ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 574, 31 July 1909, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

' 1 (BY Mercdby.l ■ '■ FIXTURES. , August 18 and 21.-: Australasian Championships, Brisbane. '■ September 9.— N.Z. Cross-cbuntry Championship, Timaru. • . September 18.—"Wellington Harriers' Club' Championship. ■ November. —Wellington Centre Marathon Race, Kaitoke to Basin Reserve.

• "Huia."—Thanks for the South African clippings.,. Regret'pressure of space precludes their use. Regarding Zambesi Regatta, do not consider (in view of the difficulty tho Zealand Rowing Association ' 'find, m financing a' crow to Australia) that there is'a.ny possibility of the Dominion being represented so far from home.; Agree with you that the cable man treats New Zealand very, poorly with regard to cricket and other' athletic matters, in comparison with tho papers forwarded by you. . ■■ ■',

."Mercury" .has-to thank "Huia," a Mastertoil corrosponcl6nt, for a good picture of R. Walker and V; Duneke'r,the South African champions 'now on-tour in England.

Tho harriers' annual steeplechase race' is to bo decided tti'day at the Trentliam Racecourse, the'use of which has'been' granted for the occasion by! the Wellington Racing Club. Mr. A. E: Whyte, secretary of that, club, has donated a trophy for competition; and has also arranged that, all tho oostpcles used at the winter meeting' last week-shall be left in position. ' ;; '. : '•

A race of this kind is an ideal ono for crosscountry runners, on account of _ the opportunity which it gives the. competitors to display both their ;pac6 and their ' jumping abilities. As might ; bo expected, members have responded well by entering almost to a; man, and spectators, who mako the journey to tie course, should be-rewarded by witnessing an interesting'race...: The train .leaves Lambton Station, for.'the-course at. 1.15. :'

'Hills were the predominating feature of the course covered during the run last Saturday, but, as the starting place was fixed,.'.at Ngahauranga, these could not be' altogether avoided. " The run w'as Somewhat shorter than usual, While -the attendance of members was below , the averaze. . .. ' :

. A'new ifaco in the that.of.B. 1 ,W. Currie. a recent arrival from the Old Country, who ran. in the . colours of the Welsh Cross-country Association, which ho represented only a few months back.' Although in a somewhat soft condition at present, Currie kept himself in a handy jwsition throughout the run, and, oft flat going,' showed a fair amount of t>aco. ' ; His ideas of cross-country running, like thoso of othor "Old Country" runners, have .booh considerably, changed as a result of his experience with tho Wellington Harriers,), Wellington weathor, and Wellington courses. , A slushy run in along part of .the ."canal" .portion of . the old Hutt Itoad 'completed tho day's sport, .and,, as .Pollock, Hodson, -and Press spenh less, time'than, tho rest of the pack in pulling themselves out of itho stifcky mire, they secured the .places in the order indicated. Mid-weekly luns are ■still being hold, by the club, despite the fact that each Wednesday lias been wet Bince ihey were instituted; . ' ~ During the week V delegation, from the Wellington Centte waited,upon the.committee 'of the W.A.A.C. to talk over. matters in connection with the proposed Marathon Rice, from Kaitoke. . The matter was . fully discussed, and it was eventually settled that the long distance race is to bo run in conjunction with the W.A.A.C. spring meeting ijome time in November. November 9 was mooted as a suitable date,'but that and other:details,will be decided later; ■; Tho' first prize for the Marathon will be the maximum allowed by the ■ amateur rules of racing—£lo—and in addition to other trophjes prices wilralso be given for a.' : sealed handicap to be run, in .conjunction with tho big race. , , V. Duncker, the. South African hurdler, easily accounted for the hurdles at the London Athletic Club's members', meeting la-st morithj ; winning Comfortably by four yards.: His time was Glscc., 3 4-osec. moroi than his recent South African record. Walker, Duncker's fellow tourist, has also been, showing some of liis true form. On June 20, at Crewe, ho .iron the' 100 yds,. invitation scratch race splendidly, with fiius judgment, by a foot, in lOsec. dead,' says a lato exchange. Special timekeepers certified to tho accuracy of this performance. This is a great improvement on his last English performance, when we were advised that, at Darlington, at a meeting of. the"Northern Amateur Association, held prior -to the run mentioned above, he got off badly, in the 120 yds. handicap, and ran . second to -E. Grant, of Beverley, who started off the 9Jyds. mark. Grant also won the 220 yds. final off 14yds. Walker came with a; big rattle at tho finish, but could not get- tip to Grant, who won by a yard in 23 l-ssec. We have .not yet heard how Walker fared in the English championships, but if, as reported above, ho had struck nis " oven-time' gait on\ Julio 20. it is fairly safe to say that he would leavo Morton and C)o. iii the "also started", list at the big meeting: 1 ' \ Apropos of Walker, it is interesting to noto that his big Canadian rival, "Bobby" Korr, whom he is. crossing the Atlantic to meet at the conclusion of his English tourj has also beon figuring among tho; wirincrs, and that in a sensational manner. .At Ottawa, at tho Canadian spring championship meeting, Kerr won the 100 yds. event anyhow in 9 4-sscc., and the 220 yds. in 23 3-5 unpuslied. By tho same iiiail as above, American files bring tho that John FHnagaii, .tho great .hammer-thrower of the Irish-American Athletic Club, established a now World's re-* cord aA Celtic Park, New York, on Juno 6 last, throwing the-161b. hammer. He throw the weight 174 ft. 32in. frpm a 7ft. circle', boating the mark mado by Mat M'Grath, of Now ■ York Athletic Club, two j'e.irs h«o at Montreal, Canada', by Sgin, As the distance w;is~ measured with a steel tnpo, and the circle was the regulation stool'one, and nil requirements were carried Out in the ptvseiifco of several A.A.U. officials, the mark will undoubtedl.y have been .allowed. This performance makes, tho. Australasian- record, of 151 ft". liu. and our, New Zealand ..record ot 130 ft. jijn. look I'ory.snud] potatoes, and ver.v few

