AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 238, 8 October 1936, Page 23

AMATEUR ATHLETICS.

THE TRACK SEASON. i LABOUR DAY OPENING. It is not very long until Labour Day now. Tracks have dried up very well, and already quite a number of men have been donning the spiked shoes and getting down to regular training. The steeplechase event should cater excellently for the cross-country men as well as good distance track performers. It is a pleasure to see such an event on the programme. It has been neglected on all big sports programmes in this country, mainly, perhaps, because of the trouble Jt takes to erect the necessary obstacles. A water jump is always included, and this is not easy to dig and fill. The average ground in New Zealand is used for cricket purposes in addition to athletics, and one can imagine the howl of indignation from cricket officials if water jumps were dug in their sacred green sward. The steeplechase is one of the big Olympic events, and as New Zealand has always good distance runners as well as hurdlers, who knows but what we may yet unearth a really fine candidate for world honours. It is, perhaps, in some of the "odd" events that we have the greatest chance of achieving fame, unless we produce supermen a la Lovelock. Perhaps the greatest innovation to amateur athletics this year has been the opening of very commodious and central club rooms by the Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycle Club. There are around six rooms altogether, and there will be games, reading, committee and car.! rooms. For years now athletes in Auckland have felt the want of a central place to meet and discuss matters of mutual interest in. the sport, besides having the opportunity of bringing prominent visitors to the city along also. It is the most progressive step made by any club for years now, and the Auckland Club has that necessary background of over 50 years "old-timer" members, which will enable many an interesting reunion and reminiscence to be made. Hanging on the walls are many oldtime sports photographs. Particularly interesting is that of the great Australian, W. T. McPherson, who put up the world's record for 250 yds. Then there is G. VV. Smith, Auckland's greatest ''old-timer," as well as such men as the late' Sir James Coates, L. Cuff, and M. O'Connor. It stirs up great memories. It is pleasing to note that the Waikato Sub-centre has just completed its finest season to date. This paper has always stressed the great possibilities there are right throughout the Waikato, of building up one of the finest athletic centres in the Dominion. This is fast becoming apparent, and interest has only to continue. to the same degree to see Waikato a stern challenger to Auckland's city athletes. Lack of competition has always been a handicap in the Waikato, but now with clubs almost every 20 miles or so it should bo easy to arrange regular inter-club competitions. R. H. Cabot, late of Dunedin, and now of Hamilton, is turning out once again in the walking events. He should add great interest to these, as for years now he has been prominent' in heel-and-toe events. With McCarthy. Cameron and Cabot all out, walking will be interesting this summer. A fine little club that has just held its annual meeting is Hunua. It is such country districts as these that give all athletes, perhaps, the most enjoyable sport of all. The improvised tracks, happy-go-lucky rules, and real enthusiasm and kindness of the officials and public, all make for a more than pleasant afternoon. Athletics can be taken far too seriously, find although a championship race is an important matter, and one must toncentrate all one's energies on the task ahead; it is good that there are meetings around ivhere one can compete without worrying very much as to the result. To see distance men high jumping, sprinters putting the shot and all generally "having a go" it anything is a happy as well as a pleasing sight. The annual meeting of the Auckland Centre is next Wednesday night. Much is before the executives to be elected, and it is evident that a real effort must be made' this summer to stimulate renewed interest amongst the public. It is to be hoped that an overseas team will be our quests again this season.