ATHLETICS

Southland Times, Issue 19395, 8 November 1924, Page 14 (Supplement)

ATHLETICS

“On-side Mac.”)

(By

FIXTURES. November 22 —Ohai. December IS—Tahakopa. December 20—Drummond. December 25—Edendale. December 26—Balfour. December 29—Ryal Bush. January I—Waikaia. January I—Tuatapere. January I—Dipton. January 2—Riversdale. One of the biggest sports meetings in the Southland sawmilling district is that which takes place in the bush-encircled country that lies away down in the Catlins River district under the auspices of the Tahakopa Caledonian Society. The seventh annual gathering will be held on Thursday, December 18. The 16 inch Plumb Handicap (kamahi logs) carries prize money totalling £45 and a handsome gold medal donated by Messrs F. A. Plumb, of U.S.A.; the money being allotted in divisions of £3O, £lO, £5. The 12 inch standing block is worth £l5 and gold medal, and two sawing events and a maiden chop also are well worth winning. A special sawing championship is scheduled, with two gold medals and two cross-cut saws for the winners. The 135 yards Tahakopa Sheffield carries prise money totalling £l2, and the quarter is worth £6 IQs and the half 10/- less. Entries for chopping and sawing close with the secretary (Mr Win. Jacobsen), P.O. Box 26, Tahakopa) or the handicapper (Mr M. Dowling, Tuatapere) on December 5. Mr T. O'Byrne will make his annual pil- | grimage to the Catlins and act as the So- | ciety’s starter for the bushcraft events, a I position in which he has no superior in this i part of the South Island. Entries for the i running events close on December 10. i Max Harrington, the promising young ; mile runner, will not be seen in action till | later in the year. He has left for a sheep ' station at Lake Wakatipu where he will be i busy till the end of the year.

A novel school event has been included in the Drummond sports programme. This is known as a “tabloid” and consists of three events: 100 yards, relay race and long jump. The schools that enter must be represented by a certain percentage of the number of pupils on the roll, this giving the smaUer schools an equal chance when competing against bigger rivals. The school teams do not actually compete against each other on the track, but the average for each event is taken and the school securing the best average is declared the winner. In the 100 yards the first and last runners are timed and the same with the relay race, while in the long jump the longest and shortest jumps are taken. The results are then averaged, and the best average wins. The programme for the Tuatapere Axemen’s Athletic Society’s 13th annual gathering on New Year’s Day is an amazingly comprehensive one, when it is considered that it encompasses a grand total of 18 events. The programme for this year is almost identical with last season’s, except that first prize in the Plumb 15-inch Handicap has been raised to £3O and Plumb Gold Medal, second £lO, third £4, fourth £2, nomination being £l. The winners of the double-handed sawing, in addition to a cash prize of £B, will receive two specially-built racing M-tooth saws donated by the Simonds Saw Company, U.SA. Tuatapere always feature their long distance running, and Southland runners wiU find themselves well catered for in this direction, with £l6 to be divided in both half and mile. The Sheffield is worth £23 all told, £l5 going to the winner. The 440 yards handicap has been deleted, and a high jump substituted, while a new event is a Schoolboys 100 Yards Championship of Southland, the first prize being a £2 2s gold medal. Presumably, this is ‘an amateur event, otherwise the writer would be against any event which might result in a boy finding himself in the cash ranks, a step which he might regret in maturer years when he had time to reflect on his position. Nominations for all events (dancing excepted) close with the secretary (Mr M. Dowling) on Tuesday, December 16, and handicaps will appear on Wednesday, December 24, in the Southland Times.

The Drummond Society wiU hold its annual fixture on December 20, the Saturday before Christmas. The prize money for the gathering is being increased, and the programme extended to include piping and dancing. The actual programme has not been drawn up, but will include a Sheffield, 75 yards, 440 and half mile, and the ordinary field events. This meeting was a very popular one last year and should prove an even bigger draw this year with the increased prize money.

Auckland will have the New Zealand Amateur championships this year, and the game is likely to look up in the northern capital. The ladies’ branch of the Wellington AA.C. is already endeavouring to raise funds to send a relay team of four up to the championships. On November 22 the New Zealand amateur cycling road championship will take place Ashburton to Christchurch. There are 20 prizes offered. The race will start about 12 o’clock and the first men should reach Christchurch Show Grounds about 3.15. The road is fairly rough and the men to average about 154 miles per hour will do well, (says Amateur in Otago Times) The Caledonian Society’s Sports are being in Dunedin today. Paavo Nurmi, the invincible Finnish star, was the outstanding figure at the Olympiad. He created record after record, and won

