AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 289, 7 December 1933, Page 22

AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

PAPATOETOE MEETING. 'VARSITY'S PROJECTED TOUR. The next big meeting is, of course, the Auckland Club's gathering at Western Springs and from all accounts it should be a most successful day's outing. Quite a number of athletes may be forgetting the fact that it will be well to commence racing early this year. Christmas is almost on us, and even the most conscientious trainer allows himself a "let tip" for at least,a week. By the time the New Year festivities are over, would-be track champions will find that it is only a bare four weeks or so before the Auckland provincial championships on February 3. After this, the first-class men have only two weeks to finish off before the Dominion championships on February 1G and 17 at Wellington. So the moral is, to get right down to hard training, not after the holidays, but right now. It will be interesting to see How the Western Springs track has survived the winter. Properly;.prepared, it should be conducive to good times, although there is much argument as to whether a record could be ever broken there. The Domain

is reckoned to be one of the finest and fastest tracks in New Zealand, and this is especially true of the 100 yards and straight 220 yards avenues. The actual ■quarter-mile truck, although really excellent, is a trifle rough in parts and has a few bumps at the back corners. This is no fault qf the ground staff, but is more the natural rise and fall .of the land, and is emphasised by the fact that football is played on it in the winter, when the ground is very soft and easily ploughed lip. Taking it all round, however, the Domain is one of the most picturesque and best sports grounds in Australia and New Zealand.

A new event to be run in conjunction with the Dominion championship meeting at Wellington is the marathon. This raee being, of course, 20' miles, is going to be a real test of fitness, and very stringent rules as.to an athlete's physical condition are being laid down by the Wellington people. This is only as it should be, and if men are old and fit enough, the race is not such a terrific one.

New Zealaind has a natural habit of Producing distance men up to the world's best standard, and it will be a great thing if the Dominion's first Olympic track victory conies from the marathon ranks. A run tier preparing for this race must get out and have the time to do the necessary training. Jt is absolutely imperative that the contender is accustomed to running at least 20 miles at a fast pace.

The long distance takes a lot of getting used to and no matter how fit he may imagine himself to be, the athlete's muscles will tie up and refuse to work efficiently if the man has not gone over the mileage. This is only another way of leading up to say that marathon men especially should be out on the road "now or earlier," as the Irish say.

The University track team ie looking forward to a very pleasant little trip at Christinas. The very live Napier Club, under the leadership of Mr. Norman Mackenzie, of All Black selection fame, is extending an invitation to this team to tour Hawkes Bay. They will be following in the footsteps of the Canterbury 'Varsity, who were tip that way last Christmas.

Phil Hackett, New Zealand University champion high jumper, is training •well and intends making the Napier trip. He has the ability to go over the Cft mark. If Cliff Garlick gets back to form he is also going, and this ex-champion sprinter has still some great running in "him. "Bubs" Haszard is training hard to keep up the distance end of the tour, and Bowie is jumping the hurdles nicely. The latter _was runner-up _in the Dominion championships at Christchurch last year and should go a long way in the hurdling world. Ernie Kedgley is running well already at Whangarei, and is making the trip to look after the quarter and middle distance sections. With the addition of two or three -more men, the Auckland 'Varsity will field a fine little touring team. '■ ' ,•'

Papatoetoe had bad weather for its meeting on Saturday, but the athletes were in good form and enjoyed the sport. This club caters very well for novice and school boy events. •SoilTe of the fastest and keenest youngsters one could possibly see are to bo witnessed. at the Papatoetoe Club's gatherings, and with those ardent enthusiasts growing older each year, the club has its greatest days ahead of it. H. Treveha, off scratch, came through his field very fast, but could, not pass B. Bent, off syds. ■. He dead-heated for the first position in the 75 yards, and liis time of 8' 2-5s showed a lot of speed for a novice.

Another tie was witnessed in the quarter, when Blockley and Dawson shared the honours. At the gun there was only a yard between the two in the way of handicap and the two of them fought it out all the way, to dead-heat at the finish. This shows ability by the handi capper, as the third man was also only 2yds back.

J. "Vakier had a day out on his home track, winning both the half-mile and the mile from good fields from the back mark. Young Gallagher, a school boy, had a liberal mark of 115 yds in the 880 yards event, and made so much use of it that Valder, off Byds, only caught him in the straight. In the mile Valder gave away big starts, but running strongly and sprinting like .a champion, he gathered in the field right on the tape. Valder ran very well last season, and the Papatoetoe Club has a potential champion in this member. S. Haddock cpllected the hop, step and jump, K. Gillespie the shot and O. Wood tied with R. McKenzie in the high jumping event. The latter won in the jump off and it is most interesting to see these new names in the field events section. Let us hope there .will be-a, lot more to follow their lead. .