ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 621, 25 September 1909, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

5 \'■{..['■.' •''■'.•.'■" ,''BJ' MKltcbttTiV"-;; ;':'-';. - - : ;,y '\V : v^V''' ''■'.• • Oct. 0.-Tcams'' Road..Race. iei'Aro Baths to ■ ~. Patent Slip and-back. .'.,::. ,:'•..'...,'• [•, Npvl t 9.—W.A.A.C- Spring Carnival and;,Wel- | '. ■ lington. Centre, Marathon.'Basinßeserve. . -The last club; race of tho "Wellington ,Hai- ■ riers'^season,.aifd'. one of tho most important on? the programme, was- decided-at Miramar :-. last Saturday,- when : a field 'of seventeen I'sad-' died up" tb contest tha.club five mile crosscountry championship. . : ; : ■ .:■". . , , ; : , , ' 'In 'view of the good performance 'of W. Ben- ■ nett; m the ten-mile race at Dunedin on the i previous' Saturday, and,the'fact that the oham- , .pionrfiip-. course was of, the" hilly bature in !. w.hichi|bis heart.rcjoices, it.was generally antii cipated. that his chance of-bagging the trophy •' an, excellent one;-' It was somo time, however, .before he flattered his supporters amongst tho spectators,'as more than-three-fifths of tho ■ distance,had been covered! before ha was able to secure tho lead.-.. - r..:' :: 'f.i.j. • ::A .two-lap-course-.was negotiated,. in ' :climbing ;.tho..-first hill.-a- fc,w ,hWred yprds , from, the; start: C., Eowberry pladed: agap 'of a,' ; hundred himself and'the. second man,.: and ■ this advantago .he' maintained for about- two miles.-,.; In running I against - the - '™?<'-nowever/- he was.c'aught in-turn by-P. ■■I ,5' :P™ss;»and"Bennei;t>v.and. at two and •.ftVMtt'.mihjs -this; qnartctf'wcro'in the lead, yell .ahead of .Curry; .who --w'aa ruuning - unattended and unpaced.';Bennett jumped tho-lead : m climbing .the. hill'-.the, second time,', and tho .higher, ho mounted the, bigger-grew the' between. the uleii "in: the 'leading fojur:. Conse- ,?" ent, / , „ wlio , n '.;}!! 0 ■•'liftle;.'grcon:"p'atch"a,t-the : top; of :.tho;-him'.,:.was;' : 'reaohed,.-,Bennbtt(,had fifty yards;lendfon^ress;',,who':,was.the" same .distance ahead,ipf.'Row.berry,; with Wilton still further..back'/v-.Goiug ;doWh'tho.' hill' -Bennett ..increased .his." lead,; andt entered on the. final : nart.of in ,'hand. rhencefpr.wardr tho- race . a .mere < prccessWn,; although .the gapjr were" slightly; decreased ; Bfforo,the;fijjlsh..and.Jonn"ett:raniin ■ .18 ;seponds: ane.ad of .Press;,': who'-Vas about tho' samo.-'distance,:ahead-of Rowberry; •'," - ; . ■ Bpnnett:;heia, the'- championship .three years ? B °A?; n S' s}".™ thsn-badinot'won.a.raoe until lastvSatunlay,;. so that Jiis.tsucccss ,was somo--wliat;overdue.; It is;doubtful.;whether'he has. ever displayed' such .goodJfo'rui" in' any previous :raoe. _ -.-..:■-,'; ■ - :':■-'.,•*■ V- -v.'-'- ' ■;' A: sealed handicap for: the. president's'tro-' .pnies was also decided in. conjunction with' the championship, .and, in, this -also,: Bennett and w, e ?? fill«<l first;and second .placos.'with'.A.- P.- , -W.hite.third.:' Tho winner,-.however,, conformed tp,,-,tho, :.uiiwritton.: rule- that .the, championship winner shall:not"accept the. trophy-.forVtho -handicap.- event; v so,. that ..Press;;:. White, '? an( i Rowbcvryiiwere'i.placcd^jn.thafciordor.:, ';.:': fIA-iiwTOdsof;-,^rnise:;-ig.,-dnp',tfr : ,Whito improvement..which lie--I'as-"shown -.pinceV'the season: commenced, atid-'no ibofter" proof-jof his .condition could: bb-"had*thari.tho;-.punishing finish,:which ho:contested'vwith-,Lahiberg. over ;:f h ,P Iff 5. a ?-bundred .yards, '•'lambere:,reached. th'b 4a.pOjfirst!by..