his four events with consummate ease. Nurmi has an extraordinary style of running; the nearest approach to machinelike precision that could possibly be found. Indeed, he reminds one of a mechanical J toy that you wind up with a key. His style is ungainly, he hits the track first with his heel and keeps his knees a little bent at all times. When he claps on the pace there is no effort —no changing of gear—he simply lengthens his stride and flashes past his opponents. Nurmi has in impertubable temperament. Some of the members of the Australian team were of the opinion that Nurmi’s face would be a valuable asset to a poker player. Even in victory he preserves his stoical countenance. Nurmi does not speak English, and is most unapproachable and reserved. He is deeply religious, and during games he is credited with spending several hours a day in prayer. He indulges in plenty of exercise but has not much faith in track training. He leads a simple life and eats fish and wholemeal bread. By occupation he is a house-builder. Nurmi is not popular with his countrymen.

Private advice has been received in Wellington to the effect that Mr D. Dennehy, who was club captain and coach of the Marist Old Boys’ Football Club two seasons ago and who is now in Ireland, was the coach of the all Ireland fifteen that met the All Blacks. Mr Dennehy was regarded as one of the foremost coaches in New Zealand, and this borne out by the success of the Marist Club at Wellington during the time they were under his charge. The first evening sports of the Invercargill AA.C. will be held at Rugby Park on November 24. The events are 75 yards, 220 yards, half mile and high jump handicaps. Entries close on Wednesday, November 19. J. P. Wayte, Otago high jump champion, will be a probable competitor and in this event, the duel between him and C. Rout,, who broke the Boy’s High School record the other day, should be well worth seeing. Good entries for the other events are expected. This meeting will be run in conjunction with the Hibernian Band who will play selections.

The club has two new members, D. Hill, of Dunedin, and A. D. McClymont, of Ashburton.

Several Dunedin runners are expected down at Christmas time, including C. H. Duff, Otago B.H.S. champion, J. Forbes, the Otago half mile champion, is also a likely visitor, in which event there should be good competition between Bews and the Dunedinite.

W. Matheson has been training steadily, but did not go to Orepuki, being of the opinion that he had been set too big a task in the events he entered for.

A most enjoyable little meeting is that held at Ohai each year. This year’s gathering is scheduled for Saturday, November 22, when upwards of £7O will be given in prize money. For the 15 inch under-hand chop a magnificent cup donated by W. Reed, Esq. has been awarded; second £3 IQs; third £1 10s. The double-handed sawing handicap and standing block handicap are worth £5 15s in each case. The running events include 100 yards, 220 yards, half mile and mile, with 30s in each case, and there is a special miners’ race and a tug-of-war for teams of five, a sweepstake of 10s with 10s added. The usual list of field events are included, also a Highland dancing competition. Entries for the chopping and sawing close with Mr M. Dowling, Tuatapere, on November 15. To hand is the full programme of the Mataura Athletic Society for its 24th annual sports carnival on Saturday, December 27. A grand total of £l5O in prize money wiU be distributed. As usual, the Sheffield Handicap occupies pride of place, a total of £25 and 10s each for unplaced heat winners being set aside for this event, while the winner takes the president’s gold medal and £l5 in hard cash. The mile is worth £8 15s, £5 and a gold medal representing the winner’s share, and the three intermediate distances carry a total of £7 in each case. The 75 yards is slightly less. A feature of the programme is the Society’s decision to put on bushcraft events, a wise one, be it said. The 15 inch under-hand chop is endowed to the extent of £l7, in divisions of £lO, £5 and £2; and the 12 inch block carries a total of £lO. A double-handed sawing handicap and 10 inch novice under-hand chop are also included. A mile and two mile cycle handicap and an amateur 120 yards and 880 pedestrian events add further variety to the programme, in addition to which are the usual field events and piping and dancing. A fine collection of specials has been donated for most points and special events. Entries for the bushcraft events close with the secretary, Mr James Reid, on Friday, November 21, and for the running and cycling events on Friday, December 12. Eric H. Liddell, the Olympic Games 400 metres champion, made what is understood to be his final appearance on the track when competing in the Gala H. sports at Galashiels on August 16, which gathering brought to a close the athletic season in Scotland. Despite the narrow track of five laps to the mile and the heavy going and drenching rain, he won from scratch in 54sec. In the last issue of the Athletic News to hand from Manchester appears a very interesting article by Harefoot on the relationship of stride to pace, with the result of experiments by Harold M. Abrahams, the Olympic 100 metres champion. In a 100 yards test Tbrahams took 441 strides and that the largest (one stride only) was Bft. His average stride in all tests appears to have been 7ft 6in. At Paris, in the 100 metres race, he took exactly 494 strides to cover 109.362 yards. In the course of the article reference is made to runners we know well.