ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 828, 28 May 1910, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

(By "Mercury.") Wellingtcn Harriers. Says my Harrier correspondent on last Saturday's doings.— The members of tho Wellington Harriers mustered strongly on the occasion of their annual race for novices held at tho old Mutt racecourse last Saturday. A large party, which included the club president, Mr. AV. H. Bennett, went out by train to Hutt, and from thore were driven to tho course in a drag. Of tho twenty-eight members present only ten were eligible io compete in tho race, and all of tiieso wont to the post, while the remainder spent tho afternoon under tho direction of AV. Press, vice-captain, in training operations on tho paddock. l The race resulted in a triumph for the frontmarkers, both first and second places being gained by the two limit men, who adopted the unusual course of making full use of their allowance and profited accordingly

The winner, M. Harrison, 45 seconds, ran a good race, but took no share of the pacing until reaching tho long straight near the finish. For a beginner, he showed sound judgment in following his more experienced companion's strong lead when forcing the pace, thereby taking the sting out of the onslaughts of the back-markers.

W. Power surprised tho spectators by his improvement on previous showings, and is to be congratulated on his tactics, which unquestionably were responsible, not only for his own prominent position at tho finish., but also for Harrison's win.

Tho fastest time was raado by F. Rollo, from tho 15-soconds mark. Ho finished third. Tho scratch man, Chartrns, made up i; lot of leeway in the first half distance, but tho effort told on him towards the finish, and ho had to ho content with fifth place. \V. "White, C. Duel;, and Ij. Johnson Here all well np at tho finish. The haudicappers, Messrs. "Watt and Pollock, had every reason to be pleased ivitli the result of thoir adjustments. The winner's time of 13min. 13sec. for the two miles and a quarter compares well with the 12min. -lOsec. registered by last year's winner (F. Hodson), from scratch. A sprint handicap was hold afterwards by the older members, and resulted in .T. Finn, E. E. Bust, and C. Laniborg gaining tho first three places out of a field of fifteen. To-day the pack will run from Island Bay in two sections, tho first pack, to be chosen at the starting point, conceding live minutes' star!- to the main body.

Brooklyn Harriers. Brooklyn Club members put in a profitable afternoon "ln;;;!irangiiig" on the hills to the north-west of Karon". 0. Murray played a lone hand in the trail-laying business, ami succeeded in keeping well ahead of Hit pack, which started hot on the scent. Running down the main road for a start, ho afterwards doubled back through

Northland and Wntlcstown, and mado for the hush-covered slopes on the opposite side of tho gully. Returning well under <:ovcr the whole way, he emerged near the road a quarter of a milo from homo. By this timo it was a case of Murray first and the pack nowhere, but eventually the latter body succeeded in disentangling themselves from the bush and scrub, and lined up for a run homo. This was won by Don, with Delancy and Chapman filling the places. The club has an attractive programme drawn up for this afternoon, when, at the invitation of their president, Mr. R. A. Wright, M.P., and vice-presidents, they will be taken to tho Waiwetu in a drag from town, and after holding a run over tho good country availablo in that locality will be entertained at an al fresco picnic before turning their faces homewards. Something Like a Pack. The following from the "Australasian" will tend to make the mouths of the local Harriers water and incidentally sot them a goal in the matter of attendance to strive for.

All previous records in Australasia were surpassed by the muster at Brighton Beach to celebrate the opening of the metropolitan cross-country season, when no fewer than 421 runners took part. The starter, Mr. Philip Shappere, sent the slow pack off, with H. T. Travis (Carlton) and J. March (Brunswick) as pacemakers, and J. Power (East Melbourne) and J. Weston (Brunswick) as whips, sharp to time, followed ten minutes later by the "fasts," in. charge of George Blake and W. V. Aitken, pace,, and A. W. McMicken (Essondon) and J. W. Stillwell (Essendon), whips. The usual course of five miles towards Hcatherton was traversed before the pacl: turned into the Beach Read, near Sandringham, where the slows were overtaken by the fast brigade.

Coming from America. The American team of university footballers that is to visit the Dominion shortly has at least three wellknown field games exponent's in its ranks. These are Messrs.-" Crawford (Stanford University), and Brown and Allen (University of California). In the annual "meet" between these two " varsities" last year Crawford, who is 6ft. 2in. in height and shout 15st. in weight, put up two performances that would startle our local athletes. He won the hammer throwing event ut 144 ft. s}in., and the chot-putt (161b.) at 44ft. 3»-in. At r-lio same gathering Brown was second in the pole vault, with a leap of over lift. Last October, at the I'ortola Festival, Allan was second in the broad jump, with 22ft. An effort is to be made in Sydney to get up a small meeting at' which the Americans can show their prowess, and it is to be regretted that something of the sort is impossible here. • Such an exposition would have great educational value and ' would go far towards showing exactly where our athletes fall so far behind in theso field events, especially the shot-put-ting. We have the men and we have the keenness. It is the knack that we lack > knowledge- of, and a practical demonstration would do more to remove this disability than all the book theory there is—especially as wo are also apparently lacking in the theoretical as woll as the practical depart ment.

Through the exigencies of bank service, Wellington is losing the services of one of her prominent athletes in the person of Mr. Hex Bridge, who left the city for Eltham, under transfer yesterday. In addition to his track performances, ho has done good work for the sport in its executive department, having been a keen committeeman of the W.A.A.C. for many seasons past, and that club's delegate to the Wellington centre of the N.Z.A.A.A. for the past two years. . Harry Henderson, N.Z.'s ex-cham-pion sprinter, and a member of the Council of the N.Z.A.A.A., departed on Thursday via the Bluff, on a month's holiday visit to Australia.