THE TWELVE HOURS' WALKING CONTEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7301, 13 April 1885, Page 6

THE TWELVE HOURS' WALKING CONTEST.

The twelve hoars' walking match between J. Rayner, of Melbourne, and D. McCune, of Auckland, for a stake of £100, came off in the Theatre Royal on Saturday, and resulted in favour of Rayner by 2 miles and 28 laps, but a protest for breaking was entered by McCune against the winner at the close, which will be considered to-night. The track, which was on the stage, was brought out into the stalls, and required 33 laps to complete a mile. Fibre matting was sub* stituted for the usual sawdust track. At five minutes past eleven o'clock the men set off on their long tramp. They both looked in what is termed the "pink of condition" for the contest, but it was soon evident that Rayner was the superior man after the first mile or two had gone. He assumed the lead at the start, and at the end of the first hour was two laps ahead. At five o'clock he had accomplished 33 miles, and McGune was 20 laps behind. The attendance was small during the afternoon, but in the evening the body of the building was well filled, and the men spurted occasionally in answer to the calls of their admirers and the strains of a brass band. Mr. W. Mettam asted as judge, and Messrs. T. Joughin and Richard Graham discharged the duties of referees. Some little confusian was caused about ten p.m. by an excited individual jumping on the track during a brief absence of MoCune. He was .promptly removed. -When time was called at five minutes past eleven p.m., McCune came forward and announced that he protested against Rayner for breaking on two occasions in rounding one of the corners. This was received by the audience with anything but approval. Rayner, in response to calls, came forward and addressed the house, that it was his sixteenth match, and that in all bis walking contests in Melbourne, , Sydney, Adelaide, and New Zealand he had never been credited with unfair walking. Considerable uproar then took place, amid loud cheers for Rayner and counter cheers for McCune. The stalls were then densely packed, and the turning off of the gas had the effect of clearing the building when the scene was getting particularly " lively." It was then arranged that the judge's decision in the protest should be given at the United Service Hotel to-nigbt. The door money amounted to £40. The records were as follow :—

Chri&tchurch, Sunday. Swan finished bis walk at the drill shed at half-past eleven last night, having covered 484 miles 283 yards in 1431 hoars. The score for the six local men was 479 miles — McGrath, 60 j Anderson, 71; Cox, 85; McGourt, 65; Matheson, 95 ; and Cuaack, 92. The attendance except on the last night was not very good, and subscriptions made for Swan realised £10. They were started by Mr. Arenas, who supplemented them with another £10.

IIAYNER. MoCUNE. Hoars. Mile,s.L»p3. Hours. Miles. Laps. 1 * « . f — 1 .. e 4 2 .. 18 0 — 2 .. 18 29 8 .. 18 0 — 8 .. 17 28 4.. 23 8 — 4 .. 23 1 6 ... 28 9 — 5 ... 27 32 6 .. 33 0 — 6 .. 82 IS 7 .. 88 24 — 7 .. 88 4 8 ..43 23 - 8 ... 48 0 9 .. 49 0 — 9 .. 48 2 10 ..64 3 — 10 .. 62 26 IX «. 69 0 — 11 .. 57 8 12 ... 6* 17 — 12 .. 61 22 THE WALKING MATCH AT CHRISTCHURCH. [by telegraph. —press association.]