Athletics.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7847, 8 July 1911, Page 15

Athletics.

By <r Equitas.”

Fixtures; August 12th. —New Zealand Cross Country 5 Milo Championship, at AuckJanuary 1 and 2. 1912 -Australasian Championship Meeting, Wellington.

Harrierism is surely getting a strong hold in Wellington. Three seasons ago tho only club was tho Wellington Harriers. Since then the Brooklyn Club lias been formed, and has now outstripped tho parent club in membership, how wo hear of the formation of a chib a l . Karori the "Myrai” (Methodist J. oung Men’s Institute). The club-captam is Mr p. N. Clark, and thanks to his efforts the club is now on a firm footing and is applying for affiliation to the N.Z.A.A.A. The control of tho club la to bo kept among the Bible class members but anyone is at liberty—and is cordially invited-to help swell the membership. It is not yet known whe.her the club has any “star’ performers as they have not yet had a chance to measure strides with the older club members, but a combined run will probably he held within a few weeks, when wo shall have an opportunity of seeing "who’s who’’ in tho new club.

1 mentioned last week a letter from tho Auckland Centro stating that it had decided to forego its claim to hold this year’s cross country championship. During the week further word has been received from Auckland asking tho local centre temporarily to the let-, ter, as an effort is being made in Otago to send a team to Auckland. A member of the council, and evidently in the know” stated recently that Otago was certain to bo represented. X hope it will bo, and that the race may bo run in Auckland as originally intended. A meeting of the New South Wales Amateur Sports Federation decided that it was desirable that Australasia should be represented at the Olympic Games at Stockholm next year. It was als< cidod to form an Australasian Council to control Australasian representation at the games.

The question will no doubt bo again raised locally---what is the best method of forming an Olympic Games Fund? ihe council has considered it on numerous occasions, but no feasible scheme, 01 at any rate none giving general satisfaction, has been devised. Last year the council asked the centres for suggestions. Wellington suggested an an nual levy on all clubs —Jil for ordinary clubs and 10s from harrier clubs. Nothing has been heard.anent the matter for some time, except that the council has appointed a sub-committee to draw up and submit a scheme. Now Zealand will have to bo prepared to stand its share of the expense, because, judging from past performances,' New Zealanders may be in the majority in tho Australasian team. The Australasian championship meeting in January next will settle that, however. It is to be hoped that the council will soon be in a position td make a definite pronouncement on tlu subject of the fund.

England has evidently very few "class 0 middle-distance runners at present, judging by the cabled result^ of the English half-mile championship, for the places were all obtained by visitors. Braun, the German runner, won from Wheatley (Victoria) by six yards in Imm 59 4-ssec Brock: (Canada) was third, three yards away. "Wheatley and Brock filled the same positions in the Festival of: Empire half-mile, which J. C. iliii of England won. We have no. news as to whether the latter was competing on this occasion. If so ho must hav»; run very poorly.

A remarkable feat of high jumping was accomplished at the annual track meet between the University of California and Stanford University. Horine, of Stanford, and Beeson, of California, tied at 6ft 3in, and both jumpers failed to clear 6ft 4in by the narrowest of margins. A week later, in a meet in which all the colleges of the coast participated, the same two jumpers tied at 6ft 2in, both failing to clear 6ft Sin. Horine has done even better than this, for in a meet held at his own college-in March he cleared 6ft 4in, and 1 tied the American inter-collegiate’ record held by \V. Byrd-Page.

Tho annual meeting between Yale and Harvard took place on Yale Field on May 13th. Tho weather was not favourable, and the track was heavy, yet the times in the sprints were very . good. A great misfortune befel Harvard in tho 220yds, R. C. Foster pulling a tendon so severely that, it is feared he will not compete again this season; this, if correct, would put him out of tho team which was to meet Oxford and Cambridge on Thursday last. Foster, was winner of the inter-collegiate sprints in 1909, and the 220yds he ran in 21 3-sseo. Yale men won tho 100yds both in evens, while 11. V. Kelly, of Harvard, won the 440yds in 50 l-ssec,. and <3. A. Chisholm (Yale) won tho 120vds hurdles in 15 4-ssoc. T. Cable, the Harvard, darkey, threw the hammer 148 ft Sin, while the. pole vault produced a great performance. After three had tied at lift Sin, R. A. Gardiner, tho golfing crack, in the jump-off, cleared 12ft Sin. Tho times for the distance races were slow, but Harvard won them with case. The final points score was: Yale, 59£; Harvard, 441.

Of interest to harriers. At Warrington (England) two prominent members of the Warrington • Harrier Club were sued for alleged damages to a mare and a plough occasioned by their trespassing across a field in the course of a run. It was alleged that the harriers caused a valuable mare to take fright, and that she had been very nervous since. The judge held that a trespass had been committed, and the defendants must take the onus of their misfortune. He awarded the plaintiff ten guineas and costs.

The Newtown (Sydney) Harriers' Marathon race on Coronation Day was won by S. Poulter, His «timo for the 26 miles 355 yards was. 2hr 54 min 38 l-ssec, which is only 8 1-ssec more than the Australasian record put up by A. K. Sime in June 1910. Poulter won by over a mile, and had he been at all pushed could no doubt hare ’ considerably improved bis time. The second man was A. A. O'Connor, who arrived seven minutes behind the winner. O'Connor has run very consistently in the last four Australian Marathons, finishing second in the last three and third in the other one. - . -

A remarkable contest took place on the Herne Hill track on May 20th, when, in the'Surrey Walking Club’s 25 miles walk, H. V. H. Rees beat the world’s amateur records from 11 to .17 miles. S. C. A. Schofield those from 22 to 25 miles. The 18 to 23 mile records still stand to the credit of the' veteran, J. Butler, who was a competitor and finished seventh. The racing was sensational, only a yard or so dividing the three leaders at 20 miles. Schofield was the winner, his time being 3hr 87min 6 4-ssec. The previous .“best" was 3hr 40min 20sec.

Close confinement is telling on some persons, particularly those who have to confine themselves to the truth.