ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 906, 27 August 1910, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

(Bγ Merocet.) LETTER PROM DE. NEWMAN. WOODGER'S CHANCES W ENGLAND. FIXTURES. To-day.—Fivo Jfiles Inter-Club Harrier Test Kace (Miramar). September 7.—New • Zealand Cross Country Championships (Invercargill). The Doctor at the Big Meeting. A member of the New Zealand Council has received an interesting letter from that very good friend of New Zealand amateur athleticism—Dr. Newman, who is at present in England. Excerpts therefrom are appended, from which it will be seen that the "Little Doctor" has not nllowed greater interests to quench his liking for things athletic. Also, it will be seen that he very strongly advocates the representation of the Dominion at the next English A.A. Ohanipirnships by our local sprinter, W. A. Woodger, and earnestly urges that an effort be made to make this representation an accomplished fact. However, the letter speaks for itself, antl runs, in a condensed form, as under:— "I went .yesterday to seo tho English A.A. Championships—largely to pick up new wrinkles as to how to manage ours. 1 learnt nothing; we manage every bit as well. All races except tho 120 yds. hurdles and four-mile steeplechase wore run on cinders. TJhe long-juinpep jump much higher than ours. The winner of tho pole jump (an Hungarian) runs 50 or 60 yards, gels much more Way on, and has a longer pole, I think, than H'Kay. Ho cleared lift. 7in. I went especially to see the 100. and 120 yds. Re Woodger: "Reggie" "Walker is a little fellow, and I think our long-legged man must beat him, that is if he got off the mark quickly. However, Walker is, I fancy, a back number. In the 100 yds. event Ramsdell, a youmj American—a huge, big man, very thick-legged and top-heavy-at the end of sixty yards forged ahead of Walker, the big man beating the little runner by his big stride. In (he 220 yds .(Walker not 'starting), Ramsdell, jnst by superior strength, got home from Haley on a cinder track, winning by indies in 22 2-5 sec. The cinder was a little, but very little, softened by rain. Woodger has an Excellent Chance. "I think Woodger has an excellent chance in this company—especially in tlie 220yd5.," where starting does not tell so much. The hundred was won in 10 1-5 sec, all out. The 220 yds. event was run' round a turn, and in strinss all Ihe way, the men starting at different measured points. Over this distance■Woodger, fit and well, should, in my opinion, win comfortably (and the Doctor goea on to say that if any effort is made next season to send our champion home, he will be glad to assist). He continues: "But bo sure that lie comes curly—in time, to run at small meetings for about six weeks, and to learn to run on cinders. If Ramsdell does not come over next year, it should be a very sure thing for our' man. If I can ; hear of Ramsdoll and Walker running again, I will try to see them, but my belief in Woodger is confirmed. Only he must be sent Home in good time, and should race six or seven times before going for tho championship." General Features of the Meeting. Of some of tho general features of the meeting tho Doctor says:—"l saw .Webb epread-eagle the walkers. Ho walks shoulders and arms swinging, not cramped like Kcrr's. Ho walks quite fairly. Barring Miles Dickson, of Canterbury, I cannot give our men a chance in any of the other running events; ',bnt I think he could have won the four-mile steeplechase quite easily. None of the high-jumpers jumped as beautifully as Orbcll, but they all come in ffoni tho side, as he does. The starter was no better than Leslie—l think not so good. Denis Horgan, tho champion weightputter, is like our new man M'Carthy, only twice'as big and thick. Describing the track, Dr. Newman says:—"The turns for the quarter, half, and' mile were horribly sharp, and the first, is near the start, as bad as can be." In conclusion ho writes:—"l thought our athletes uneducated, not olevor at the field games; but, with tho exception of the length of the run-in of the pole-jump winner and the great height attained by the long-jumpers, I noticed nothing different from our methods. At tho Olympia Military Tourney I saw some tug-of-war contests; we are babies at this game. The men here are so trained, and have so many tricks unknown to us. , ' Wellington Harriers' Championship. Tho increasing interest which is being taken locally in . cross-country running was evidenced last Saturday by the largo number of/ runners and spectators who gathered at Miramar North on the occasion of the Wellington Harriers eighth annual championship race. This event had been keenly looked forward to for weeks, past owing to the large number of aspirants for championship honours, and the impossibility of picking with any degree of certainty, the likely placegetters. While the ultimate winner, Howberry, was greatly fancied in some quarters, the older club members and past winners of the honour ■ were not without their ardent supporters, v who expeoted to see one : or other of them. reach the tape ahead, of tho younger runner. . ,

