Harrier and cross-country running is the winter counterpart of track and field athletics and is controlled, like the summer sport, by the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association. (The term “harriers” is often understood in this country to imply running on roads rather than across country; but both of these activities are normally included in a winter programme and most runners take part in them with equal facility.) The NZAAA has a Crosscountry Committee (formerly the Harrier Subcommittee) to assist in its deliberations, and at each national cross-country meeting there is a Harrier Conference, which submits a report and recommendations to the NZAAA on matters concerning the administration of the sport.
The New Zealand cross-country championships are held in August each year over a distance of 6¼ miles (corresponding to 10,000 metres). The race must be “over true cross-country” and the amount of prepared track or ground (such as playing fields, roads or race tracks) may not exceed one-third of the course. These requirements usually mean that the event is held in a small township or locality, rather than in one of the main centres as are the summer track and field championships. A junior race (for which runners must be under 19 on the day) is held at the same meeting over a distance of 3 1/8 miles.
Both an individual and a teams' result are recognised in the two grades. Each of the nine affiliated centres may field a team of six runners, of whom the four placed highest are counted for points in the teams' race. Points are awarded according to the placing gained (one for first, two for second, and so on) and the lowest score wins. A perfect score is thus 10 points. This has been achieved by Otago in 1913 and Wellington in 1922 (fewer than five teams competed in those years) and by Otago in 1934 and Auckland in 1963. Indeed, in 1963 Auckland placed five men in the top five places and the other in seventh place. The lowest team scores in the junior race are 14 by Wellington in 1944 (when there were fewer than five teams) and 15 by Auckland in 1962. Because of the varying courses, there are no record times recognised for the cross-country championship.
The NZAAA has given permission for the holding, as a trial, of an unofficial New Zealand championships for road running (over 10 miles) and for a women's cross-country. When these events have proved that they can attract sufficient entries of a high standard, they may be elevated to official championship status.
As a prelude to the national meeting, each centre holds a programme of club events culminating in the centre championships. Several events which are held locally also attract entries from other parts of New Zealand. Perhaps the best known of these are the Olympic Harrier Club (Wellington) Gold Cup race of 20 miles (over a flat course including much road), the Dannevirke rally, and the Wellington to Masterton the Marton to Wanganui, and the Christchurch to Akaroa road relay races.
Although champion track runners have often shone in cross-country, speed on the flat is not the sole requirement for success. The only men who have won four successive New Zealand cross-country titles, C. Weller and K. E. Williams, between them held only one national track title. There is obviously scope for specialisation in cross-country by runners who have the qualities to master rough and hilly terrain and the clearing of fences and other obstacles. Weller's four titles were gained in 1936–39 and Williams's in 1955–58, both periods in which the standard of our cross-country running was unusually high. This record has been surpassed only by J. W. Savidan, who won six titles between 1927 and 1935, three of them consecutively in 1927–29. N. Taylor is the only other runner to win more than twice. Olympic runners who have also won cross-country titles are G. N. Hill (1911), Savidan, W. H. Nelson (1946, 1951), M. G. Halberg (1953), J. L. Julian (1959), W. D. Baillie (1960, 1963), and P. G. Snell (1962). Baillie's victory in 1960 completed a unique record of New Zealand titles at 880 yards, 1 mile, 3 miles, 6 miles, and cross-country. Snell, in 1962, startled the world: the idea of allowing the Olympic 800 metres champion to run a distance 12 times as great, over rough country and obstacles, would be unthinkable overseas; that he could do so and win the national title of a country noted for its cross-country runners was astounding.
Of the 17 junior champions up to 1963, only two have later won the senior title: K. E. Williams (1951, 1955–58) and P. N. Sidon (1950, 1961). When, in 1958, K. E. and J. Williams won the senior and junior titles, they became the only brothers who have performed this feat.
Seventeen years after the first Australasian track and field meeting, a cross-country championship was inaugurated. New Zealanders, however, did not take part in 1910, 1912, or 1921, but made their first appearance at Sydney in 1923. The distance was 5 miles. R. A. Rose was the leading New Zealander, finishing second. In the teams' result New Zealand was second to New South Wales. In 1925, at Wellington, over a distance of 10,000 metres, Rose won the title and led the New Zealand team to victory. The final meeting took place in 1927 at Adelaide over 10,000 metres. J. W. Savidan was our only entrant and so New Zealand did not figure in the teams' result. In the individual race Savidan finished second.
In 1935 a fully representative team was selected to visit Australia. The members were J. W. Savidan, N. F. Cooper, A. L. Stevens, J. Riddington, W. A. C. Pullar, and A. R. Geddes. At Parramatta, Sydney, the team contested the Australian championship over 10,000 metres, an Australia – New Zealand test match being held in conjunction with the event. Pullar, second, was the first New Zealander home. A remarkably versatile runner, Pullar won New Zealand titles at the mile (three times), 3 miles, cross-country, and 440 yards hurdles. The other scoring New Zealanders were placed fifth, seventh, and eighth, giving New Zealand 22 points to Australia's winning 14 points. The other event in the itinerary was the New South Wales championship at Sydney over 10 miles. Savidan finished second and New Zealand scored 18 points to tie with New South Wales in the team contest. In neither appearance were the New Zealanders able to show their best cross-country form. The courses were flat – the New South Wales race being held on a racecourse – the terrain firm, and the obstacles few and easy.
A second international team routed Australia in 1957. The first six in the New Zealand championship that year were selected – they were K. E. Williams, M. G. Halberg, N. I. Scott, J. L. Julian, P. N. Sidon, and M. W. Hellier. Only two days after arriving at Brisbane the team contested the Australian 10,000 metres championship, which incorporated an Australia – New Zealand test match. In temperatures over 80 degrees Halberg won easily from D. W. Power (one of Australia's greatest runners) and broke all records for the course. The next New Zealanders were fifth, sixth, and eighth. In the teams' result Australia won with 16 points to New Zealand's 20. It should be noted, however, that W. D. Baillie, then temporarily resident in Australia, had been selected for the Australian team and finished third. Had Baillie run for New Zealand the result would certainly have been reversed. The team next met New South Wales at Sydney over 10,000 metres. Power reversed the test result by defeating Halberg. The other New Zealanders were placed third, fifth, and sixth to win the teams' race by 16 points to 20. In the final event against Victoria over 10 miles, New Zealand gained almost a perfect score to win 11–25. Halberg was the leading New Zealander for the third time. In this tour, as in 1935, the New Zealanders were not able to show their best, for the courses by New Zealand standards were not true cross-country.
At the time of writing (1964) it is proposed to enter a team in the International Cross-country Championship to be held in Belgium in 1965. This is the most ambitious yet attempted but is fully justified by the tremendously high standard of long-distance and cross-country running in New Zealand today. (The event took place in March 1965, J. Julian finishing sixth. New Zealand was third in the teams event. Ed.)
by Peter Norman Heidenström, Journalist, Wellington.