Hazell, Watson & Vinney Sports Ground, Aylesbury on Saturday 11/03/1950 10 Miles (Senior Men)
AARON DEFENDS TITLE
SUTTON HARRIERS VICTORS
Except for the fact that four of the first five runners in the Senior championship were from the South, the North claimed all the honours. In the team racing they literally swept the board.
There was a nasty scene in the Youth's race and some injuries at the narrow bridge flanked by a hedge and barbed wire soon after the start. The gap was widened before the Senior race started.
Olney and Hicks led early on when the Seniors got going, but Dr. Aaron soon took over and went away with his usual forceful running to open up an ever-increasing gap.
Leaders on first small lap
Going out on the first of the four large laps, Aaron led, with Hicks, Olney, Birch, Gosney and Eyre all within striking distance. At the end of this circuit, Aaron was 70 yds. out in front, Hicks was still second, but Gosney had moved up to 3rd and Thompson was now 4th, just in front of Olney, with Green of Wirral, Coggin of Hull, Eyre and Birch close behind. Sutton were well placed in the team contest, though their 6th man was well back. It was difficult to assess the other teams in such a large field, but Harehills were obviously making a good show.
Crossing the bridge over the stream
On Lap 2 Aaron increased his lead to 100 yards, and Gosney, whose forward running was a surprise, was now second. The other leading positions were much the same and Sutton had five in 24.
Lap 3. Aaron now led by 120 yds., with Hicks and Olney together just in front of Gosney. Dalton was now moving up fast and had gone from 14th to 10th position. Chivers and Robertson were 11th and 12th, Maleedy 13th and Reid 14th.
Dr. Frank Aaron through the water on the third lap
The last lap brought little change except that Gosney moved up close behind Olney, Hicks dropping back, Dalton came up in front of Birch, Bobby Reid was 12th and the Reading pair, Chivers and Robertson, had dropped several places.
Aaron won by about 170 yds. and received a great ovation from the crowd. Geoffrey Saunders, barely recovered from the spiking injury received in the Northern race, was lying about 12th going out on the first big lap and dropped back steadily all the way to finish 33rd, limping badly.
Reg Gosney (Southampton AAC) and Harry Hicks (Hampstead Harriers) going through the water
Sutton were easy team winners, but the next three teams had only one point between them. Harehills just scraped home in second place, despite waiting until 104th position for their 6th scorer. Then came Shettleston and Birchfield. Reading placed six in 64 but were only 5th. Thames Valley, Southern champions, had their 5th and 6th man too far back to give them a chance.