ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1234, 16 September 1911, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

AN HONEST CRITICS LETTER. (Br "Mercury.") To-day.—Harrier Fivc-inilo Championship (Miramar). , , . Pccember 20 and. 2".—Australasian Championships (Athletic Park). Moro in Sorrow than in Anger. Tho Brooklyn llavricr Club's seven-mile test raco wa-s run to schedule Inst Saturday, but, unfortunately,, tho event was spoilt by an error of judgment in tho lay ing out of tho course. Our harrier expert deals somewhat trenchantly with this feature of tho affair in his weekly cpisJe, and his remarks, as emanating from one who knows whereof ho speaks, are eonimended to tho chief officials. Writing moro in sorrow than in anger ho states:

"An alleged seven-milo course was ' run over at Lower Hutt last Saturday by members of the Brooklyn. Harriers i in competition for trophies donated i by tlieir president, Mr. 1?. A. 'Wright, M.P. I say 'alleged' because, considering the hillv nature of part of tho couteo and the known capabilities of the competitors, it seems hard to believe that more than five miles was covered by tho men, when tho scratch man was'timed to finish in 33min. 55sec. "No excuse can be made by tnoso responsible for the selection of tho course on the score of ignorance of the country, as only a week earlier they had talien part in the Wellington Harriers' open five-mile handicap over tho same country. Yet, in spito of this, tliev were content to throw in about half a mile, or less, of hilly going on to the previous week's course, and to call tho distance seven miles. Besides making themselves appear ridiculous, the 'trailers,' by their bad , judgment of distance, absolutely destroyed tho already slender chance of ■ tho scratch men by giving them a couple of miles less in which to catch tho field, and also spoilt the contest by giving the limit men a hollow victory. What are tho club handicappers doing about it? "Until club officials arrange beforehand for proper measurements to-bo taken of their courses they would be iviso to suppress publication of the times recorded. Otherwise the runners arc liable to develop an inflated .idea of their canabilities. Moreover, our public is deluded into thinking that it has been entertaining embryo champions unawares—until tho fatal day comes round when the fast (?) time-getters are tried out in championship company over a properlysurveyed course. Then comes the sad disillusionment." What Was the Race Like? To get back to the Tace. A field of 12 lined up at the starting-post on tho Hutt Park racecourse, and tfas sent away by Mr. Len Cooke in good style. C. A. Bvrno the limit man was early disposed of, and did not complete the course, but H. G. Wilson with seven minutes' start proved to be too hot a proposition for those behind, and finished 25 seconds ahead of Tointon, who gained second place off the 4min. 30sec. mark, followed by W. Mansfield len seconds later. C. Murray, tho scratch man, finished fourth nearly a minute behind Mansfield, but so full of running that it would seem that he must have won had the full distance been run. He will, however, have tho satisfaction of carrying off his club championship to-day if he can repr<> duco last Saturday's form. "Darky Byrne, who opened tho season .rather sensationally, is now running liko unto a draught horse of commerce, while Hodson, too, like tho lady lodginghousekeeper of fiction, has "seen better days.' A. Cook was well treated with 30 seconds' 6tart, but was not well enough to do himself justice. Ho and "Vin" Byrne appear to bo tho only likely ones to extend Murray to-day. . ' Tho field for to-day s race is likely, to be small, as members appear to havo had a fill of racing during tho season. From present appearances the club will bo luckj; if i(;.,got3 o, cjpzen, sttflbfra- fofc its ten-mile open ra'oo next'week.' Pleasant Little Suburban Jaunt. A pleasant little jaunt from Karori was indulged in by a handy little pack of Wellington Harriers last . Saturday, starting by invitation from the residence of .Mr. Kowberry. A scion of the house of Eowberry, yclept Felix, ltd tho pack on a hunger-raising expedition over tho Tinakori Hills, and back through Wilton's Bush before handing it over to tho kindly hands of' Mrs. and Miss Eowberry to bo filled with good things. The weather being too hot for undue exertion, a moderate pace was maintained, yet tho delightful coolness of tho shady bush was responsible for more or less lingering by the runners. By way of training for to-day's championship it was decided to hold a long handicap run-in, and this resulted in a win for E. O'Neill, who surpassed himself by staying just long enough to beat C'has. Eowberry, T. Johnson finished third. A well-arranged musical programme followed the more 6erious' business of refreshing tho inner harrier, and the pack dispersed long after the shades of night had fallen, well pleased with tho enjoyable memory of tho afternoon.' To-day's Five-mile Championsliip. Arrangements are well in hand by tho club officials for the conduct of their ninth annual championship at Miraniar this' afternoon, which will be hold over a full five-milo course, over which the Brooklyn Harriers will immediately afterwards "run off their event. The older club's championship has been won, in past years by P. Ross (twice), M. Mulcaliy, W. Bennett (twice), P. Wilton, W. Press, and C. Rowb'erry, and each of the last four named will too the mark this afternoon with the present holder as favourite. Wheatley Back in Melbourne, This week's Australian mail brings word of the arrival in Melbourne of G. A. Wheatley, home again from tho Festival of Empire Sports and English championships. Tho half-miler is reported to be looking bronzed a.nd well, but still lame' as a result of his "foundering' in England, and sadly in need of a. rest before getting into training'for tho Australasian championships here at Christmas time. ■ , . „ i Says the "Australasian on an event occurring last Saturday week:—The Tasmauian cross-country championship was held on Saturday, at Elwick, in good weather. C. Scott, of Oatlands, won the tcn-milo championship by a yard from Clarko, of Ilobart. The time was 60mm. 9scc„ which is a Tasmanian record for the 'distance, and is GSec. better tha.n that of Andrew Wood, of Sydney. F. Probatt (Hobart Club) was third, his time being GOmin. 52scc. „ G. E. Lamer, tho great English walker ami Olympic Games winner, was, on July 28 la-t, adjudged a professional by the English A.A.A., for accepting expenses for°attcnding a sports meeting. Donaldson and Holway. Next Saturrlav, on the Sydney Sports Ground, the sprint championship of the world is to bo competed for, by Jack Donaldson, of Victoria, and C. E. Holway, of \merica. Both men will bo well known to readers of this column, and tho circumstances that havo led up to this present match will need no. recounting here. The "Referee" says:Both men are training steadily. Tho 'race will take place on the grass, but as the track is likely to bo in splendid order, provided that the weather bo fine, tho timo for the recent big sprint is expected to be surpassed. Holway is in splendid fettle, as ho has most emphatically demonstrated in his two contests in Sydney. He feels that his form is a good deal superior to what it Was in his receut contests with Donaldson at Mellxnirne. Indeed, so impressive lias been his form in tho two races in Sydney that there .aro many who favour his prospects of winning. _ Holway has every reason to think as highly of Donaldson as any mail does. He, nevertheless fet-l= so well, and is such a determined runner, that lie is by no means lacking in confidence. The fact of Donaldson having recently gone wrong in ono of the legs has not, in the opinion of tho American, strengthened tho champion's chances of retaining tho title. Manager Terry, however, reckons that, .ill going well, ])onaldson is sure to win. lie recognises that Holway has shown brilliant, form in Sydney, but ho adds that, while the American has most unnuestioiiitblv improved on his Melbonrno form, ho believes that there is probably no man in the world but himself who really knows the calibre o£ runner that Donaldson is-