Never Looked like Losing

While the All Blacks were fighting their way to victory over the French at Auckland in the first test, in beautiful weather, Gisborne's harriers were competing for their club titles at Wainui in a bitterly cold southerly with intermittent showers. As the runners came through on the first time round, the score of the moment was shouted to them as they passed.

The six-mile course adjacent to the Okitu Stream was wet, slippery, and difficult, but the conditions did not deter the senior champion, Alan Parkinson, from running a grand race to finish the course 2½ minutes ahead of his nearest rival.

Start of the senior race. From left, timekeeper John Jennings, runners Dave Hughes, Banjo Patterson, Rex Stewart, Mick Cooper, David Flavell (partially obscured), Vic Furlan, John McKay, Ray Hamilton, Bill Harding, Bruce Donnelly (obscured), and Alan Parkinson.