ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 734, 5 February 1910, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

, (Br Mkeoubt.l FIXTURES. ... To-day.—Wellington Provincial Championships Meeting (Basin Reserve). February, 26.— N.Z. Championships (Auckland). ;■ ■_ .'■'•'.,' Pebruary.—W.A.A.C. Bvenine Meeting. March s—Potone A.A.C. Meeting CPe- '.'■:, tone), W.A.A.C. Autumn Meeting (Basin Reserve). March, 12.—Victoria College Carnival. March 19.-C.Y.M.A.A.C.. Meeting.

It should be unnecessary to remind th athletic-loving section of the conmvunit; of the Wellington Provincial Champion ship meeting at' the Basin Reserve to day. ; ■■••'. The postponement last Saturda; has made no alteration in the arrange roentg :or the entries, so all the goo< things that were said about the gather iaglast week still hold. •;. ..'■'•Of the.Visitors,' W. S. Harding, thi quarter and half-mile,crack, returned fa Napier on Monday, but will be dowi again; G. S., Keddell, the Otagi jumper and hurdler,. has waited- in.towi from last; Saturday; and V. S. .Williams the. sprinter' of Wanganui, and J Cartwright, the -shot and hammer ex ponent, who'is a schoolmaster at Wood vttle,, also expect to/be present in gooc order and condition. ;■ ... ~' ~As a matter of fact, atlhough the centre officials deplore the postponemeni on account, of. the' extra financial outlaj for advertising, etol, and the. clashing with (Various other meetings to-day, th« adjournment will do as much.good as harm from an athletic standpoint. For one: thing, the -rain :■ has improved. the track tremendously,' and; again the extra runs have brought oh some of the men who were"-.'a little behind in their work. T. '" Heffer,' the ■ miler, ; and • : . .Leslie are. cases, in, point., ■: Last Saturday Heffer had only-been four...days away from his rowing,, and, though, well on in oondition,'.-was short of track, work; The. reprieve ha 9 brought him forward well, and ■ will be, surprised if he does 'not get under ■Imin."• 35sec. for the] mile,. and this'should be good enough to "win. . .Wilton,. the Dominion's ohaihpion quarter-miler, ' has- also been pleasing:the, critics with his work during- the week. On'. Wednesday, on a soggy track,: he., did' a 440ryard run, en--tirely on his own against'the watch,, and registered. 54seo, p which performance .prognosticates, a•; good run from the' ohampion to-day; .■" : ';.. '■'■■:V 1 ■■'.'■.. ■'■■'■''.'' Southern papers 'say that' it is extremely likely that G. p. Keddell, Australian and New Zealand champion hurdler will be unable'to, make the trip to the championships in- Auckland, on February 26.' If this turns out to be so, Otago's chance of securing a championship will be but Bmall, and it will also be bad lnok for. Wellington,'inasmuch as .it will leave the 120

yards hurdle's; open to Canterbury. - This last-named centra 'is also in trouble, as Guy Haskin's has notified that he -'will' not

be available, .and veteran W.F. Simpson, acting under medical advice, nas definitely given the; sport up.. . •'•' ... '' '■,'_;, Apropos of the Otago Centre,' the men {after; Keddell) most.likely to be'..selected are ■reported' to be:—Sprints arid: jumps, .Mit'ohell/and Pittaway; hammer.and.shot, O'Grady. and M'Faiianei pole vault' and hurdles, Uansey ;. distances, MJKriight or Beatson. For' the middle distances Burk }s spoken of as likely, but it is,not stated whether .this refers, to. Hector -of that, ilk, lor his;younger brother/,-, ./v.. ',:;'.■' •. M'Knight;,by the way,\ appears .'to be, running very disappointingly this season. It will be.remo'mbered that;he was sent by; the Dunedin people 'to• Brisbane, with the ■' New' Zealand'; team,'' last' year, and that, though unsuccessful on tour, he p(eriformed very .creditably,,. At a recent evening : meeting:'■. in, Dunedin, however, he failed to get,a'.place:,inla 'mile ■'.won.'in' imin. 45sec, and t this, has; been his general, form throughout' the'season..' ■"-'•' : '' : j : 'There/have been' some queer: races held under ; the",'name ii of, "Marathon," but surely'the ; following, olipped from the "Ceylon. Observer'': reaches the climax ofabsurdity.''Marathon Eace on the Eacecourse,—2i'i Miles Covered in 15 Minutes

12. Seconds,—The ; first .Marathon, rate in Ceylon was- run' at 7. a.m. : to?day on the; Havelook Racecourse in "the annual sports of the Y.M.C.A. :: The'.distance was ; 21 miles, or twice round. : The; event was open;: '.ab'out',..26-competed.;.':-The track' proved, heavyiand only.ten the first round/ /'J.'C. Chapman, of Kandy, provedthe winner, easily in 15' minutes 12 seconds.; Those who supervised, the running were:—Messrs. W-.A". Cole, W. H. M. Davies, X.:C. Davies,\and E.ffi Joseph. The time .which covered the distance is considered to*, he. fairly, g00d,., and the winner came first by about 25 yards." No wonder'.the event was run at'seven.o'clock inthe.morning!; •]:;,;. ".">i'..: ■-'■.. v