ATHLATICS.

Otago Witness, Volume 23, Issue 2684, 23 August 1905, Page 53

ATHLATICS.

FIXTURE. August 26. — Inter-club Cross Country Chan, pionship at Wingatui. NOTES BY A3UTETJB. Consequent on tho Infrer-club Crosscountry j. earns Race, to be decided over a five-mile course at Wingatui on Saturday next, the usual club runs will not be held on that day. The proposed schools' athletic championships, the first meeting of which was held last season, are to be decided this year on November 9. The arrangements for the gathering have already been in hand. It is fully anticipated that nearly 100 runners will take part in the Inter-club Teams' Raoe, to be decided over real crosscountry at Wingatui on Saturday next. Keen interest is being taken in the big timber-topping event by the various harrier clubs, the chances of each individual team forming the chief topic of conversation amongst harriers. As no gate can be charged the centre is running the race on almost ideal amateur lines. A banner will be presented to the winning team, and a medal to the first man home. For the purpose of considering the offer of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association of the New Zealand Crosscountry Championship, a meeting of the Otago Centre is convened for this (Wednesday) evening. Despite the fact that the council withholds finanoial assistance there is a possibility of the offer being accepted. A factor which may, however, decide the centre against holding the big raco this I season will be the ouestion of representation at the Australasian Championship meetin November next. If the centre is to send a representative to Sydney — and having Hector Burk in one's mind, it should be represented, — there comes the question of funds. The Otago Centre will have to provide the expenses of its representative to the extent of £10 or £15. Taking this into consideration it is scarcely possible for the centre to undertake the responsibility of ' running the New Zealand Cross-country Championship and at the same time provide funds for its representative to Sydney to compete in the Australasian champiorships. Chatting over the prospects of the comingathletic season with a member of the oldest athletic club in the city, he enthusiastically opined that it would be the best known in Dunedin. Beyond the fact that a number of young- athletes are coming out to try their luck on track and field I know of no other reason why my informant struck the note optimistic. The members of the Dunedin Amateur Athletic Club discarded the spiked shoe for the heavy and persuasive football boot the other day. when they met a team frona the ranks of the Amateur Boating Club at the Rugby game. There were too many sprinters and not enough "scrummers." amongst the athletes, who, however, succeeded in making a draw of the game. Onoe the ball got out amongst the flying rearguard the athletes were able to show their opponents what it looks like to traverse 100 yds at llsec or thereabouts. The back division of the athletes included a speedy trio in Hoare, Hamann, and O'Kane. When any one of the above secured *h© sphere it was time to call for help. The next meeting- of the New Zealand 1 Amateur Athletic Council takes place on Friday evening next, August 25, when ifc is hoped that the proper statement of accounts in connection with the Shrubb Duffey tour wil be put through. Another matter which must occupy the attention of the counsil shortly is that of the colony's representation at the Austra.* • asian championships, to be held in Sydney early in November next. The Civil Service Harriers' Three-mile Railway Cup Handicap, held at Cariabroolr. Ground on Saturday, resulted as follows: — Turvey, 270 yds, 1; Fergusson, 270 yds, 2; French, 250 yds, 3. Time, 15min 30sec. The following team will represent the Civil Service Harriers in the Inter-club Teams Raoe, to be held on Saturday: — Melville, Stephens, Turvey, Fergusson, French, Reynolds ; emergency, Lambie. The Civil Service Harriers lose a good athlete in E. Clancy, who has been transferred to Gore. Clancy represented Otago in the- New Z-ealand oross-ooTintry championship held at Christchurch in 1903, and was selected to represent the C.S.H. in tha inter-club raoe next Saturday. He intends joining the Gore Harriers. The well-known Irish amateur athlete and New Zealand 1 champion M. Roseingraye has for the time being deserted the athletic field, and set up in business as a tobacconist in Timaru. At a meeting in Birmingham (England) on July 8 the American sprinter H. H. Hymaa lowered the English amateur record for 300 yds, which stood at 31 2-ssec, by twofifths of a second. On Monday evening last the members of the St. Andrew Harriers met to bid goodbye to one of their vice-presidents (Mi* M'Kechnie). Mr Rosevear, 011 behalf of the club, presented Mr M'Kechnie with a gold medal, suitably inscribed, as a memento of his kindness to the olub. Mr M'Kechnie returned thanks to the club for the gift. The members of the club again met on Saturday evening to bid good-bye fco Mr H. Gill, one of their most enthusiastic! members. Mr Thomas, after having spoken at length on Mr Gill's good qualities, presented him, on behalf of the club, with a silver- mounted walking-stick as a mark of the esteem in which he was held by the members. Mr Gill, in a few well-chosen words, thanked the club for its excellent; present. The Dunedin Harriers held their annual club championship on Saturday at Forbury Park. Twenty-one members faced the starter, and were soon sent away on their journey of five miles, the pace being fairly fast at the start. At the end of the first mile a bunoh of 12 were in front, and, run* ning altogether, finished the mile in smin 45sec. All seemed content to jog along together, and no one broke away, the pack keeping together and finishing the second mile in Umin 56sec, and the third mile in 18min. In the fourth mile three of tho front pack cried enough, being troubled! with stitch, and a few dropping- behind lefli Webb, Burk, Dowlands, and Bonnin ahead) at the four-mile distance in 24min 2sec, with Munn, Watson, and Moore some distance behind. In the last round the front pack kept together until half a mile fronu home, when Dowlands and Burk were seem to go ahead and leave Bonnin and Webb behind Dowlaids and Burk were together until near home, where the pace told on the former, and after a great effort he felli. away from his coniDanion, and Burk. easmm,

