ROSE COMES FROM AN ATHLETIC FAMILY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17782, 27 February 1926, Page 2

ROSE COMES FROM AN ATHLETIC FAMILY.

HIS PARENTS ARRIVE TO SEE TO-NIGHT’S RACE. Mr and Mrs Rose arrived from Wellington this morning in order to see the race at English Park to-night between their son, R. A. Rose, and Lloyd Hahn, the American champion. Mr Rose is a keen sport, and naturally very interested in the athletic sport. As a youth at Wellington College he ran second in the 100yds championship. The family have great athletic traditions. Mr Rose’s brothers are all prominent sports and splendid oarsmen. On Mrs Rose’s side the family have a fine athletic record. R. A. .Rose, the Australian and New Zealand champion, is twenty-four years of age. He is a second cousin of W. J. Burk, who, curiously enough, held the Australasian three miles championship record from 1893 to 1901. In that year the late W. F. Simpson ran the distance in 14min 49sec, putting up a new record, which stood till February 28, 1923, when Rose did 14min 45 l-ssec.

Hector Burk, a son of W. J„ will be remembered by Christchurch people for having defeated the wonderful Alfred Shrubb in a mile race at Lancaster Park off the same mark. Rose's latest achievement was to run a mile at Masterton last Saturday in 4min 18 l-ssec, this beating the Australasian record.. The course has since been surveyed and found to be actually a little over a mile. The Masterton track is a curved one with a good surface, and it is well sheltered. Following are the records now held by Rose:—

Australasian.—One and three miles and 10,000 metres cross-country. New Zealand.—One and three miles. Wellington.—One, two and three miles and five miles cross-country. Country Clubs.—One and three miles.