ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 11110, 6 May 1911, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

THE HAEBIEES' DAY ABRIVES, (Bi Mebcubi.l Notes and Anticipations, With the winter comes tho harrier, and with the harrier conies the interesting weekly budget of notes on tho winter sport, for which "Mercury" is indebted to his faithful correspondent. This winter interest in long-distance running will be greatly accelerated by the fact that the New Zealand cross-country chamniouship will be run locally, and will be conducted by the harrier enthusiasts of the city. Already probable courses are being considered for tiro big event, and tho lay of the land is being. studied in order that the best localo may be socured. Competition is already rife among both .the oldsters and the newly-joined for tho coveted places in the representative team. However, that is ior the near future. Just at present club runs are tho order of tho day, and of lastSaturday's doings our "special" writes :— The harrier season is once again in full swing locally, each of the two clubs having no.v settled down in earnest to its year's work. The Brooklyn Harrier Club, as befitting its position as the junior club, is displaying greater enthusiasm than its staid contemporary. It is high time that the Wellington Club awoke to the necessity of creating a stir if it intends retaining premier position. The younger club has had larger musters each week since tho season opened than Wellington has had, besides turning out a greater number of new men.

To-day the clubs intend "holding a combined run from Island Bay, when, by appearances, a pack of forty odd should hi mustered. Each club will decide a handicap race for novices next Saturday -tho Wellington Club at Hutt Park racecourse and the Brooklyn Club on its beloved Miramar course. Entries for both events close to-day. Wellington Club Run. Last Saturday's runs were hold under ideal weather conditions, yet neither club was able to turn out in anything like its full strength. Wellington Harriers, with fifteen runners, started from the whare of T. Johnson at Lyall Bay, and followed a trail laid l~y "Bob" Eeid and F. Pinckney to Soatoun and back. Captain Press kept tho pack well together until half a mile from lunie, when ho sounded the whistle for a go-as-you-pler.se finish from a flying start. The going on the wet sand prevented the fast men from getting a break on tho pack, and consequently at a hundred yards from the tape they were still bunched, and the finish was hotly fought out, resulting in a win for the 'irrepressible Rowberry by inches. A brother of tlio champion (F. Eowberry) ran strongly, and gained second place, so evidently harrier running is a virtue of the family. A Day with "the Brooklyns." Brooklyn Harriers ran from Karori with a muster of eighteen. The courso selected lay in a northerly direction from the starting point until Johnston's Bush was reached, when a stiff climb and sharp descent brought the pack into Parkvale. Here a turn was made southwards, and .when nearing Makara Eoad the saddle leading back to Karori was crossed. Tho final part of the courso was along the Karori Main Eoad, finishing nt the' Dominion Tea Rooms, near the old tram terminus. Owing to the big proportion of new runners taking part in the outing, very littlo fast work was done. This club's novice handicap promises to attract a large number of competitors. The Schedule of Club Runs, "Mercury" has to acknowledge the reesipt of a membership card from the Brooklyn Club and can only regret that "circumstances over which he has no control" debar him from participation in the club runs. For the information of harriers and enthusiasts generally tho syllabus of each club is appended. The Wellington club has scheduled.eight runs, as follow:— .; ■ •']"'■

May 6.—lsland Hay, combined run. „ 13.—Novice Handicap, Hutt Park. ,i 20.—Miramar. ~ 27. —To Aro Baths, road run, June 3.—Soatoun. „ 10.—Thorndon Baths. ~ 17.— Miramar, Palmer Cup, „ 21.—Lower Hutt, Bellevue. 'i'lio Brooklyn Club's programme has the same number of runs. These are:— May C—lsland Bay. „ 13.—Novice Handicap. 2 miles Miramar. „ 20.-Tuita. „ 27.—Brooklyn. June 3.—Thorndon Baths. „ 10.—Miramar. 3 miles. Sealed Handicap. „• 17.—Scntonu. ~ 21.—Karori.

A Victorjan with Battle in his Eye. Owing to pressure on spaco last week an item of interest from Victoria was held over for to-day's notes. This refers to a record-breaking performance on tho part of the Victorian champion "ped.," Hurray in specially arranged handicaps at the Exhibition Oval, Melbourne. It will bo remembered that, at the recent V.A.A.C. championships, lluvray hoisted excellent; figures for (lie one and three-mile walks. It was then considered that, had he been pushed, he cculd have got inside the record, antl the performances under review are tho result of two competitions arranged to give him a chnnco of doing so. The track, which is an asphalt one, and consequently very fast, was carefully checked. Messrs. "\V. E. Briggs and It. H. Croll acted as judges, and these were, according to Melbourne files, quite satisfied with tho walker's stylo in both races.

Nino competitors started to givo Murray tho necessary pace, and the times recorded quite justified expectations. Ho covered the mile in Gmiu. 39scc, thus breaking tho existing Victorian record (his own, by the way) of Gmin. 40soc. The present New Zealand and Australasian best stands at Gmin. 27 2-sfoc, to the credit of tho Aueklander. F. 11. Creamer. But it was in the two milo event that Murray rose in his might, and broke things. There' is no Australasian record for this event, as it does not figure among the chamm'onskip distances, but tho New Zealand record stands at llmin. 12,5-osec, accomplished by our Auckland friend "Dave" Wilson, who figured so prominently on the track last season. This is the fastest time in tho books for an actual two-mile race, hut, at the recent championship meeting in Christchurch, Harry Kerr put away the first two miles of his (hree-mile walk in ISmin. , r >B?ec. Ou the present occasion Murray clocked lUniin. 57 4-5? cc... n sterling good "ro" and easily ahead of the previous Victorian record of ]smin. 19 l-jsee.

Should Murray retain (his form (and always, of course, supposing that his gait nassos muder and that he can make the trip) ho will be the proverbial "tower of strengHi" tr. (he already'"hol" lot that Victoria has to pick he;- team from for tho Australasian championship reeling in Wellington next season. Consider the following, iii addition lo tho walker-.— Burton, the sprint champion, who won Hi? 100 yds. championship last month in lflsec. dead; .1. L. Davis, world's recordholder for the 4 lOyils. hurdles, who also can, and has, got well over 22ft. in tho broad jump; Lost or Kelly and Kric Bussell, both of whom have topped 6ft. in the high jump, and it will be seen that Victoria has the nucleus, of a very strong team to her hand.

On the subject of the return lnalch for the world's spriijt championship between J. Donaldson, whose winning of the title was chronicled last week, and C. E. ITolvay, the Sydney "Referee" states: "The deciding match between these famous runners will take place on or about May 13 in Melbourne, on a ground to be fixed. Hoi way, according ti the conditions entered into before their last match, is to receive .£IOO, win or lose, but it was left to tho promoter to decide on thG distances. Tt has now been determined that there will l>3 three events, viz., 75, 100, and 220 yards, llolway admits that'he was well beaten. by Donaldson at Bendigo, but still believes that he is the better man over the sprint distance. He is very confident of beating Donaldson over (he longer distance, and thinks h6 Can lead the world's champion from end to end in a ";> yards set-to."