WHEN BIRKENHEAD RAN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 150, 27 June 1931, Page 2 (Supplement)

WHEN BIRKENHEAD RAN

j Everyone knows of Lord Bi i kon ; head's interest in athletics. Ln liisl Oxford days he was fourth in the final) I Oxford trial, for the three miles, thus. I just missing the honour of being chosen I to represent Oxford against Cambridge, i Years later he competed in a more sen 1 national race, of which Mr Ivor Thomas | gives the following account: “One evening in May, 1920, Lord Birkenhead, then Lord High Chancellor! of England, was dining at the High Table at Christ Church as the guest of one of the dons, and it so hapjiencdl that one of his fellow guests was M . R. Milligan uf University College, who had recently represented Oxford as first string in the one mile and who had. just come back from America, where ( he had been one of the Oxford and Cambridge Helay Team which had. broken the w orld’s two-milcs relay re- [ cord. In the ante-room after dinner conversation turned to sport of various kinds and the age at which a man was at his prime, and how long active sporr could be kept up. Lord Birkenhead, who was then forty-eight, maintained that, he was still fit for serious competition, and thereupon offered to run four times round Tom Quad, which is generally put at a quarter of a mile, but which is probably only about three hundred yards, before Milligan ran round eight times. “The suggestion was at first not J taken seriously and was soon dropped, but a few minutes later Lord Birken head, who had.probably in the interval been doing some mental arithmetic, again threw out the challenge, and this time offered to Jay three to one on himself in £5 notes. After consider able discussion and against all expert advice two of the dons accepted the offer and preparations were made for this unique sporting event. The Lord! Chancellor was proceeding to his rooms to change into more suitable clothes fori the match when it was pointed out to him that Milligan could not change and he at once agreed to compete as he was. The whole Senior Common Room turned out to watch the event, and al about 10.30 p.m. the contestants went to their marks. Both were in dinner jackets, the only difference being that Lord Birkenhead was encumbered by a large buttonhole. Of the race little need be said except, that Lord Birken head always had it easily in hand. He had secured the services of a pacemaker who ran on the grass on the inside of the track and no doubt spoke words of encouragement into his prin-j cipal’s ear. In the end AlillLizau was| beaten by over two laps.”