DISTANCE RUNNING

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 60, 12 March 1938, Page 12

DISTANCE RUNNING

PRAISE FOR A NEWTON SOUTH AFRICAN’S STYLE HAS RUN OVER 100,000 MILES Joe Binks, former British mile re-cord-holder and one of the leading oversea athletic authorities, that the South African, Arthur Newton, has the most perfect style for distance running of any performer in the history of athletics. Writing in the News of the World, he says;—when it comes to tne siud> of long distance racing, I can think of no better subject lor the “lesson than Arthur Newton, the man wnu has actually run over 100,000 miles. Newton, sft. 9iin., weighing lost, when fit and racing, was od years oi age before he starteu racing. He runs in his original but undoubtedly perfect style. Newton got the idea of his run-for-ever pit-pai stride from the Indians. The plan is to run heels first down, giving a flat-foot style, which almost eliminates the chances of jarring or straining the leg muscle or shinbone.

Not much more than 3ft. did Newton stride. He kept his feet not more than live or six inches off the ground and he could “shuttle along ’ for hours by such methods, and at the same time preserve a tremendous amount of energy. i His arms were carried very loosely, slightly swinging in and aosolulely relaxed. Newton keeps his hands open, and not even clasped. The body is carried upright and the head poised naturally. 1 am convinced, after seeing Newton turn the methods of training for long distance inside out and clip hours from the records, that his style is absolute perfection tor long-distance running. How He Trained In his training runs Newton covered all sorts of distances. One day it would be five, another 20, and a ihiru possibly 40 miles, but every one of those runs would be at a slow pace. These slow runs build you up. You get stronger, your legs get hardened lo the road, and when the race comes along you run with muen more ease than you can ever suspect. 1 might add that long and steady , walks were sometimes substituted by Newton for the run. These methods apply to the marathon distance, just as much as 50 miles. For the marathon distance they train you to tackle the winning pace of six-minute miles. On the food question Newton was again a law unto himself. He ate his meal, usually chopped lamb or scrambled eggs, just before his race. The food uigests easily during the slow run employed for a distance, and very seldom did Newton get an attacK of “stitch." When he did, he usually ran it off. If troubled much by it, he drank his “magic drink," consisting of ordinary mineral water well sweatened with sugar, and with a pinch of salt addeci. it was very effective. Newton wore the thinnest of shoes. No heavy crepe rubber soles for him; just the ordinary plimsoll. He would never have a massage; just had a brisic rub down with a rough towel, and that was all. This phenomenon of distance running started his amazing athletic career in South Africa at the age of 39. He had his own ideas, as i nave told you, and he tried his methods for three or four years on Hardy Ballington, who last year beat Newton s record over there. Ballinglon started when under 20 years of age, and beat Newton's 10Umile recoru at the age of 24 without showing the slightest sign cf fatigue. Thus tne idea that only hardened warriors could run a long distance was exploded. Behind Newton there is a tragic story of how he lost his farm, on which he had spent 20 years of hard work. Government decisions were involved, and Newton resolved to iignt his grievance against the South African Government. With the idea oi gaining more publicity he took up running seriously, and came to England to attack the Eondon-Brighton record.

It is a remarkable fact that Newton was confident of beating this record. He never had the slightest doubt about it, so in October, 1924, he ran, and set up the new figures of 6hrs. llmin. 4 2-ssec.

A month later, on a cold, foggy, and rainy day, he lowered it again to shrs. 53min. 43sec. The previous record was 6hrs. 34min. 50scc., held by the late Len Hurst, who followed the run. Hurst was so impressed with Newton’s style that he exclaimed, “This fellow will run until Christmas. In 1928 he ran 100 miles, from Bath lo London, in 14hrs. 22min. lOsec. Fifty thousand people cheered him as he finished and the News ot the World presented him with a gold watch to commemorate his feat. Five years later he reduced the time [to 14hrs. 6min. for the 100 miles. He I was then nearly 50 years of age! He ran 150 miles 540 yards in 24 hours in Canada three years after this, and thus set up the present world’s 1 record. .

In all his races Newton was either up against the elements of a crocked foot, or leg, but, by extraordinary pluck, overcame these difficulties.

The Australian Board of Cricket Control has decided to adhere to the existing arrangements to give one test match to Brisbane when England tours the Commonwealth in the season of 11940-41. Melbourne and Adelaide will each have one ind Sydney two. It had been thought thar, in view of the tremendous financial success of the two tests in Melbourne last season, the board might decile to allot that city two on the next occasion and cut oul Brisbane, which «s aivuys the le*isl [successful financially. The board has taken the broader outlook, however, and considered the benefit which Queenslanders would derive from suen •a visit.