The Henry Shield Commentary
This year's Henry Shield Cross-Country Relay Race attracted a record 72 team entries from Police formations; nine of them being ladies teams.This years Henry Shield Cross-Country Relay Race attracted a record 72 team entries from Police formations; nine of them being ladies teams.
The tough 3.7 km race was held on September 25 beside the Aberdeen Lower Reservoir. Under heavy clouds, 55 of the men's teams and all nine of the ladies' teams surged down the damp Aberdeen Reservoir Road on the first leg, with Police Training Unit Headquarters' (PTU HQ) Mr Wong Wing-kuen in the lead. Eleven and a half minutes later, just 18 seconds short of his own course record, he handed the baton to a teammate.
Second leg runners had hardly got into their stride when the heavens opened up. The spectators went scrambling for cover but the downpour did not seem to bother the competitors - although parts of the hilly course became more treacherous and times were correspondingly slower.
By the third leg of the men's four-man race, the lead positions were being fought for by two PTU HQ teams and the Airport District team.
The PTU 'A' team won the race with a team time of 47 minutes 53 seconds, with the PTU 'B' team coming in two minutes behind, followed a few seconds later by the Airport District team.
But the PTU machine did not stop there! Their seniors' team (over 35 years) completed the race in 52 minutes and 53 seconds while their veterans' team (over 40 years) came in less than a minute later.
In the three-leg ladies race, PTU and Police Training School (PTS) teams hotly contested lead position throughout the race. Adding to the difficulties posed by rain and soggy terrain, just as they were approaching the finish line, they had to thread their way through a party of about 100 bedraggled school children 'enjoying' their annual jog-in-the-park. In the end, however, the PTS team were convincing winners coming in two-minutes ahead of PTU.
The biggest surprise of the day was the third place win in the Veteran's team category by ISW, with a combined age of 198 years, led by the indefatigable Assistant Commissioner (Information Systems) Mr Peter Halliday.
Trophies were presented by the guest of honour, Director of Operations Mr Tang King-shing, assisted by New Territories South Regional Commander Mr Mike Dowie, Assistant Commissioner (Operations) Mr Fok Man-kwan and Hong Kong Island Deputy Regional Commander Mrs Bonnie Smith.
The downpour failed to dampen spirits of participants