ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 199, 16 May 1908, Page 9

ATHLETICS.

(By Memum.)

COMING EVENTS. July 4.—English "Championships (London). July 13, etc.—Olympic Games. July 24. —Marathon Road Raco (Windsor Castle to London).

Although tho amateur athletic season may now be said to be over, there'is still a band in Wellington whose enthusiasm for the. sport refuses to be bounded by set dates, and who carry the game on during the winter months. I refer to the Wellington Harriers' Club, which does a deal of good in ail unostentatious manner in bringing out now performers and keeping the old ones fit. • Tho Club membership ip now over fifty strong, and a few remarks on; the general conduct of these outings will not lie out of place.

Although this and similar clubs are formed' primarily to promote, and further distance running, a fair average of sprinters tako part in tho Saturday " meets." Tho usual procedure is for the pack to follow a trail of paper laid by two chosen outrunners (tho, '.'hares"), and tho journey consists of six or seven miles of real cross-country running. • To bo moro correct, the business of. the-day is not,. as generally supposed, all. actual .running, as this .would entail work possible only to highly trained men (especially'when tho broken nature of tho local outlying country is considered.) The pace of the pack is regulated by tho Club captain, who pulls-tho .men up to a jog or even a walk if any member thereof shows signs of distress,: and so tho" pace is tempered to tho untrained lamb. .Occasionally, for tho benefit of the keener spirits, two packs arc sent out, tho slower receiving a start of several minutes. At the conclusion of each outing a raco homo, of' varying distances is held (technically known as the "run-in"), for which points are given to the placed men, the highest aggregate for tlioseason carrying a trophy. ' In addition to this, the legitimate branch of the sport, the local Club promotes several handicap races for its members, tlio most important of which is tho Palmer Cup event, a raco of three miles for' a trophy presented ,by Mr. Cecil Palmer, a one"-time president. ■The blue riband event of the season, however, is the Club championship, which, is run after the usual programme is concluded, over' a distance, of five miles. Tho winner, in addition to receiving a gold medal," holds the championship challenge shield; The Club dhampions of the' Wellington Harriers to date are F. Ross, M. Mulcahy, -W. B. Bennett, and F. Wilton, all well-known names in local amateur athletic circles.

In this connection I append a few "Hints to Harriers" appearing in an' exchange, which havo a local application.:'— '■ Don't climb over a strained wire fence; get through it or under it. Don't mako for , the weakest place in a . hedge; look for a hole 'or the' gate. Don't leave gates open; last man through shut them (the deputy's duty). , Don't cross growing crop. - Don't frighten stock: •/ And last, but not least, don't under any circumstances cross golf links. This' is absolutely forbidden, for the paper on tho links interferes with tho 'game. If these remarks aro:borlio in mind and acted up to harriers can scour the country unmolested. Tho following advice from an old-timer in the same article is well worthy of consideration':—" Hold '■ the body straight, aiid don't swing the arms abcut;run on the ball of the foot, and not on the heol; exercise all the muscles of tho body, particularly those connected with the stomach; go in for deep breathing and other exercises; don't run your race every time you go training, but build up your strength first; take' care of your general health, and live clean lives." - Last'week I proposed, to give "details ofthe enormous outlay which is ■ considered necessary to bring the Olympic Games to a successful issue, and the following estimates 'will give i some idea of the magnitude of-the expenditure:— In an article in the " Sporting Lifo " (London) of .March 14, the writer says it must be remembered-that the Stadium will cost over £60,000 before it is ready for-the . games. What does that mean? ho cbntinues. That at the sports meetings before and'after, tho games, and also during the games, there must bo a gate of at least £3000 to £<1000 every time tho Stadium is opened to secure the capita! expenditure. Then'there are all the office expenses, and the printing and preparation of all the conditions. Banquets' must be arranged) for ' foreign' competitors and, guests for at least 3000 persons. Thero must be medals and badges, and they are to bo made'from dies specially. struck for the' purpose. According to the programme arranged, the comm'itteo will require 270 gold medals, 250 silver, and r 334 bronze. There will be in addition' 3800' commemoration medals,. 1500 diplomas, and.4ooo: badges,.'the design and'manufacture of which have; to bo paid for. The cost of'these will bo : from £3000 to £4000, for it would bo a disgrace— a national disgrace—for Engldnd to. give Olympic medals of base metal. An ambitious programme of sports has been arranged for the Stadium both before' and-. after the games, and this will entail ari expenditure for prizes of something.like.£3ooo. ,