NOTES BY AMATEUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2010, 1 September 1892, Page 31

NOTES BY AMATEUR.

From English exchanges I gather particulars of the Paris International meeting at which Batger, Wood, and Cuff competed. It will be remembered the results of the New Zealanders' doings were cabled out at the time. The Field, in a report of the meeting, says :—: — There can be no doubt that since 1886, when the Rasing Club of France held its first international athletic meeting in the Bois de Boulogne, athletics have advanced by leaps and bounds in the gay capital, and, indeed, all over France. Then there was only one athletic club in the country, the Racing Club ; now there are 62 in the Athletic Union, with a total membership of about 5000. Then the Frenchmen ran in jockoy caps and jackets, tight knickerbockers, and had no idea of running, pace, costume, or style ; vow they dress as wo do. In 1886 the Englishmen carried all before them, and C. G. Wood, H. C. Mabey, G. B. Shaw, W. Tripp, and Hon. N. Bruce had matters just as they liked. Last year, when the Manhattau men made up the second international meeting, Carey, Remington, and Hallock also had rather comfortable victories,,, but the Frenchmen showed immense improvement on their previous form. This year they would have fairly held their own, if, indeed, they had not beaten any but the pick of our English runners. Iv Bredin and Batger they were opposed at their special distances to the very best men we could send over, and the form in the handicap conclusively showed that very short starts were required to bring the home runners to the front. In the 100 metres (109 yds lOin) championship, Bredin and Gibbons were the English representatives. Tournois, the French sprint champion, won his heat and the final of this championship very easily indeed, and must be equal to about 10 3-ssec for our English 100 yds. In the hurdles, 110 metres, almost exactly 120 yds, Batger won easily, and had he been pressed would have very nearly equalled D. D. Bulgers' record here on Whitsunday last of 16 l-ssec. Cuff and Waylen ran a most desperate race for second place. The 400 metres, or 437 yds 7in, was, of course, an easy win for Bredin, who, well served by the fast running of the French champion in the first 250 yds of the raoe, waited till the straight, and, letting himself go, madea French record, and cut both C. G. Wood's and Remington's times for this distance. Although "a niilo" was specially made for our benefit, we, unfortunately, had not a representative engaged, after D. Wood, the New Zealander, had broken down, and the French champion Borel, who runs in a most ungainly style, won easily. Mr Herbert had handicapped the English contingent, giving his scratch men's time in each event, and M. Champ, the French Racing Club's handicapper, added the French and Belgian runners. In the hurdles, 400 metres, 10 very low and easy obstacles served Waylen, with 16 metres Btart, and Batger, going very slow at first, had not time to catch the L.A.C. man at the finish. The tirre, however, was very fast, and Batger made a French record. AU the starts are in French metres, a metre being 0914383 of a yard. In the 100 handicap T. S. Evans, L.A.C, at last won a spriut, although, on the time, had Hempton started from scratch, he should have won. A red flag was still used for starting purposes, but a pistol will in future be permitted and used at all the R.C. meetings. The Englishmen, however, did not seem to lose by this method of starting, to which they were all unused. The prizes were most beautiful bronzes, vases, &c, with silver-gilt and oxidised bronze medals for second and third prizes. AH these were certainly far in advance, both as regards design and workmanship, of any athletic prizes seen in England. W. Snook, the exEnglish amateur champion, was told off by the Racing Club to rub down and attend on the Englishmen. After the sports, which were held under the laws of the French Athletic Union, the visitors were entertained at an open-air banquet on the island in the Grand Lake in the Bois, the Vicomte Leon de Jauze, the president of the French Union, being in the chair. Details : —

