ATHLETICS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14243, 18 June 1908, Page 10

ATHLETICS.

Br Amateur.

;.. FIXTURES. August l-Tcn-mi!e ICross-counfry. Handicap (under auspices Civil Service Club). August 2ii—Otago Centre's lutorclub Championship learns' Race. September s—Port Chalmers to Dunedia lload Race (under auspices Dunedia Harriers). OLYMPIC GAMES, LONDON. July 4-Englislt Amateur Athletic Championships. July 13th, oiiwards. Jul}' 25—Marathon Race, Windsor Castle to ■ London. The Civil Service Harriers held their weekly run from Wingatui on Saturday when there was a fair attendance, lii view of tho Ten-mile Handicap, which is to be hold in August, some of the members ran over the selected course. Mr H. Mackintosh, of the Civil Service Club, left for Gisborue last Friday. Mr Mackintosh was secretary of the Otago Centre for two years, and was one of the Civil Service delegates for some four years? He did a lot of bard work in connection with amateur atretics, and his services will be much missed. ' The Port Chalmers Harriers decided a one-mile handicap on Saturday, which resulted in a win for G. Love, with W. Love second. A good field started. The Tokomairiro Harriers still continue to hold weekly runs, and each run sees a larger muster. The sport has caught on at Milton, and the Tokomairiro Club haw made a goodly number of now members It is confidently anticipated that' this year's annual sports meeting will bo far ahead of the two th&y have,previously held. Reports from Balclutha do not make good reading. The secretary of the Balclutha Harriers wrote to the Otago Centre stating that as most of the members had left the district it was found impossible to got the club going this year, but it wa* hoped that next winter another start would be made. About two years ago the Balclutha Club was nearly extinct, but.a visit from tho combined town clubs put new life into tho 'members. Is it too late this year? The centre should iaka the matter up> The Southern Bible Class Harriers held a Mile and a-Half Novice Handicap round tho outside of Forbury Park on Saturday. A field of seven started, aud the race resulted in a win for the scratch man. Clark, with White (40yds) second. The winner ran a fine race, and should lie heard 'of again.

Mr J. Y. Love lias been appointed delegate to the Otago Centre to represent the Port Chalmers Harriers. This position was formerly-held by Mr D, F. Bauchop, who had to resign on taking up his residence in Christ-church.. Air Bauchop did most serviceable work for the Port Chalmers Harriers and for athletics generally. ,An application for affiliation to the Otago Centre has been received from the St. Kilda Harriers. The application lias been forwarded to the council, with a favourable locommendation.

The matter of holding an art union and carnival by the Otago Centre was advanced a stop further at last centre meeting, When it was decided to call a meeting of the centro arid two delegate from each club at an early date. If it is finally decided to hold the art union and carnival oyery member of the centre and the clubs will havo to put his shoulder to the wheel —not. leave tlio burden to one ov two willing workers, Before goiiw on with the project, tho question of linanoe will have to bo thoroughly gone into by the clubs and tho centre, The various' clubs should remember that should the affair turn out a failure they will be each and severally liable for the debts incurred.

A matter that should occupy the attention of tho centro at an early date is the- reconstruction of that body. At present clubs with over 50 lnenrbera scud two delegates, and those clubs who have under 50 members send one delegate. There are about 18 clubs'affiliated to tho centre, which represents some 22 delegates. Add to this the president and four vice-presidents,' and the largo number composing the centre tends to make it cumbersome and unwieldy. The consequence is that meetings last faT too long, and too much timo is taken upi with trivialities. A system similar to that of the Rugby Unions will have to be adopted in tho 'near future. Thu election of a committee of management, say,, of soven would enable tho work of the centre to be got through better and moro expeditiously. 1 loam that the last schools championship will result in the lossof some £5, which is not bad, considering the very boisterous and bleak day on which the ehanipiouships were held. Tlie medals won by thu ehildren have just been received, and will ho distributed in a few days.

A trail with a long, long pull up towards the top of Pine Hill, a brief run along a level road, and a flying precipitous diwtvnl, \yiw the lot of the Congregational Harriers on Saturday last, running from Hk> N.K, 'Valley School. There was a tuir muster, and, despite the up-and-down niil.uio of the trail, a really enjoyable run wni.l tho iwult. Tho afternoon was, by the way, a rtsdly ideal one, being not too <-n|d and not too n-arm. Tlie atmosphere w«,c very rtiNir, and. the cesthetieal-minded tinning the Humors wore continually pointinn ""I the very fine purple haze effects to Ihi observed along tho outlying hills. A'(l«r a fast run home on the road, an adjournment. m is mado to tlie residonco of Mrs J. llegg, where the men wero royally entertained by the ladies of the household and their friends.

