ROSE WINS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 54, 5 March 1926, Page 8

ROSE WINS.

HIS GREATEST MILE. NEW AUSTRALASIAN FIGURES. NEAR TO NURMI'S RECORD. SCENE OF WILD EXCITEMENT. (By Telegraph.—Special to "Star.") MASTERTON, Thursday. Favoured with splendid weather, there was a record attendance at the Masterton Park this evening, when the American athletes, Scholz and Hahn, were scheduled to appear. The track, recognised by those most capable of judging, as the "fastest in New Zealand, was in splendid order, and the conditions were favourable to fast time. Rose Trains Seriously. Until Rose met Hahn at Masterton three weeks ago, the Masterton runner had never given that attention to training which is demanded and expected of every champion. His methods were more or-less haphazard, and there was really no necessity to devote more than casual methods to his training, as the form thus obtained was sufficient to account for any opposition which New Zealand or Australia could produce. Rose has

R. A. ROSE, New Zealand distance champion.

even, on occasions, been engaged in heavy ploughing or similar work all the morning, changed his clothes, proceeded to Masterton, and in the afternoon competed in races with signal success. Track craft or the psychology of running never entered into his calculations, but all that has now been changed, and a week's Study and earnest training by Rose proved the downfall of Hahn at Wellington. Further attention to the proper art of running saw Rose produce an Australasian record at Masterton, to be followed by the thrilling defeat of Hahn at Christchurch. Not a few keen judges were afraid that Rose's training and his track running had been too hurried and too forced, but predictions in this direction have so far been falsified, and especially so this evening, when he broke the Australasian record. The New Zealander's Progress. It is interesting to note that Hahn did the mile at Masterton in 4m IS 3-ss, at Wellington Rose did it in 4m 265, at Christchurch Rose covered the distance in 4m 19 l-ss, and at Masterton to-night Rose recorded 4m 13 3-ss. The Crowd Goes Mad. Amidst tho wildest scenes of excitement, with hundreds of hats going skywards, with men, women and children cheering, yelling and screaming, and rushing across the ground, Rose defeated the American, Hahn, for the third time in a particularly fast race, which broke tlio Australasian record. Never before ou iftiy sports ground in Wairarapa has such a scene, beggaring description, 'been witnessed. The air all

through was electrical/ and was rent with roars of "Rose!" The American led the champion by two yards for most of the race. When the bell lap was reached, and Roße came away from Hahn, the roar of thousands of voices was like the roll of distant thunder. Men and women yelled the local champion's name frantically. Then there was a slight lull as Hahn made a sprint. It was thought by many that there was still enough reserve power possessed by Hahn to make the result still doubtful, as there was yet 220 yards to go. But it was the last desperate and plucky effort of a plucky runner. The roar of the crowd rose to greater tensity as Hahn drew level. A neck-and-neck struggle followed. The excitement was tense, and just as the crowd was wondering whether their idol had sufficient Teserve left to maintain the desperate struo-ole, Rose made hig effort, and the race° was over, for Halm slipped back and Rose came on to win in record time. The cheering, yelling, dancing crowd occupied the track, and Hahn had difficulty in finishing, while the third man could not force his way through for some considerable time. Both runners were repeatedly cheered. The Race Described. Rose won the toss and had the inside runninc Hahn immediately took the lead from Rose by two yards, and this order was maintained at the close of the first lap, which was completed in 60 seconds. Hahn still kept the lead from Rose, while Spicer and Anderson led the field. The half mile was passed in 2.4 2-ss, with Hahn and Rose closing on the field. Rose was swinging along with a great stride, and Hahn was making desperate efforts to keep in front of the Mastertonian. The scratch man caught the handicap men just before the commencement of the bell lap. At the bell Rose sprinted, taking the lead from Hahn, and forged ahead. The handicap men were left behind 300 yards from home. At the 220 yards Hahn made a desperate sprint, drawing level with Rose. A neck-and-neck struggle ensued for thirty yards. At this stage Hahn was "climbing" badly. Rose hunched his shoulders and sprinted -in great style, coming away, to win by 17 yards, with the crowd flocking on to the track. So dense was the crowd on the track that Hahn found it difficult to finish, while the third man was totally unable to get through as the crowd swarmed the Oval and rushed about frantically cheering and yelling It was a scene unparalleled in the athletic history of the Wairarapa. The time was 4m 13 3-ss, which is 3 l-5s slower than the world's record put .up by Nurmi of 4m. 10 2-ss, and 4 4-5s faster than the Australasian record held by Power. The quarters were N run as follows: First quarter, 60s; half-mile, 2m 4 2-ss; three-quarter, 3m lljs; final, 4m 13 3-ss. Scholz was also in great form, and over the 220 yards handicap he equalled the New Zealand record.