ATHLETICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14209, 4 November 1909, Page 8

ATHLETICS.

GRAMMAR SCHOOL SPORTS.

The Auckland Grammar School students will hold their annual athletic sport 3 meeting at the Domain to-day, when an attractive day's sport should eventuate. Th© students' events have filled well, large entries being received, while for tho old boys' race the entries, total 52. The committee wish all relatives and friends of students to understand that it has been found impossible to send special invitations, and they trust all interested in th© school will bo present. The Grammar .School girls will, as in past years, provide afternoon tea for visitors. Should a postponement bo necessary, the sports will bo held on Friday.

ST. JOHN'S COLLEGLVTE SCHOOL

SPORTS.

The annual athletic sports meeting of Sfe. John's Collegiate School students will bo held at the school grounds, " The Pah," tomorrow. It is anticipated that a largo gathering of relatives and friends of the students will be present. THE WELLINGTON MARATHON. C. Rcid, the' Auckland Amateur Athletic Club's representative in th© Wellington Marathon, which will be rim at Wellington on Tuesday next (King's Birthday), left for Wellington by the Mam Trunk express on Tuesday evening. Reid is in splendid condition, and is confident of- worthily upholding the honour of tho Auckland Amateur Club in the long run. • - PUTTING THE WEIGHT. By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright. London, November 3. L. A. Patinson, of Melbourne, won th© weight-putting contest at tho Cambridge freshmen's sports with a put of 31ft 3£in. NOTES AND COMMENTS. In view of the fact that the form at present displayed by Dunodin athletes is not up to New Zealand championship standard, th© idea of obtaining a coach for the Otago team selected for the New Zealand championships at Auckland next year has been recommended. The Welsh £100 130 yds sprint was run off in twenty heats, four semi-finals and a final, at Ponty Pridd, on September 7. W. Growcott, liyds, and B. R. Day, livds, both won their heats in 13sec. G. Todd, Australia, 64yds, won his heat in 12 l-ssec, while C. G. Holway. 2Jyds, the American runner, won easily in 13 2-ssee. In the semi-finals Holway won his heat in 12 l-ssec., Todd only' coming third in the same event. Day, and Growcott failed to qualify for the final. Holway won the final in magnificent stylo by half a yard in 12 2-ssec. He was conceding the second man, F. J. Thomas, 9yds, and the third and fourth men wero on the lOJyds and 13yds marks respectively. According to a cable message Holway has since defeated A. B. Postle.

In view of the introduction of Marathon racing; it will interest distance runners to publish the system of dieting and training followed by the great Swedish Olympic runner, -J. P. Svanberg. . He is described as one of the greatest distance runners the world has ever seen, and was timed aa beating the world's record at 23 miles in the Brooklyn Marathon Race. His full time for the distance of 26 miles 385 yards was 2h. 40m. 435. He won the-Chicago Marathon and World's Championship on a heavy track in 2h. 42min. 12 2-ssec, and holds a number of other notable records. His system is as follows: —Rise at '-. 8 a.m.; milk and orange or other fruit; walk for an hour; breakfast, 9 to 9.30, eggs and toast, tomatoes, tea; write and read for ail hour or so. walk three to six miles; lunch, beefsteak (every day), salad, tea, toast; 3 to 4, train on track or road, for ten or fifteen miles; 5.30, tea and toast ; afterwards amuseconcert, etc., but home and to bed by ten.

_ Mr. Cyprian E. Bridge, manager of the N.Z. athletic team which recently toured to the Australasian championships, writes as follows: "My attention has been drawn to a. telegram appearing in your athletic columns some few issues back, having reference to tho report submitted to the N.Z.A.A.A. by tho manager of the recent N.Z. amateur athletic team. Tho message under notice stated that the manager complained of tho poor accommodation, bad food, and .■;. exorbitant charges to which the team was subjected in Brisbane. In fairness to the Qucenslanders, I must contradict this. No such complaint was made. . The: unsatisfactory conditions mentioned were referred to as existing only until proper. arrangements could bo made, and not in any way in the nature of a complaint against the team's treatment in Brisbane. In fact, for, the last five days of the week spent there members of the team considered themselves ; extremely fortunate in - the matter of accommodation, and were treated exceptionally well in their quarters. To allow the mis-statement to pass uncontradicted would be grossly unfair to the Brisbaneites, who did so much to make the stay in their city enjoyable, so I must ask vou to publish this rebuttal." The telegram referred to -was an ordinary Press Association message. : : S. N. Doust, the popular Sydncyitc, is not returning to Australia this year, and will very probably be seen at English meetings next summer. Lawn Tennis writes of him: " This is good news, for few colonials have made themselves more deservedly popular in 'this country than the cheery sprinter."