ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 205, 23 May 1908, Page 9

ATHLETICS.

(By Mehcuby.)' COMING EVENTS. July 4.—English A. A. Championships (Lon« don.) July 13.—Olympic Games (London.) July 24.—Marathon Race (Windsor Castle to London.) The annual _ track championships of Vio* toria were decided on Saturday, April 25, on the Melbourne University Ground. The day, was bitterly cold and the attendance was poor. The difficulty experienced each year ' in obtaining a ground prevents any concerted effort being made to work up a good meeting, and it was noticed (says a Melbourne paper) that great numbers of the competitors wore not trained up .to anything like concert pitch. The competition for the position of champion club resolved itself into a duel between' East Melbourne, the holders, and the Melbournians, the latter winning, scoring 24 points to 22 points, but there are two protests to be decided in . regard to , the Mile Walk, ono against the winner for crossing the second man at the finish, and the other against the third man, for not completing the course,; and the result may bo altered by the deci- ■ sion in these cases. University and Ballarats entered teams for the first time, and finished third and fourth, only ono point separating them. The performances generally were hardly up to the best standard, but Morgan' ran a grand 100 yards, winning by fully 8. yards, in 9 4-ssee.. There was a strong wind assisting, kg he will not receive ■ the - but there is no doubt he is in. great form at the present time. J. L. Davis won tho treble, tho two hurdles and the 440 yards flat, just as lie liked. Tlius a " Bulletin " correspondent:—S.'Al. Amateur Athletic Association has held its' second championship meeting. The lack of public support was cruel. Adelaide, so prominent in all games, has never taken up the idea of running—except short " Slieffields," for cash—and tho amateur body is only kept' alive by a small band of enthusiasts, at their, own expense. (And 6n them tho parent Australasian body has descended with the demand of a £5 fine for not being represented at the championships in Hobart!) The S.A. winners were as usual mostly from the 'Yar-' sity. Moves did 21ft. and sft. Bin.' (long and high jumps respectively), and Angwin covercd tho hundred in lOsec. (all three watches agreed; strong wind behind the : runners).. Tho veteran president—" veteran " from the - sporting juvenile outlook—A. J. Roberts, of' the Stock/Exchange, ran third in a mile, handicap, won by His own son. I W. J. O'Kane, the well-known sprintef, and hurdler, leaves for England this month. He hopes .to be in London in time for tho Olympic Games. He will be much missed' m athletics in Otago. For the first time for many a long day, the meeting of tho Council of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, called for last Thursday, lapsed for want of a quorum. This was not due.to any lack of interest in the work of' the Association, but illness in tho president's family, absence from Christchurch of some of the members, and a vacancy caused: by a resignation, loft only four members available." Mr. J. A. Stables has been nominated for the vacancy on the Council of the New : Zcakmd Amateur Athletic Association. , "Pinex," a recognised Fleet Street sporting writer, who recently published an interesting article concerning the Marathon Race, to bo held during the great Olympic contests at tliOj London Stadium, thus treats torical circumstances:— ; " While the Marathon is under discussion,' possibly a few ' lines about previous races may not be without interests The Olympic Games were first celebrated 1222 years before the Christian era, ; and then, after being allowed to die, they were revived 776 years before the birth of Christ, and twenty-four years before tho foundation of, ithe Roman Empire. They continued for about.a ! thousand years, then came another period of quietude, and finally,, the great revival at Athens rin 1896, continued at Paris in 1900, carried out at St.'Louis in 1904, and set for decision at the Stadium during the-com-ing summer. - ' "Modern interest in the Marathon does not date back bovond 1896, when tho race was decided at Athens. Flack, the runiier from New Zealand, was at- first reported to stand tho best chance in this, but the winner ultimately turned, up in Loues, a young Greek ; peasant, who was killed a year later in the war'between Turkey and Greece at the battle of Larissa. He covered 24 miles 1500 yards in 58min. 50sec. , "At the second Olympia. held in Paris in 1900, the race was won by a Frenchman, Teati; and at : the-third, at St. Louis in 1904, victory rested with Hicks, an American athlete. " "Following this, the Greeks organised intermediate Olympic festivals, _ and the last of' the Marathons, 1 at Athens in 1906, was, won by the Canadian, Sherring. His performance ' eclipsed anything that has ever • been done previously, for his time (2hr. 51min. 23 o-ssec.) not only beat the record of ten years earlier, but was made over a course nearly; two miles longer." ;