A remark made in this colunm last week I'sprttsiiijr my wish that the Congregational '.Harriers could have entered a teamfor tlii> I'klmond Cup Ims evidently hit ilti mark, m 1 am informal that during tho last rai of tho club one particularly keen membor taxed the skipper for the failure, ami endeavoured to "press homo tlw , urgency of tho claims of the interclub cross-country. That is undoubtedly tho right spirit. . The first race of the Congregational Harriers for the season is fixed for July 18, and as tnore is a rumour that there will bo four men on scratch, a keen contest as a preliminary to further eerioua running mav be looked for. Am apt illustration of the wisdom inherent k tho old saying "Look before you ; leap" . was afforded to tie rnombers o£

a local harrier club on Saturday last bv an unfortunate member. A long grassy slope, plentifully scattered over with largo boulders, offered 100 great an inducement to, bo resisted. Away wont llio i«ck, HjJng down the slone in groat style, leaping those boulders which appeared negotiable. But one man jumped once, too oiten, lor on landing over a fceauty found himwlf colliding- -with another close under its ice. Result: A gashed knee, mid a firm resolve to know what's on the other side— 'ictt time.

Ihey were a very surprised set of hares who on Saturday, last, jogging down the Upper Junction road to the North-East Valley School, found the pack calmly awaiting their arrival at the Normanby terminus. Surprise was hardly an adequate term-consternation expresses mora properly their state of mind. The reason why Wie pack was there was soon explained. V la trail had led down from Pine Hill into Jfcthunc's Gully, crossing which it amended the hill towards the Junction. J-iitg the pack shirked, and turned down tue valley. Before proceeding far the tares were espied leisurely jogging homeward on the top road, and a scurry enn to , hc!ul tllcm off at the terminus. •£ P? 0 , won - alld waitctl {ot the hares triuni lal »urh)g breath and anticipatory i 1' h ? ty™* o ' liMO I,cl<l on Wednesday last by he North End Olub proved very successful. J.he course was an ideal one, and was made perfectly clear to the competitors A good hcavv paper trail was taid, starting at tho junction of George street and Pine Hill Terrace, then via Mumore to M'Grcgor'e farm, eventually HH?'T?F- OUt at , G1 OMoy, and finishing along lie Mam road. W. Renwick was favourite i°r Hie race, and it came as a great surprise when tho winner turned up in J. Johnston (lOsee). A good finish was witnessed between W. Renwkk (scr) and E. Mowat (20sec), who wore a dead heat for second place; A. Steven (Msec) third, and a. Sparrow (40scc) also ran well. At the atternoon tea the opportunity was taken to congratulate Johnston on his win. Member* requcsted , 0 notc that tk outing pn the syllabus for tho 24th has been altered from Howe street to St. Clair. The second syllabus of the Port Chalmers Warriors lias been arranged as follows:June 20, guest* of Mr and Mrs C. Yeoman, Koscneath; members meet at Sawyers Bay at 2.45. June 27, walk to Wai- £ ar^ on , Hall > 2 ' a p- 1 "- July «. btitilda Bowhng Green; 2.15 p.m. train. July 11, Garrison Hall, 2.30 p.m.; 440 yds race and run, afterwards. July 18, walk round Upper Junction road; Garrison Hall, 2 o'clock. • Tarn in receipt of the second syllabus of tho South Canterbury HarrieTs' Club, and, judging by the large and interesting programme arranged, our northern friends are showing a very live interest in amateur athletics and harricrism. According to the American correspondent of the_Sydney Referee, ex-New Zealandcr buy Haskins is the best of tho milers in America at the present time, the college man having,-a record of 4min 20 2-ssec, which, is the best time made in this couatry for some time. This time was made in tho Intorcollcgiate Championships , last year. . ■ . • London experts declare E. J. Webb, winner of the English seven miles walking championship, one of tho best heel-and-toe exponents seen in a championship race for some years past. Moreover, ho is said to be exceptionally fair as to style. Webb'.! time' far-.the distance was 53inin 2 3-ssec. The British ..amateur record is held by (i\ E.' LVrncr—somin 50 4-sscc, which is also the world's record time for the distance. The fastest championship time for the seven miles is held by H, Venn— ! SZinin 25660, put up in 1878. _ America will hold a very strong hand in tho athletic events to be decided at the Olympian Games, to be held in.London next month. With her vast population and the great interest taken in running and other field sports there, she has any amount of material to pick from. According to an American