A WARNING

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 94, 22 April 1933, Page 6

A WARNING

TAKE THINGS EASILY

1£ one might be permitted a word of warning to club officials, and to young runners, it is this. Do not, particularly in the early part of the souson, indulge in too much "racing." Too often young runneis of promiso are run off their legs before they havo a chance of building up properly. Cross-countiy running is the finest thing in tho world to develop ii youth in wind and limb piovided it is indulged ill on right lines and in-nvodera-tion. A young fellow of 16. or 18 years of ago is not fit to iudulge in too much strenuous nicing. Jlany clubs in tho past have had too many races on their programmes; and tho young .fellows, instead, of .being restrain^d/::^ -the club officials, have been enequfagetjif particularly if they showed 'vpr'bisigs': to rare, race, race, with a view to upholding the honour and glory of the club Liter on in inter club events. This is wiong. 1-et the young fcl*]oi\s develop quietly for two or three yenr-<, and the clul/ will then reap a benefit which it will not leap by attempting to foice the boys, and the boys themselves will be all tho better for it. , The same thing npplies, in a lesser degree, even, to the older runners. Cross-country running is not intended to be a matter of continual racing. The gratcst benefit will be reaped by all participants if they look upon, their sport more as a pleasant, health-giving run across the hills on a Saturday afternoon, than as a matter of strenuous, competition. t :' Of course it-'is^ne-cessaiy to have racing; 'The protest -is against too :mficha«d,too early racing, more than enough of:- which., husj been, seen in our harrier clubs. It was pleasing to see at the opening of the harrier season on April 1 two such stalwarts as Messrs. •A. C. ("Dolph''')'■ Kitto,. president of the Wellington Centre of the N.IZ.A.A.A., and W. 11. Bennett, "father" of the sport of harxier Tunning locally.