ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 912, 3 September 1910, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

.(Bi Hebouui.) •• QUENCHLESS HARRIER ENERGY. THE TEAM THAT SAILS TO-NIGHT. FIXTURES. - : To-day, -y- Australasian Cross-couiitry Championships (Tasmania). : September 7.—New Zealand Crosscountry Championships (Invercargill).

"Knights of the Joyous Venture." Next Wednesday, at Invercargill, irill be held the chief event of the winter branch of amateur running in. the dominion—the New Zealand cross-country championship... The contest is really for two honours—the individual and the centre prem'ierships. The first of these naturally goes' to , tho competitor actually winning the race; which, by rule, is over 5 miles of "true cross-country," and the second to the centra,' to which the first, complete team of four to finish owes al-. legiance. : - .. ./ -.' Wellington is to, be represented by a strong'team, a consummation for which the local centre has;.to thank the apparently quenchless enthusiasm of theJocal harrier clubs. ~ Despite the fact -that; there is none of the limelight and publicity that usually goes with an athletic championship fixture to force the present' event into the prominence , it. deserves in the public mindy.'the circumstances that attend harrierism :hore; and- the counter attraction of our national winter pastime preclude that—the- .steadfast ; .little ■■, band that; like Kipling's "Knights of' the Joybus Venture,", controls the sport -locally has done .so well in its self-appointed tasjc that a team worthy:to represent the province sails for >' the front to-night. Sailing at Their Own Expense. " And moreover it' sails at its own'expense. Throughout the proceedings the local centre has'adopted £,-polioy of masterly,-in-activity,'but this aspect-of the'matter is touched upon by my correspondent in.'his notes, which • follow. Suffice it is to saythat as regards cross-country running our centre T^tis. , , not born great; it has'not yet. aqhievijd greatnessi and IT, as is to be devoutly hoped, it has, greatness thrust upon.it on Wodnesday next by the gallant little, band of sportsmen who sally forth to-night to do battle .on.its behalf —then let us hope that, the result of the coals of fire that will become heaped on its head will: quicken it into a due sense of-its duty in the fututo. v : .-."'... :-,-■

Our Apathetic Centre. , Says my faithfnl contribvitor above-men-tioned i-rAt: , Saturday the two Hairier' .Clubs , combirieil in holding a test race ".over the five-miles"champion-ship' course lajd/'out by ,the: Wellington Harriers'oh tlie.-previbtis;'Sveek-,' in order to give-.the.Wellin'gton Centre's' selector (Mr. W. H. Pollock) some nssislance 7 " in his task.of sorting out. the. best available team'for the New Zealand championship contest nt. Invercargill next AVednesduj.: The event was witnessed by Messrs. .A. Marryatt. and J.;H. Pollock,,, of '.the. N.Z.A.A.' Council, as well as by a large number of supporters , of the two clubs, but the centre again demonstrated its lack of interest in cross-country running by-being unrepresented at. the scene, savo by jits selector..' What a_ marked' contrast there is between this apathetic at-, titude on the part of the'.offioialsor'the Wellington (lentre . and .the-lively .inter-' est which they. evince .in amateur athletics ■of the summer.■-. variety.; ■ And whyp ' The winter' runners can understand and appreciate l the reasons of the : centre for not supporting'their ,venture financially, 'but have resitoii: to, and,-in. fact, do, consider ' themselves" slighted when even the moral support and encouragement of the governing body is .withhold. However, iu spile of itself, the centre is to be represented for the. second successive year at tho championehip race, .and,■ judging : from the form shown last 1 Saturday, Willi be represented" by 'an execedingty strong' team of ruuners, who are in the pink of condition and i'ull of. enthusiasm.; . . First! and Foremost—Rowberry. '.'•;. '.',.' ■First' and. foremost in .the team comes tj. Eowborry, of the Wellington Harriers,: who" last Saturday cut his time down- by .seventy: seconds over the same course on which'he won tho championship , of his club the previous week, and that: after winning handsomely froiuC.: ■■Murray and F. .Hodson,.the, Brooklyn cracks, --who finished second and third respectively. -.'. Kfawberry was able to reduce' 'lis.'tinio for.the distanco fbr> three, reasons, viz.: (1) Familiarity with the course,.■' which saved him many ■ valuable seconds spent on tho previous occasion in piot-> ing up the trail, (2;i bettei" weather condi-.tions-r-the prevailing northerly. not ..being nearly so fierce , -as that of the; previous week; and (3) confidence.in bis ability to stay the distance at a hot pace. His time for the race was 1 28min. 4Usec., being BSsee. better than Murray's, while' Hodson was another. Bsec.. worse; Next to finish aftei the placed men ■• were W. Bennett (Wellington), E. Munro (Brooklyn), and B. W. Curry. (Wellington;.

The Luck Last, Saturday. ■ The luck of the day was undoubtedl} against the 'older., club, as both Press and Wilton .-worecompulsory spectators through incapacities, while, most unkindost cut of all, Curry,! who-''appeared, a moral certainty for second place, got into all the trouble there was going;' nnishing pluckily with a badly twisted ankle, and various parts of his body torn and bleeding through too close an acquaintance with an innocent-looking but vicious barbed-wire fence, to. which he had not previously been introduced.. The Brooklyn Club woa ; also uufoitunate inasmuch as one of its'strong men (J. Don) had been deprived of his sting by a severe attack of influenza early in the week. The selector, Mr. W. H. Pollock, delayed his iinalchoice of the team until Wednesday in order to ascertain the possibility of Curry being .'able.' to form one of the touriug part}'. As ■ his ankle • has! been steadily, improving under the .rest-cure -he has 1 , beeii'. '■' included. :...' ; ' . ■'.... ". •■' ■ ■'■-.' "■• . ' The team which-goes, south to-night is composed of C. Ko\yber'ry, B. W. Curry, W. 13. Bennett (Wellington), C. Murray and I' , . Hodson (Brooklyn), with J. Don as emergency; : . ■ ■ .Prospects. These men will be up against a strong proposition when they meet the Otago team, but given their fair share of luck they should at least .equal' the record of last year's team; which secured second place. Kowberry and. Curry at least, should go close .in the fight for the individual championship,- with-, the formidable southern cracks, Simpson, Beatson, and Co. ■ ... . . : , To-day tho runners will have their final gallop before leaving at Lyall Bay (Wellington Harriers) and Miramar' (Brooklyn). It is probable that the projected teams' race between the captain's and vice-captain's teams arranged for to-'day by the Wellington, pack ' will .be'' abandoned owing.to. the deputy-captain, W. Press, being indisposed.- : Australasian Cross Country. The Australasian cross-country championship is to bo decided this afternoon in Tasmania. Three of the States will bo represented, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. Of.' these, the Mother and the Honie State teams are reported to be of full. strength, but Victoria, generally considered to bo tho home of this sport, in Australia, will be without tho services of several of her best men. Now South AVales is expected to, in tho expressive and elegant language of pugilist "Jack" Johnson, "bring hoine the bacon." ■. ■ ■ ■ ■'. ;', .. . 7