writer there is not an event on tho Olympian programme in which there is not an American champion who compares favourably with the beat of any other country. "Try-out" meetings to select the representatives of Yankeeland were to have been held at New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, so that the athlotes finally decided on should be thoroughly representative of our cousins over the sea. It transpires that A. denies, the mile t Australasian champion, will not bo 21 years of age until next October, and consequently is-not eligible to compete in the Marathon Race. i :: "I ('Prodigal' in' Sydney Referee) notice it stated that application has been mado for a record on behalf of C. Flemming for a putt of 41ft at Oamaru on March 26 last. If. passed, those figures will tie the 41ft of W. O'Reilly (Now South Wales), established at tho Australasian championships at Auckland. No one doubts the figures.of Flemming, but what we want to know is whethor the A.A. Union rules .as. to a fair mitt wore understood, and. strictly enforced by the judge at the circle." . The trouble 'between the American A.A. Union and the Canadian A.A.. Union over the ease of Longboat, the distanoo runner, is still unsettled. Longboat is an Indian, with wonderful staying powers, and the Canadians look for him to be an easy winner of the' Marathon race. Longboat was recently suspended by the American A.A. Union, and is now in the unique position of being an amateur in Canada. and a professional in America. Tho Canadians say they will send Longboat to London, and the result of the committee's decision,, in view of the stand taken by thi; authorities 'of the two countries, is awaited with interest. The present standards for South African championships arc:—looyds, 10 l-ssec; 220 yds. 22 4-ssec; 440 yds, 52 2-ssec; 880 yds, Zitiin 3 2-sscc; one mile, 4min 45scc; four mile?, 22min; three miles walk, 24min; 120 yds hurdles, 17sec; running high jump, sft"Bin;''running broad jump, 21ft; pole vault, ,10ft; putting the 161b shot, 39ft; throwing the 161b, hammer, 110 ft. Huff, of Chicago, appears to be the best of the American sprinters. He won both the 100 yds and 220 yds at the last National Championships, showing a clean pair of heels to such speedy men as Kelly (holder of tho world's record of 9 3-ssec for the 100 yds), Parsons' (tho 1905 winner), Keating (of New York), and Gerhardt (of Sau Francisco). Huff will most likely be America's representative in tho sprints at the forthcoming Olympic . Games. The Ten-milo Championship of England was decided at Stamford Bridge, London, on April 18,'and'was won by A, Duncan, Salford Harriers, in 53min 40 £ssoc, which is exactly 3min longer than Shrubb took in November 5, 1904, when he put up ,a world's record for the distance, and which record is still unbeaten. The fastest timo for the championship race is held by Sid Thomas, who in 1889 traversed the 10 miles in 51min 31 2-ssec. > , THE OLYMPIC GAMES. Below frill bo found a list of the repreKSiUtivcs of. Australia and New Zealand at tho Olympian Games in England this year: — —New Zealand, Reps.— 11. St. Aubyn Murray, of Chvistchurch, for 440 metres hurdles, 800 metres fiat, and other events. H. E. Kerr, of Wellington, for walks. Guy Haskins, of Qhmtchurch (now in America), for 800 and 1500 metres ovents. Colin Gilray (Otago), tho latest of the Dominion's Rhodes scholars at Oxford, is available. Another whose services may' bo available is A. F. Wilding, the tennis champion. —Australian Representatives Charles Swain, of tho Toowong Harriers Brisbane (Queensland), 800 and 1500 metres running. F. W. Springfield, of Brisbane, longdistance swimming. F. Beaurcpaire, of Melbourne, swimming ovento. George Blake, of tho Melbourne Harriers (Victoria), long-distance running, including Marathon Race. E. J. L. Cooke, of Sydney, swimming events. W. V. AHken, Coburg Harriers (Victoria), for long-distance runs and Marathon Race. , J. M. Lynch, East Sydney A.A.C. (New South Wales), for long-distance runs and Marathon Race. E. H. Hutcheon (Queensland), sprints and jumps. R. • L. Baker (Now South Wales), swimming and boxing events. T. Tartakover (New South Wales), swimming evente. Harold Smyrk (New South Wales), for diving contests. Scrgt. S. A. Green (Australian Rifle Regiment), for rifle matches. -Rhodes Scholars and Others Whose Services are Available— ' Dr Harvey Sutton (Victoria), now at Now College, Oxford, for 800 and 1500 metres running races. R. L. Robinson (South Australia), now at Magdalen College, Oxford, f or field games. Mr G. D. Murray (South Australia), now i at Trinity College, Cambridge, for hurdbs. WOLFE'S SOEJTAPPS possesses Yjrttw of»■ rraKdisl kbit.