On a fine cold day Wallasey Athletic Club's annual Christmas Handicap Race was held at Club H.Q. last Saturday. The number of competitors was considerably reduced but club president John Edwards, and John Lynch made welcome reappearances. Mike Shepherd was the first runner out on Leasowe Road, with five minutes start on scratch men Wright, Mather, and Woolford. One minute later John Edwards and John Lynch set out on the three and a half mile course, followed at an interval by Ramsey Hewson, Brian Chalton and John Young. Tony Townsend and Bill Morris were next out and these two started forty-five seconds in front of the scratch runners. As expected the back markers quickly made up ground, and at the start of Telegraph Lane, Morris had gained a slight lead, which he held to the end, just holding off the fast-finishing John Wright. The handicapping was excellent, with only twenty seconds covering the first five runners.