100 Metres Championship.— Final Heat : Tournois, 1 ; Lee, t ; Margis, t ; Do R<3| 4. Dead heat for second place. Tournois, the French champion sprinter, led all the way, and won easily by a long yard. Time, 11 2-ssec. 110 JM&tres Hurdles Championship. — First Heat : H. W. Batger, New Zealand, 1 ; F. A. Waylen, L. A.0., 2 ; F. Reichel, Racing Club, 3. Batger led all the way, and won easily by five yards. Time, 16 4-ssec. Second Heat: L. A. Cuff, New Zealand, 1; M. Ravidat, Racing Club, 2 ; C. G. Lee, Brussels, 3. Won easily by six yards; Cuff blundered at his first hurdle, but came away very fast. Time, 18 l-saec. Final Heat : Batger, 1 ; Cuff and Waylen a dead heat for second place. Batger led all the way, and won very easily by eight yards. Waylen headed Cuff until the list hurdle, when Cuff finished the stronger, and made a dead heat of it. Time, 102-ssec. „ n 400 Mbtres Championship. —B. C. Bredm, L AC, 1 ; P. Wood, New Zealand, 2i W. E. Gibbons, 0.U.A.C., 3 ; P. Blanchet, Racing Club, 4r C. G. Lee, Brussels, 0 ; P. dc Pourtales, Stade Fransais, 0. Time, 49 4-saec (a record). One Mile (1609 Metres) Championship.— J. Borel, Racing Club, 1 ; H. Sommers, Brussels, 2 ; H. Vande-Waele, Antwerp, 3 ; F. Reichel, Racing Club, 0 ; L F. Dugarrie, Racing Club, 0. Time, 4min 444-ssec. Hurdle Handicap, 400 Metros.— F. A. Waylen, L. A.C., 16 metres, 1 ; H. W. liatger. New Zealand, scratch, 2 ; G. Duchamps, Racing Club, 22 m&Lres, 3; A. Dinwody, S.F., 5 metre, 0; A. Gosse, France, 25 m&tres, 0 ; C. G. Lee, Brussels, 8 mfetres, 0 ; C. B. Barnett, France, 27 metres, 0 ; G. Sabatie, S.F., 18 mfetreo, 0. The hurdles were very low and easy. Waylen rapidly made up his start, and coming into the straight took the lead. Bdtgcr seemed to run too slowly at first, and only closed with his field turning the last bend. Batger only took second place just after the last hurdle, but it was then too late to catch Waylen. Time, 57 4-ssec. Batger's time (58 4-ssec) is a French record.

In the 100 metres Handicap, owing to the number of starters, there were six heats in the first round, and two heats in the tecond round. The final was won by Evans (10 metres), with E. Duchanaps (11 metres) second. Time, llsec. A Steeplechase Handicap of 2500 metres (about a mile and a-half), in which Batger started but did nob finish, was won by F. Meirs (50 metres). Time, Bmin 21sec. 400 Metres Handicap.— L. Mazzuchelli, R.C., 13 metres, 1 ; P. Wood, New Zealand, 6 m6tres, 2; F. A. Waylen, L.A.0., 15 m&tres, 3. Time, 51sec. At the Blackheath Harriers' Sports, held at Catford Bridge on July 16, both P. Wood and L. A. Cuff -starting from the 6^yds and 7£yds mark respectively— won his heat. In the final Wood was first, Cuff second. Time, 10 l-ssec.

120 yds Hurdle Handicap (handicap made from scratch by desire, in order to give scratch man an opportunity of beating record).— Heat 1 : H. A. Flint, S.L.H., 14yds start, 1; 11. Batger, New Zealand A.A. A., scratch, 2 ; C. A. Shaw, L.A.C., 10yds start, 3; J. W. Morley Turner, Finchley Harriers, 17yds, 4. Won by a yard. Time, 1« 1-530 C. Heat 2 : Godfrey Shaw, L. A.C., scratch, 1 j A. V. Morris, Blackheath Harriers, 20yds start, 2. Final heat: Godfrey Shaw, L.A.0., scratch, 1 ; H. A. Flint, S.L.H., Hydy start, 2; H, Datger, Now JSuaUnd A.A.A., scratch, 3 j A, V,

Morris, Blackheath H., 20yds start, 4. Won by an inch or" two ; two yards between second and third. Time; " a yard inside " 16sec.

In regard to this event tho Referee says :—: — " Were it not for the fact that there is a suspicion of a fall in the ground, and that it is not discreet to attach importance to the clocking known as 'a shade inside,' Godfrey Shaw, the hurdle champion, might be credited with a record, as he was said to have won in* •a yard inside 16sec.' Batger, of New Zealand, in this event had been allotted 2yds start, but preferred to go back to scratch with Shaw. It will be noticed that the latter was placed on the actual scratch mark instead of being penalised so many yards." In the 300 yds Handicap, Wood (12yds) won his heat, but secured only third place in the final. Batger (14yds) also started, and ran unplaced in his heat. At the Salford Harriers' sports, Manchester, there was an attendance of 8000 spectators. In an exhibition throw, A. W. M. Barry broke the amateur record, throwing the hammer (161b) 135 ft 6in, Morton won tho mile scratch race in 4min 36sec, Bacon second, Kibbjewhite third. A most concise and useful work, a copy of which no athlete should be without, is a small volume entitled '♦ Athletics," edited^by H. H. Griffin. It contains a quantity ;, of Valuable information in regard to tho management of athletic meetings, &c, and hints as to training for various distances, ifrom practical experience, by such well-known performers as the Revs. H. C. Tindali and W. Pollock-HiU, Messrs Felling, Daft, Eibblewhite, and others. Mr Sid. Thomas, the cross-country champion, has an article on getting into form for crosscountry running, and in view of the D.A.A.C.'s annual run next month I publish the article in this column, and would advise intending competitors to train in accordance therewith. He writes :

