SCHOOL STEEPLECHASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19455, 11 October 1926, Page 13

SCHOOL STEEPLECHASE.

THE KING'S COLLEGE EVENT* REMARKABLE STAMINA SHOWN. A MARATHON IN THE RAIN. On a fine day the annual steeplechase at King's College is a brave show —an athletic event worthy not only of the school, but also of its Now Zealand and overseas rivals. When, as on Saturday, heavy rain sodclens the ground and wets the competitors to the skin, the event loses some of its spectacular features and becomes an unpleasant and gruelling test of endurance. Nevertheless, the field of over 170 boys, looking like young Greek athletes in their white running "togs," made a fine sight assembled in the college grounds at half-past two, the youngsters of 11 and 12 in the limit ranks in front, youths of 17 and 18—the pride of the school —on scratch at the rear. Mr. V. Maxwell, who acted as timekeeper, set them off in bunches of ten and twenty, the scratch hoys in a body of 40 leaving eight minutes after the first. Light rain was falling steadily as the field got away and on the home, track a moderately strong wind blew the sleet into the faces of the runners, but only alight ly slackened down the pace. Six Miles Across Country. The course was long and difficult, a little over six miles in distance, following a roughly circuitous route along Massey and Grey Roads to Johnstone's farm, then over rough country through two quarries, and back to Massey Road and the college gates. In spite of the distance and the difficult conditions under which the steeplechase was run, the boys displayed fine form and sound stamina—the fruits of rigorous training prior to the event. It might be thought unwise to ent»r small boys for i six-mile cross-country race, but every care is taken by the college authorities to see that the competitors are properly trained and in a fit physical state to stand the strain. Not only does the steeplechase follow closely on the football season, but also two paperchases helped to prepare the competitors for the test in the week or so before the event. Each boy, moreover, was medically examined earlier in the year to gauge his powers of exertion. The value of these precautions may be appreciated from the fact that not a single boy dropped out of the field and that the event was won by one of the smallest boys in the school. As a precautionary measure, the sports master, Mr. H. T. Revell, followed the field in a horse and trap, but ha found it unnecessary to pick up a single straggler, all showing remarkably little signs of fatigue. The Winner a Boy of Twelve. Calvert ii., who finished first, is a boy of 12 and started with the limit handicap of Bmin. He maintained a good steady pace from the beginning and led the field, from start to finish, coming up to the tape at a remarkable rate. His time, however, was well above that of the first 10 boys to finish. The performances of the latter were as follow, the handicaps being shown in parentheses : Min. Sec. Calvert ii. (Bm.) .. 44 16 Clavton (3m.) ..40 6 Wallace (3m.) . . 40 15 Hills (2m.) .. ..39 34 Makgill (2m.) . . Brown 5. (scr.) ..38 30 Heald (2m.) ..41 1 Harrison-Smith (3m.) . 42 SO i *Frater (3m.) . . 42 13 *Stewart (2£m.) . . 42 5 * Dead heat. The Fastest Time. The fastest time was made by Brown i., whose 38m. 305., while not a record, wss exceptionp'ly good considering the wet conditions. There is no doubt that had the day been fine he would easily have bettered Urquhart's time of 38m. 13s. last year. As it was his time was too fast "for any of the other senior cup tyoys, Budc'ile, his closest competitor, being a good 9m. behind. Following were the best times:— Min. Sec. Brown i. . . . . 38 30 Hills .. .. 39 34 Buddie . .. 39 45 Clayton .. . . 40 6 Wallace . . . 40 15 Makgill . . .. 40 29 Heald .. ..41 1 Page .. .. 41 7 Moorhouse .. .. 41 45 Quartley . . .. 41 58 The new headmaster, Canon H. K. Archdall, took a lively interest in the event and was delighted with the fine showing made by the boys. The pace done in the last two miies, he said at the end of the day, had been a surprise to him and he could not think of a better cross-country race in all his experience.