tip, secured the championship in the creditable time of 29min 40sec. Burk and Dowlands both ran exceedingly well. Dowlands provided the surprise of the day, and for his sterling performance was heartily congratulated by his elubmates. Bonnin secured thind place, beating Webb by a < short distance. Then followed Watson, JVlunn, Moore, and Galloway. On the Sealed handicaps being opened and worked But it was found that the following were the two placed men: — Dowlands first, with Munn second. After the race the club's Selection Committee met and picked the following teams to represent the club at the . Inter-olub Teams Race next Saturday* — No. 1 team — Burk, Dowlands, Bonnin, Webb, Watson, Melville; No. 2 team— Romeril, Galloway, Munn, Moore, Low, M'Donald. The Cayersham Harriers held their Vicepresident's Handicap Race over the Cliffs course on Saturday last. " The race was (well contested, and at the start it looked « good thing for the limit men, who eat off at a great rate, but the long uphill run was too much for them, probably through want of training. The virtual scratch men made up ground here, and rapidly overhauled the leaders before the Hong stretoh of plough was reached. M'Knight, the winner, simply revelled in the' heavy going, and > soon left the field far behind,- and ran in an easy wanner by " » hundred- yards. The time (14-min 4sec) is very good, but as the- course has never been .taped off, there is some doubt as to .the distance. The following are the placed' , men:— G. M'Knight, 30secr 1; H. Muir, lmiri*3ssee, 2; W. A. Brown, 45sec, 3; M. Forrester, lmin 35sec, 4. Also started: J. Spence 30sec, F. Conroy 60sec, J. Dennison lmin 30sec, T. ScofieJd Jmin lOseo. B. J. Allen lmin 20see, W. A. Tiley lmin 45see, and W. Rackley lmin 45sec. < The following team has been chosen to represent the Caversham Harriers Club in the Inter-club Race next Saturday: — J. Spence (captain), G. M'Knight, W. A. Brown, H. Muir, M. Forrester, and F. .Conrov. The St. Joseph's Harriers held! a sealed ' handicap race on Saturday. Fifteen members faced the starter, and left CargiU's for about a four-mile run, finishing at St. Clair Baths. The first man home was H. Munro, who wins Mr J. J. Dunne's trophy. E. Jay, who ,was second, won the sealed/ - handicap, the trophy for which was also presented by Mr J. J. Dunne. T. Queloh was third. Nine seconds only was the difference between the first three men. J. M'Gough, the Scottish distance champion, was recently beaten in a 1000 yds match at the Edinburgh Harriers' Sports (Powder.liall Grounds) by the North of England 'crack, G. Butterfield. Biitterfield went to the front at the last turn, -and won by a yard and a-half in 2min '23£ sec. M'Gough Kccounted for the' Two-mile Invitation Han-' dicap, -which he> won from scratch in 9min 37sec: ■ • ; There is said ' to be, some likelihood of a 1 ten-mile match between A. E. Shrubb, the English- -distance champion, and Aldridge •during the- present month? During Sbrubb's in the colonies' Aldridge won all the - principal long-distance events in the Old Country, showing form that warranted English writers in" expressing the opinion that when he again met Shrubb he would keep the South London , harrier moving at his ,Very best to win. The Queensland Cross-country Championship, which in previous years was decided over a course' of three miles only, was this year extended to five miles. The result was «. win for the ' Thompson Estate Harriers, %hp placed 1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 13— fU points. East Brisbane, who hitherto, have pretty well monopolised the event, were second with a total of 51 points.' There were 56 -starters, representing, nine clubs, but only four clubs were -' at all fully- represented. sThe individual placings. were : — T. Singer (29min *3sec), 3; T. H. tireen, 2; J. A. Watts, 5; J. O'Brien, 4-. The nublic attendance Itotalled ,3000: Alfred Sbrubb explains. — I had a chat _ ,%ith the' famous- athlete on his recent experience at Stamford Bridge (states a London' interviewer), where he was beaten in ' the Four-mile Championship by Smith. "There ( was an, impression last Saturday," % said, "that you were a little off colour, «nd that you had perhaps taken too much • r>ut of yourself as a result of your colonial risit." "Oh, no, that is quite a wrong idea. I don't wish to underestimate the good performance of Smith— it would be very ungracious, and, beside, I was one of the first to congratulate him in the dressing roombut I"< had plenty of running in me. On the previous '.jMonday, at Birmingham, I had done a good performance (as you remember, ' and .1 came to London xjuit© confident that I could win the match easily." "Then, to what do you attribute your defeat?" "I put' it down to sheer misfortune. I went off an I always- 'do at a punishing' rate io , "get- my early lead,- and after gaining 1 it I 4ell heavily. . I hurt my elbow rather badly ton the first occasion, but my. second fall Va* the most serious," and here Shrubb revealed to me his right leg, which bore convincing marks of the casualty. "This upset >ne altogether," he added, "and I had to fall out. Prior to the second accident I , felt that the race was in my hands. As to> being exhausted and overworked, that is quite beside the truth," and his coal-black , eye* twinkled half in merriment, half in indignation, at the bare suggestion. "I feel quite confident that in another three weeks' time I shall bt all right again." "Did you find the going at all difficult on Saturday? "Directly I got on the track I noitced it very loose, and not at all to my likmg. : 'After the men had heen round once or twice «r«at holes appeared, and in one of these . holes I caught" my foot on two .occasions. I inorely want to express « belief that 1 shall run ac well as ever when I get on another track, and I am glad I have had an opportunity of saying so to a representative of the press." Speaking of his colonial visit, Shrubb declared that he had not , worked hard enough in Australia to get tn« fat off him. I was doing lOst there, and bow I aj^doin? 9sfc 31b. The climate was mot quite suited to me. but otherwise x came back with excellent impressions of Australia. ■