-tho: barest'of margin'sf biit both -monj.ha'd.run d'staiidstill.jh'thb .endeavour,tb.snake eaoh'bther offJ<"-,'-V . •■ , :'. '-..During.,the. season twcnty-three'.'.o'ffioiaUrunij havb' been held -by,; the -club, and'.sevonrmombcrii..have: tuthed but. on .each: and'-?07«ry:-'oc-casion.,; The faithful;seven ate:—Hi A; Lainb, W.ivPrbss; C. - Ro'wberry, -L. Salek,,:W.V White, andvF.; eritjtlcd to-tho-'club-'attendance..badges.for the year. • : f.or ""the trophy.' for . tho , aggregate':', points' scored-.-in* the. season's - "runs-m,"-. after keen competitien;'.-.11..' J.■: Pollock-caihb out;oh top. ',w.ith-a,narrow-:margin;of-tw'o, points' lead from R..:Bust. .>,.- -.- - - '-.■ :V-.-v,.--.;,: : -'-'.. :■■:■?■ X; ; ! ■■ \\ "<■■■ .- i :'' -In spi to' of•. the - fact; that tho cream: of • the .harriers' talent,will.be running. for otherblubs -in: : this:year's:read^racc-on October.. .9,,: the 'clu-b v docs'not.intend that the shield, which is :at; present in its possession,, shall go by de-' : fault, and: has," accordingly, .entored two teams ;tb:defehd its title tp tho trophy. .■:,.;■ :, '.' ~: formal programme"of.the Hnr-' rier,;Club :was wound up: on Saturday last, it is,tho l intention.of,cliib members to run out to-day and next Saturday. Teams draining for tho.roadraceon October. 9 are invited to join, ,atid'are. requested to be on baud at Island Bay; at'..3-o'clock:.this'afternoon.; ; ,'..-;.": .',■•:.;.-,', !::A:;good,'(Sntry :1 has been; received, for,,' the ; annual road race on' October.9. ...The" start .will, as usual,'bo niado, from To ArO Baths, but, as a : measurement-'of- the route .-traversed on-tho' two." previous '-.occasions' has, disclosed, that- it .'iv-as isnort of, the five;miles,required, 'the-.turn-ing-point ,this|'tlmo. will -be on ,thb far side; of: the. Patent Slip.: .;; -,-. .;,..;' : :[. : :,: :,';.■:.,;-•;- - ''Conditions., lor':-the ."Marathon"' ' of, iho W.A'.A.C, to bo/run .on.November 9—2G miles 385 yards;:; Basin Reserve to; Butt and back'to Basin,;Rcserver-havobct!n, compiled--'by. those in charge'. .'.As lusual. in .athletic productions, tho sheet .is smothered in .a.thicket of strallgo .p'unrituation, :misplace'd : capitals,, -,footnotes, parentheses,- sub-headiiigs,, interpolations, /'and' Ureek,'- symbols, Which. mako';.'it,, as it. wero, a '.veritable ,"riddle" of Oedipus : to/ solvo.-'' It makes'very .stiff ~ up-hill ; reading,. ;."and, as ■ •"Mercury" is-not -in training/, at present,; ho i;.will treat if, as Mark Twain 'did' a- Turkish , dinner—ho will "pass." .Would ,it bo too much ■to.'tell--.tho,' athlete, that, ho.can, only convey his moaning; to ; the public„by: words; And, as his. words ; usually constitiito. such, an "undis ; ciplined rabble, can ho wonder that tho public do not.patronisohis meetings'more ? ■' .: ;-• It appears that, competitors for tho foregoing have/.to-bojinudically: examined,;• Tho course has -not: ye,t 'bberi. finally; decided., upon,'' but the original idea of starting tho - tourists'-sqmo-' where; in 1 .: the; vicinity '■ of Mungarba has' been abandoned, and tho'jiresent intention is to.haveboth starting and.flnishing,' ! pqsts"iin tho Basin Reserve, and-to mukc up: the distance by mapping out a'roiito'.iii tho Lower Hutt.;: -~. <; -■■In": tho' last>''Refercc' :-"tO' - haiid, , Mr;: R. Cobmbos.contiriues his '.interesting commentary on-tho .recent Australasian championships. His article is'tlio'more interesting: on this' occa- ' sion'from".the'fact'that..it s deals with tho ■ walking events—a -department; of: tho 'sport, that Mr. Coombes'-has ,mado particularly his own; Says Mr. Cooninc's: ..-.--.■•■ .'