NOTES BY AMATEUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2651, 4 January 1905, Page 57

NOTES BY AMATEUR.

Alfred Shrubb, the English long-diGtauee champion, has sailed in the Ortona for Australia and New Zealand. Ec will compett id meetings first at Melbourne, from thence coining on to Dunedin, where he is due on March 11. After Dunedin, Shrubb will compete at the New Zealand championship meeting in Christchurch. Mr A. E. Jay, delegate of the Otago 1 centre on the N.Z.A.A.A. was in Dunediu last week taking part in the tennis tournament. ' The two amateur events at Waikouaiti on Boxing Day proved good races and the runners were entirely composed of Dunedin men. In the 220ydt3 Christie scored a long 'overdue win while Titehener, -who is on the improve, ran him close at the finish. Titchener, however, decisively turned the tables in ...the Half-mile, ir> which ha finished like a lion. Christie was second. The back markers were rather handicapped by the track, but Hamann ran well in the 220 yds and was beaten out of a place. The St. Andrew's Harrier Club are to part with their- popular captain for a time - as Mr Talboys purposes making a visit to the Old World. Athletes will join in wishing him a pleasant trip. In connection with the disqualifications at the Pioneer Club sports in December, I think that similar difficulties might be avoided in the future if all amateur clubs required applicants for membership to sign, the amateur declaration before election." Some of the Dunedin" clubs — the Civil Service "and, I think the Dunedin Harxie? — ' ((have adopted a form of proposal which cmv bodies the declaration, and the plan is found to work well. The Otago centre intend holding their, next mcc.ting on January 9| when a sub-, committee will be" set up to .deal with pre-" < liminiary- arrangements for the "visit of Shrubb," Duffey,' and Morton. It is the intention of "the centre to leave ,no »tpne unturned to forward the\ success of the meeting." ~ , ' Among the various records' put' up this ' year in England was one for running* back- - wards, 100 yds. ' The Yankees, - ever, on <he - alert for the bizarre arid novel and~ keen for records; have most of these' out-of-the- " way performances to their' credit. The 100 yds backwards was run in 15£&ec, by E. G. Hayes, at Chester, U.S.A., on May 8, 1883, and, according to London Sporting life, this time remained unbeaten till thie year. A London clvb — the Isledon' Harriers — determined to hold a race on June 20, and quite a number of entries were received. As a ' result the record was beaten three times. The first heat was won by J. "Raymond in" 18 2-ssec, the second by T. Ogden in~l7sec, • the third by F. Herring in 15sec, the fourth by R. M. Froome n 14 4-seec. In the final there was a great race' between Herring and Froome, the former winning in 15 l-ssec, which, it~ is claimed, now stands as a world's record, but apparently the "14-sec by A. Forrester. Canada, June, 1888, has " been overlooked. Competitions at mixed athletics were in great vogue about 50 years ago, but for many years there has been an entire cessation, and it is hardly to be wondered at that when two well-known members, of the . London Stock Exchange undertook to run" a mile,- walk a- mile, and ride a mile in under 19min, a, tremendous amount 'of- interest was aroused, and opinion was .pretty "equally divided as to their chance of succeeding. Mr Yenning and Mr Pattinscm were the two members, the former of whom is • slightly known in athletic circles, and the meeting place selected was at Windsor, England. Contrary to expectations, both, succeeded easily in beating the rime iimit, Mr Vcnning running his mile in smin 30sec, walking his mile in 9min 30sec, and riding his mile in 2miri" 21sec, — total, 17min "llsec ; whilst Mr Pattinson took, respectively, smin 43see, ,9min 50sec. and 2min 28sec,— total, - 18min lsec. Both finished not a£ all" distressed. Henry Prevot, a Frenoh professional distance runner, went near defeating' Harry ' Watkin's world's record of 11 miles 1286 yards in the hour recently at Gentilly. Prevot ran 11 milos 255 yds. He was to make another attempt just before the last English mail left. The craze for racing has extended to the wood&n-legged men of Paris. On a recentmorning, at Aubervilliers, by the QuatreCK&mins. 19 men with these artificial limbs assembled for a contest over a distance^: four kilometres. They presented a curious spectacle before starting, as the legs were varnished or coloured, some of them being covered with rubber. The variety of design was bewildering. At the word "go!" they stumped valiantly lip the Rue de Flandres, and a struggling procession filled the roads. The urchins of the neighbourhood! were delighted, and walked along- encouraging and shouting the running "favourites." The winner covered the first two kilometres in 12 minutes, and received 25 francs as a prize. Undoubtedly the three greatest distance runners that the world has ever known have been Deerfoot. George, and Shrubb. It ia now over 40 years {says Sporting Life) 6inca the Senaca Indian, Deerfoot, created a world-wide sensation at the old West London grounds, Brompton, by beating the existing record, during the progress of a handicap, over 12 miles. Deerfoot had come .to England with a. great name. He was called upon to concede such great men a3 White 1 and Lang starts of. 50yds and 100 yds respecj tively, but it was left to the last-named to " struggle with fch& Indian for possession oi