" Said a friend to me the other day, 'I should like to be able to run well across country, but have never taken part in a paper chase, for I have always been beaten so easily when trying 100 yds or so against my acquaintances.' My answer was to the effect that there is a great difference between running 'cross-country and sprinting a few yards ; pointing out that the pace of a sprinter is double as fast as the gait used in a long distance race, so that though speed is useful, ifc is nofc a primary necessity. What is needed is health and strength, combined with a certain build of body calculated to give endurance, the latter tending fco help one to the front as much as pluck and determination. Encouraged by my remarks, my friend promised to accompany me to the Green Man, Putney Heath," the Ranelagh Harriers having an ordinary cross-country spin the following Saturday. Meeting a couple of miles from headquarters we got on an omuibus, for I thought it best not to tire him with walking, so that he should enjoy his first run. After being groomed by the two trainors, a pack of 30 is ready to turn out. The novice, having been groomed with a rough towel and horse-hair gloves to open the pores of his skin, dons a pair of running drawers reaching to just above the knee, spiked shoes with slight heels, and sleeveless jersey. Over the latter a woollen sweater is drawn, which would not be useful if a real race was to be indulged in. The rubbing or grooming should always be attended to, for it keeps a man in fine health. The distance of the run is to be about seven miles. The pack, keeping together, come to a water jump — after going about three miles, when several stop, take a sharp run, and land on the other side. Good practice, but when hard pressed iv a race it would not be advisable to try ; the best plan being to jump in near the further side, landing with the hands on the bank, as the feet touch the bottom, and quiskly «limbing out. Jumping a big ditch is hazardous in a race, for what seems a good take-off may yield directly the feet touches it. The man racing has no time to pick a good spot to land him safely, thus running a good chance of coming to grief. Of course there are jumps that any one could negotiate, and allowance must be made for the higher capabilities of some runners. To a poor jumper I say, jump in and get out as quick as possible. There are many men ;o whom a big effort at jumping means a lot taken out of then for the remainder of the race.

"We next come to a heavy ploughed field, so again I have an opportunity of giving a few hints to our novice. Now, if anything is a test of endurance, it is a heavy plough. Generally a novice starts too fast across the first part, finding out his mistake when a trying feeling of exhaustion seizes him. A first-class man cares very little what sort of ground he is travelling over, for his well-tried muscles and fine condition stand him in good stead ; but to a novice, I say, husband your strength during the first part of the ordeal. Crossing a plough, the body should be inclined slightly forward, which gives more power to lift the feet from the heavy going. •• The last mile of our spin we freshened up, but no racing is indulged in, as the run is only for practice. After a lukewarm bath, which makes the runner feel much lighter— for it is a "wet, muddy day — grooming is again resorted to, and our ordinary clothes resumed. My friend, satisfied with his first venture, bids me goodbye, but not before I advise him to rest before his next meal till he feels more settled, when his food will do him much more good than if taken immediately after violent or exhausting exertion.

" Now a word or two to the novice in his first handicap. He would be given a medium start to commence with. If he is not confident of his judgment, one or more near his mark should be pointed out as • good old stagers' — i.e., reliable runners, to make his lunuing with during the early part of the race, for it is here that the novice generally goes wrong, start ; ng either too fast or too slow. When he feels set he can let himself go if he finds he has been running well within his powers. After racing this way once or twice he will be abla to judge his pace without any difficulty. As regards style, I think a good knee action — that is, tho knee brought well up and forward — tho best for runuing over uneven ground, though one should never make a radical alteration in his natural style of moving. The arms are best kept hanging at the sides, and nofc swinging across the chest. This is, I think, well worth cultivating, for those that run thus certaiuly seem to move the easiest. •'As regards an amateur's training, tho main points are :— Rise at about 7, have a cold bath and grooming with rough towel before breakfast, and eat plain nourishing food, avoiding soups, pastries, and anything indigestible. Tea drinking is very bad for some. Cocoa I find better than tea in my own case. Smoking is fatal to the wind, and the man in training must learn to pass the public house without dropping in for a throat gargle.

" Hot, stuffy rooms should be avoided, and fresh air taken at every opportunity. '• Be careful not ,to run too soon either before or after meals. Three spins of about five miles each per week will keep most men in condition, though others require to run almost every day to show their very best, An athlete's own feelings must guide him in the matter, but if your club has an experienced professional runner for its trainer you cannot do better than

listen to his advice as to exercise, &o. I think short-spiked shoes are a great deal better than rubbers, except on exceptionally hard ground."