..';, ~:;"l'want :to. correct a wrong impression going thp,rounds -;iiif the land of thn Maori. It has been extensively.' stated "that New Zealanders expected Kerr to,win.the three miles, but that no might;' probably, would, bo- beaten'- iii -the -. 'milo_on;ing.. to (Mr. Cbombes "having said when in", Wellington;"'(last-" June),, that 'Barley ; was ■ almost; sure:'to boat Kerr ovo'r a mile.' Now this is.;not.correctly :put., At'aißupper. given •; ill 'honour',of:.the .union -president, presided , over'by-Dr. A.'K.,Newman' (Mayor of -Wei- ! lington)',' a; discussion, arose' over New Zealand : ropresentatioh.in,Brisbane.. During tho chat .tho .worthy doctor voiced the opinion that Now , Zealniid;:would win,eight events in Brisbane' , and proceeded to give events and "names. When , he:mentioned Kerr:as being practically a certnmty .for both walks, tho visitor renlied by saying,; 'but, i-erhaps, you; aro not aware that ' in New,Sputn.Wales there is a wdkor named I J. J.Harley, an ex-champioli' of South Africa. , llarley has j great record mid reputation, and trom what I, have soon of, him he. can fairlv ( and squarely do about Omin.'-fiOsoo.' for a mile i ■llius-the Inilo should bo no certainty for

. ;■ Well,, narloy .did -Grain. 49sec. and even then in thojiunt. Kerr i.q. undoubt.edly tho better man.: Being n judge of tho ; jumping .events, I .happened'.to bo busily engaged with, tho, polo vaults- when -the throe miles' walk was i n. .progress,- and missed tho cor ]f stages,; of the- race.- When' I.' saw. tho heel :and too. men ■ at work nearly a milo hnd been covered and then Kerr was Well ahead and going strongly. Ho walked in line stvle striding out well, ami evfdontlv is nn 'improved raniijsinco his Kngltsh visit. His form was unimpeachable. Unrley appeared to mo off colour, going shorter than usnnl, ■niidlinving tho appearance.of one overdone in Work " Mr. Coombes's': tribute to', tho fairness of' Kerr a gait will, bo found very gratifying on this Bido, as. It is ecnoraUy midoxßtopd that

the modoof progression of any' walker who satisfies tlio union's worthy president, will pass muster anywhere! ■ Tho form displayed / in the railo walk, however, does not get many bouquets from. Mr. Coombes. On,, tho contrary, in fact, as the following extract shows:— "In the mile I was able to carefully 6tudy 5 0^ vor ' : of n " W'BOBfd.' I have always been of tho opinion that with a strict adherence to the new rules, about'Gmin. 45sec. is tho best possible for n mile-nnd I still hold to that opinion. Fact is undue leniency on tho part ot the controlling officials marred tho mile, lor example, at tho pistol fire veteran Corrignn shot out and reeled off tho first lap in Imm. 30sec, and thus had the field going all ways—it was almost as bad as the first' Jap ™ Melbourne iii IaOI. Without knowing it ■. Uomgiin broko tho rules. His carriago of tho body was hot upright, the knee was' never straightened/and ho often camo down flat-footed instead of heel first.. Shortly after a lap Harley and Winters displaced Corrigan, and at 000 yds. Kerr . simply rushed to tho front. His effort dowh' : thc hack straight broko up his style,: although, jloubtless he was not aware gf it... From. this on it was no race, for Kerr opened out a good lead.- In tho last half-mile tho leaders settled down, and we saw more of the true'.form. It is no good thinking ono thing; and saying another—the m.ilo did not nffordthe pleasure experienced over, tho three miles."' The Five .Mile Cross-Country Championship ° f South Wales was won last Saturday by Andy Wood, tho recent Brisbano Marathon winner, in 31min. 34sec, and.on the same day, Aitken, also .of ' Marathon . repute, annexed the Ton Mile Cross-Country Championship' of Victoria.