But Eowberry proved, without any shadow of doubt, his superiority over his older opponents, by assuming tho lead almost immediately after the s.tart At the end of the third' mile he made a fine effort which quickly left a big gap to be reduced by his nearest attendants. Over the last mile he continued with unabated vigour in face of tho heavy "northerly" to stick to his lead,! and , finally ran in, without being extended, an easy winner by 25 seconds from Curry who was greatly distressed. The winner proved by his good showing that the flattering opinion of ; the handicappers in previous events tills sea-son-was fully justified and, in view of his comparative / youth, he should be found competing from the scratch mark for some time to come. Bird's-eye View of the Race, i Tho race can bo easily described as very little changing of position by tho contestants took place. Over the first "leg" of the courso which was about two miles, and over which the runners wero assisted by the following gale, the pace was set alternately by Rowberry, Curry, Bennett, and Wilton, and this quartet showed tho way on to tho golf links which opened up the second "leg." By tho time the road near the Scatoun tunnel had been ioachod; Eowberry had a clear ■ lead from Bennett, Curry, Lamberg, and Press who wero now his nearest rivals. In tho rtui for homo over two miles in the teeth of the northerly the weak spots in the untrained runners were discovered, and somo of the men in the rear were rapidly left' further behind. Half a milo from home Eowberry had the race well in hand with Currry equally safe for second place while, for third position, a grim contest was being fought out by Lamberg, Bennett, and Press. Eventually Lamberg wore down the two ox-champions, and streaked over the last furlong unattended. The last man to finish arrived within four minutes of tho winner, and hud tho pleasure of carrying off the trophy provided for the winner of the sealed handicap held in conjunction with the race for the championship. ,

Good Handicapping. ' ; Bowbcrry's timo' fov the distance was 2!) miii. 57see., and' the sealed handicap resulted, after deducting time allowance, in T. Johnson winning in 29min. •!i7sec, with S. M'Dowall only one fifth of a second later, und W. Power third in 2!)niin. 40sec. The handicap'pers, Messrs. Pollock and Walt were deservedly complimented on their successful adjustments. Brooklyn. Before the clutropionship race was commenced the Brooklyn Harriers held a run from the same rendezvous under Vice-Captain Hanger, who set u good pace for his fourteen followers to maintain. Advantage was tnkon uf the course .already laid by the Wellington niea (A,

Johnson and A. W. Muir) for the run, and by this menus, the pack wero given a chance to become familiar with the country over which to-day's test race will bo held. A- long run-in, which was witnessed by the goodly muster of spectators, attracted by the Wellington Club's e\;ent resulted in a win for J. Don, after a well-judged finish, with R. Mnnra, and T. Barnes filling the other places. . Financing the Trip South. After the day's sport had concluded the matter of the representation of this city' at the cross-country championship at Invorcargill was' thrashed out by the combined committees of the two clubs. It was agreed to endeavour to raise funds to cover the expenses of the five men who aro to be selected after today's'raco. Substantial donations to such a "fund were promised by' Messrs. A. Marryatt, J. 11. Pollock, and W. H. Bennett and it only requires the support of other lovers of the sport to ensure the banishment of the financial diificultv. Brooklyn Harriers intend giving the public nu opportunity of assisting the project by holding a concert on Monday next at St. Peter's Hall. This/afternoon members of both clubs will' again assemble at the Miramar tram terminus for the purpose of holding a test race over last Saturday s course. This event, which will be practically an inter-club championship, will be held under the sporting conditions—no entrance fees and no prizes. Advice has been received from Invercargillthat the race on September 7 (the. New Zealand C.C. championship fixture) will be open for teams representing centres only, no club championship race being hold in conjunction with it as was done, last year at Timara.