• » silver cup, which was -given as the leading prize. Going down the back stretch of the last lap Deerfoot momentarily passed Lang, feut the latter again drew level, and for the laet 150 yards they ran side- by side. In the last few strides Lang gained a slight advantage, and throwing himself bodily on the tape, won by inches in 1 hour 2mm 2 l-seec. Deerfoot secured -the second prize of £6, but he had the satisfaction of beating all the records during the progress of the run. W. G. George came along early m the eighties, and on Joily 28, 1884, at the (London Athletic Club's meeting, George started from scratch in a 12 miles handicap, conceding starts ut> to 8 minutes. He ran Wonderfully, well, and though the conditions iwere by no means favourable for anyone attempting a remarkable pedestrian feat, George beat the best amateur records for 2i imilee, 2J miles, 3 miles, and from 4i miles to 9| mike, and from 10k miles, to 11 miles, jdso the amateur hour record, but when the ■ toistol fired he was 37yds 2ft 3in behind jbeerfoot'fi professional record However, - George's distance of 11 miles 932 yds 9m the greatest run ever accomplished ty an amateur in an hour. The following is a comparison of the 'times of the three famous athletes: —

)»rd«. At the Mataura Athletic Society's sports on Monday the Sheffield Handicap, 135 yds, was won by E. G. Shelborne (Invercargill), who was in receipt of 14Jyds handicap. J.. - Bayers, 15Jyda, was second, C. Cook, 7£yas,third, and J. Meadows, lSiyds, 1 fourth. The taizes were £8, £%, £2, and £1. A. Couling won. the Mile, Half-mile (both off scratch), y «nd Ihe 440 yds Handicap. C!raik, 40yds, annexedjthe Mile Walk, with M'Coll, 95yds, second. The 220 yds Hurdles were won by Meadow*. QChe High Jumping -was won by J. 1 Sheddan fsft Sin); the Long Jump by J. Morton (17ft Bin), and the Hop, step, and 1 jump by-F. il'Fadyen (38ft - 9in). The" Middle-weight Wrestling and Putting the 161b.8a1l were won by J. F. MTadyen, the latter event with a. Ihrow of 96ft 2in. The same competitor won the hammer eveni with 40ft 6iu. The sports were very successful, over £66 (representing . - Mi attendance of about 1400) being taken at the t*tes.

2' 9 4il-sth 9 46 ./9 45 - 3' 14 45 4-sth 14 14 52 : 4 19 50 3-«h 20 ' 4 19 59 4 sth "!* «■ 55 1-601 25 8 .K7 4-sth i 6 • -29 59 2-sth , 3!) 25 , 30 _ _ a? ■7-S3 ** 3-sth 35 . 42, 35-37 - - 8 ; 40 16 40 57 40 57 3-sth --9 45 27 46 15 • 46 19 *10 . 50 40 3-sfcli 51 20 51 40 2-sth 'IV 56 23.2.5 th 56 -52 - 58 32 l-sth * Ore hour— Sbnibb, li irittea 1,137 yards ; Deerfoot. H miles 970 yards ;• George; 11 miles 932