first place at Seatoun Road. Shannon was passed by Stewart and later by Bagnall, who, struggling through the gate to reach Stewart over the last mile had reduced the lead to fifteen yards with a few chains to go. A last grim bid for first place saw Bagnall draw almost level, but Stewart warded off the challenge to win by a second.

L. Smith (C.) 4th; A. Sutherland (O.)5th; M. O'Connor (V.) 6th; H. T. Jellie (A.) 7th.

In the teams section Otago were placed first with 23 points, Victoria 2nd (29 points), Canterbury 3rd (36 points) and Auckland 4th (53 points).

The Carmalt Jones Cup, for annual competition between Otago and Canterbury was regained by Otago.

The visiting teams were entertained by members of the V.U.C. Club at a dinner at the "Duke of Edinburgh" in the evening, when medals were presented to the winning team and the president of the V.U.C. Harrier Club. Mr. G. F. Dixon announced his intention of presenting a shield for the Inter-College Championship. A picture party and supper at the Majestic concluded activities for the evening, while on the Sunday visitors were shown over Wellington and taken for drives about the suburbs.