ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 413, 23 January 1909, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

I » : ' ■ ■ | , (Br Mbrcciit.) .. - , ■■ • FIXTURES. , - | January ; 27.—W:A.A.C. Evening Meeting. I February—W.A.A.C. Autumn Meeting. March.- —C.Y.M. Club's Annual Meeting. March-20. Auokhuu] A.A. nnel O.C. Mara-thon-Road . At,.last there - are some". ' 'coming events" to '.clironiclo.'.' ..'Runnerp ;were beginning to, j wonder; and with reason,, what the commitI tees.of our;; various clubs wero.doing about futuro.; meetings.So far the W.A.A.C. is tho onlj' ono that has done its duty, and • moreover :t appears to bo the club that "is proriding the/lion's share of the fare in view. Surely, some of the younger, clubs are blessed energetic: ' enough;, and capable of running a meeting. ■ The events''set' down. for" the ; Wellington Club's ' evening'. meet at the Basin Reserve on Wednesday are three-mile run handicap, 440 yards handicap, . and 75. yards handicap. The entry; fee is the usual shilling- pcr race, ,cxloeptvf<Jr"W'.A.'A;G.. -members,-' who aro free, ;and .entoies'-cloie : with.-Messrs'. Kitto and: GifahamJ':'J.' N.' Robinson ind Sons, A. J. Bloraini'oi'the secretary to-day." A good deal of ; interest-is ;being taken in the three-mile run, whitSh was put on with a* view to bringing Sharps and , Mulcahy ; together. The former, is tho present Australasian and New Zealand ■ champion over .the distance, while MulcahyV J brilliant. running; at. the recent- ; and hisjwinmng of .the threemilb .jtfo'nndial "championship on January 1 will be fresh in tho public mind. ' Mulcahy, j >,was loth to take Sharpe on just vet, as he contends, ind rightly, that ho is not just now in the right, shape to do himself justice over a three-mile course. He is..making a big effort to get into condition for tho Auckland. "Marathon,",andf;has been confining his preparatioiis to-long, road work, and cannot, therefore;' strike., the three-mile.;on grass , form at . short notice. There is a-lot of reason in this ar"gument, "and moreover Sharpe. has' beeii in ' 'roWri'.'"forjthe' last' two ' meetings,; and had the t .opportunity: on each occasion of meeting Mulcahy'had. he desired to do, sd; ; However,' Mulcahy.'is a good sport, and I: fully expect to I'see him turn , out and put up a big go on Wednesday. ; . v i : 1- notice - that, the 'name ,of,;. E; .E. Fisher, 'the present' 220.yards champion,' was omitted from the 'list of runners, invited, by the Wel."lingtoh : Centre to - get iitto , training in view, 'of the coming championship' meeting. Fislier :iB now; in- Napier, but before ho left ho said that ho would train and run for tho centre and defend his title if ,callod. : upon, so I hope the executive will ascertain;- Mb intentions be-, fore a final selection is made.,. , ... '< „ It .will he;remembered (says; the ."Mataura-i v I Have received copies of the'programme of tho' sports meeting which is. to bo held on the; Auckland Domain by the Auckland Amateur Athletic and Cycle Club; in conjunction, with'{the '.-'Marathon .Race, on . Saturday, March 20. • The . principal .. event is, . of course, the' Marathon R'aoe,' which. is. over a .course of;about- thirteen miles;; from Howick 'to lAiicklarid, finishing up once round tile Domain 1 .- . Tho" first' prize .i^,. a: sterling , silverlaurol; wreath.- presented' by;, the Mayor'. (Mr. A. M. Myers): and, Mr. Leo;-, Myers, but in. addition, to .the -race proper; a sealed handicap will. be contested, for which three prizes will 'bo-given. ; :Tho' programme: includes ten other and;tho'committee,is hopeful that tho' l 'gathering ,will mark the.'ropival of .interest in :amateur>.'athleticsi in' Auckland.,; ' V, Vife'- j > The local ccntro has written to Auckland, for' full - particulars kind of. country to be traversed,- etc; As stated -aboye; Mulcahy'intends making the trip, arid soma - ;of the Harrier ..Club... are thinking seriously over the matter.. - "Vaulter"; in;,'tho "Weekly . Press" holds •forth/ at the- Pioneer ] Club in : : Christcliurch .as under:'' 'If something of the sort had been said 'by, 'a : candid'-friend. when• things athletic the earlier Btages'.of•:t-he. trance' that has enwrapt them, -of. late 'years,' it:'might , have'.prevented .the' f inertia and general slackness that lias beon ■primarily responsible for the present; athletic , revolution.''-T -It is to ibe hoped that "VaulterlsM homily will sting; the Pioneer' Club; into 'life : and action again,- if, • only ,to show ■ :that ; amateur athletics as :a sport", instead of»'a> subject'for WTanglirig', are not but,; a feridb'r memory ' in Christehurch. ,Thus "Vaulter""ls it. not time-'that, the' Pioneer Club didiomething to seriously jus-i tify its existence a"s an amateur athletic club ? The present affair? is' not. creditable to the management of such an old-fashioned institution.. The;annual sports meeting was ..allowed;;to* lapse largely; owing:, to lack of. business enterprise, and. it; was, announced vthat 1 a Jseries, of'evening; meetings: .would be held'iristead.-'" So; far, only ono of these gatherings has been held.' No wonder'there is' dissatisfaction among the active competitive ■members. - Club-rooms are all .very .well in ■thdir. way.-to' keep alive the social side of a' sports:body, but they should not bo allowed to'pla , part in the- affairs of. a dub which' -was primarily established to -foster - sport. '-. I" heard the - suggestiori, made' •tho other day that it would bo a good move to' fqrb'-a.'-.'club ,! Which'should exist .solely to provide its', members with an- opportunity for : competition, and; such a ,body would;: I think, command, a good- deal of suppbrt. There are many ! 'promising V athletes ? fresh from school who cannot afford the.; high rate of subscriotion-. which, .is -necessary. to ,:assist in; th<v upkeep. of, 'rooms, and ■ they ;wbhld;;dbnbtless -. be glad; ,tq' join:' The matter'; is worthy of con'.sidero,tion:'byi those interested - in ' the sport."