i in a row, moro especially a* tbew) (tho Alllitralaßian and Now Zealand) flgurcA were cstablidicd from a Oft. circle. There is nothing new; ,to chronicle' itlioill tho Now Zealand team lliia week. 'Jim Australian. Statai authorities nro ill the throes of. selection, ami test mock Wore Hie, order of tho day in New South Wale# Mid Victoria, when tlio last mail !cft, _ "B|Xirl.' has the following on the Viotwiaii ciindidates"Tests to select rc|inw!iilntiv«fiJor tho 1(10 yards, hall'-niile, high jiimli, lilid shot-put will lie held 011 Mie Middle Pfi/li track on Saturday, July 111, The teat for tho three-inile roiircuciilativp will lie lield on Friday, July '2H, at the Scotch College Ground, at C 'p.m. For tlio latter, Hulfrcii, Blalto, M'Milhin (Hamilton), Aitken, Itynn, \J. A. Btilhvell, M'Mieken, and Hproule (University) will compete. I should like to see tho new.boy, 10, Mastex), also included, For tlio sprints, A. Kllis, Ij. h, Morgan, W, J. Paterson. and 1!, 'J', Brown will toe tho mark. Mocking, Hardy, and Wlieiitley will be asked to show their beat over tho 'half,' ad W. G. Rouse and 0. J, I/.vtieli, « convineer with tho 101b. ohot. Fairley may be asked to show tlio Selection Committee a high jump." : Commenting upon tliin, "Prodigal" nays;— "I will admit 1 am not too oonvemnt with tlio very latest form and condition of all oiir friends across tlio Murray, but it reads strangely to hear of record-holder G. A. Whoalley beijig 'tested' over half' a mile. , Before news cfimo from Wellington to the effect that Guy Ilaskins could not malic the trip, it. wan looked upon in tho Dominion and most of tho States as going to lie a 'battle royal' between AVhoatley and Haafcin# in tho half at Brisbane, and wnftii newticiune about Hashing as going to bo a 'good thing' for Whcatloy. And yet wo read ho m going to bo tested I", 1 "

Tho Queensland team is,not yet finallj selected, and tlio authorities arc also awaiting the results of tho "try-outs." Tho most likely m<m seem to bo H. J. Fny, a good 100 yards man, 10. H. Peajson. and J. Rafter (sprints), V. Hawkins arid A. J. Luton (one and three miles), and a strong contingent of field event perfortnors—Frawloy, llaher, and Molloy ■ (hiph jumps), ' Frawle.V and M'Cabo (broad jump), Frawley and Molloy (pole vault), ana M Gratli, Maher, Frawlfy; and Kehrney, tho present hammer champion (shot and hammer). It is also rumoured that ox-chanipion half-miler D'Arcy Wentworth may turn out again, and that ho is training in tho hopo of striking Jorrn.