ATHLETICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 987, 4 February 1909, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

“ Marathon ” races have become epidemic in New York. Tom Longboat, the Indian, made a hero of himself by defeating Dorando Pietri. the Italian, at Madison Square on the night of December 15. Dorando collapsed on the sixth lap of the twenty-sixth mile, and Longboat finished in 2h .45min 5 2-ssec. The race was an exciting one, the men being never very fat apart and each taking the lead repeatedly.

Longboat has accepted Shrubb’s challenge for races of three distances of 10, 15, and 20 miles respectively, Shrubb’s side bet being 2000 dollars for the winner of two out of the three

races. Longboat, however, stipulates that the first race shall be 20 miles, to which Shrubb agrees, but stipulates for a substantial guarantee that afterwards Longboat will run the other distances. Longboat declines to give a guarantee, and negotiations are still in progress.

On Saturday, December 26, Malcolm Maloney, of the Trinity Athletic Club, of Brooklyn, a new-comer in athletics, established a new world’s record for the full “ Marathon ” distance of 26 miles and 385 yards. The race was from Rye, on the Sound, to Columbus Circle, New York City, and Maloney ran away from 115 contestants, finishing in 2h 26min 36 l-ssec. J. F. Crowley, of the Irish-American, was second in 2h 45min 12 l-ssec, and J. Clarke, Xavier A.A., third in 2h 47min 22 2-5 sec. Malcolm came from County Clare. Ireland, three years ago. The race was under the sanction of the Amateur Athletic Union, and the course was carefully measured by a corps of civil engineers, so that the record will stand.

The Johannesburg “ Star,” of the 28th ult., gives full particulars of Reg. Walker’s great effort on Boxing Day. The paper sees no reason to doubt the 100yds in 9 2-ssec, and 120yds in 11 2-ssec, and gives long and graphic accounts of the two races, both of which were won by yards. C. Hefferon easily won the five miles crosscountry championship. Both Walker and Hefferon had great receptions.

A meeting of the committee of the Auckland Amateur Athletic Club was held in the Sports Clubroom on Tuesday, Mr. F. J. Ohlson presiding. It was decided to realter the date of the Marathon meet-ng to that originally fixed, March 13. A wrestling event, Cornish style, was added to the programme. The date of closing of acceptances was fixed for February 27.