ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1259, 14 October 1911, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

"THE REFEREE" WROTH WITH US. (Br "MEuccttT.") October 21.—Annual Road Race. Tc Aro to Slip and back. December 2G and 27—Australasias Amateur Championships. From To Aro to the Slip. It is tho timo of calm—tho placid, meaningless calm of a vacuum. Even tho restless harrier "has ceased from troubling," and tho hares aro at rest. But signs of coming stir aro visible. Centre and club secretaries aro getting ready for annual meetings, and a start is to bo made with tho uctiro work next Saturday, when tho yearly road struggle for tho Whyte and Mackay Shield is to bo worried out. Tho usual five-milo course—from tho To Aro Baths to tho Patent Slip—has ngain "kindly consented" to spread itself under the foot of tho competitors, much as tho paragon knight spread his cloak under the dainty feet of "Queen Bess" somo centuries ago. Tho event is open to teams representing any football, hockey, harrier, or other club or institution, provided that each runner can sign tho usual amateur declaration. From four to six men may form a team, though only tho first four home count in the deciding points, which aro allotted "ono for first and so on, tho combination finishing up with the smallest sum total of points to win. Tho struggle between the two harrier clubs promises to bo keen. Somo other "hot" combinations engaged also expect to make things interesting for the crosscountry men. Tho "Eight Hour" Sydney Sport*. Activity is moving on' winged feet "across tho pond." Tho Australian States are well under way with their track meetings. On Labour Day in Sydney the usual Eight Hour Sports were held in tho presence of a huge crowd, and two events, of interest on this side, wero included in the programme. Theso were the 120 hurdles and three-milo flat championships of New South Wales. The former event is of special interest from the fact that H. St. Aubyn Murray was a competitor therein. The New Zealand ex-champion won his preliminary heat, but could only get. second in the final in 17 seconds. The details of the race, as given in the "Referee" are as follow:— follow :— 120 yds. Hurdles Championship. Heat 1.-H. St. Aubyn Murray, E.S.A.A.C, 1; J. Hanrahan, R.H., 2. Also ran: W. F. Pattinson, S.U.A.C. Won by a few inches in 18 3-osec. Pattinson fell at the half-distance. Heat 2.-J. W. Eraser, S.S.H., 1; M. J. M'Carthy, E.S.A.A.C, 2. Won by three yards. Time. 17 3-sscc. Final. J. W. Eraser, South Sydney Harriers... 1 H. St. Aubvn Murray, Last Sydney A.A C 2 M. J. M'Carthy, East Sydney A.A.C. 3 Murray just led until the sixth flight, when Eraser went to tho front, and won by four yards. M'Carthy retired at the ninth flight. Time, l'seo. Murray must hove been very raw, as, on form, ho can run 17seo. with his boots on. The other event—tho three mile championship—is mentioned thus:— Three Miles Championship of N.S.W. T. J. Wood, East Sydney A.A.C 1 A. Aberline, East Sydney A.A.C 2 T. K. Cole, South Sydney Harriers ... 3 R. 11. Fitzsimnions, South Sydney H. i A large field of runners started. The leading bunch all the way for tho first two miles comprised Wood, Fitzsimmofls, Aberline, Cole, F. Flowers, and O'Reilly. Macneil dropped out at a mile, and Flowers at 2>i mites. At 2} miles Aberline increased tho pace, and at the bell ho and Wood commonced a battle royal, which terminated in i favour of Wood by four yards. Ten yards away came Cole, with, Fitzsimmons a fair fourth. Times: Ono mile, smin. 9 3-ssec.; two miles, lOmin. 53 I-ssec.; three miles, IGniin. 10 l-ssec. Greatest Joke in Athletics—tho Army Corps of Officials. The Victorian A.A.C. has also made a start on its championship programme, and an account of the ten-nulo premiership to hand reads as follows:— 'Lhe ten-mile track championship of Victoria was decided on (ho Richmond racecourse yesterday. Particular interest was evinced in the race, to tho fact that Emil R. Voigt, Into of the Manchester Athletic Club (England), and winner of tho (ive-milo world's championship at tho Olympic Games, was making his first appearance on an Australian track. He and n number of others wero announced to make attacks on records established years ago. Shortly after passing the six-milo post, however, Voigt was forced to retire, owing to having strained a sinew iu ono of his legs. Tho result was :— W. Murray (Molbourne), 50min. 30sec. 1 L. Neatc (Carlton), 57min. 2sec 2 A. T. Ryan (E.M.H.), 57min. 2sec. ... 3 C. Butler (Essendon), 57min. 2Usec.... 4 At five miles, Voigt broke the Victorian record of G. Blake—27min. 13 l-ssec-and at six miles (time, 32min. 25 2-ssec.) ho created an Australasian record, tho previous best being 33min. 23 3-ssec, made by G. Blake. At eight miles Murray led, and his time—l-lmiu. 52 l-sscc.—was also an Australasian record. Still running well, nine miles was finished in 50mm. 13sec, and the full distance in 56min. 31sec. .In connection with this event, "Harrier, in rho "Australasian," savs, and with good reason too: "Several athletes who took part in the 10-milo track championship race which was held on the Richmond racecourse on Saturday niterr.oou havo a right to feel that they number among the most aggrieved peoplo on earth. Tho day was warm, tho pace was made a cracker by Voigt, an English champion, and before half the distance had been mil many of tho competitors had been Lapped by the leaders. A small army of officials checked the men as they finished each lap, but there was somo confusion. When W. Murray, the winner, finished, the bulk of tho runners had two or three laps to go. As tho men laboured past hie officials the checkers shouted "Two laps to go" or •'Three laps to go," as might be tho case. The men stubbornly stuck to the txack, and, plodding along, breasted the tape to discover—a few of them, at any rate—that they had rim a lap too many. They had run 10J miles instead ot 10 miles. When the hot, tired men learned of tho mistako the expressions on their faces left no doubt that they believed themselves tho most injured fellows in the world. To run half a mile unnecessarily is an experience that would haunt any man to his grave. Why the "Referee" is Angry with "The Dominion.•' When Ronald Opio returned from England alter his Festival experiences an interview with him was published in Tire Dominion. This has been brought under tho notice of Mr. It. Coombes, late manager of tho Australasian team, and Prodigal, of tho "Referee," and has apparently raised tho ire of that gentleman, who writes as follows:— 1 notice that Mr. Opio is reported to have said: "If there was ever a farce as far as management was concerned it was the Festival of Empire Sports.' He is also reported to havo said that there wero about 300 peoplo at the meeting, and also much moro hardly in accordance with fact. There may not have been more than 300 spectators in tho reserved enclosure, but certainly somo thousands witnessed tho sports from various other spots around the arena. With regard to the management being a "farce," this is a matter of opinion, and personally 1 saw nothing iurcical—everything at the games was carried out admirably, although tho preliminary arrangements could have been better organ- , ised and worked up. llalbhaus, tho crack Canadian sprinter, who will doubtless bo pleased to hoar himself described by Opio as "a verv decent chap," is reported to havo 'told tho Christchurch sprinter that ho was "not a 1011 yds. nor even a 220 yds. man." As Halbhaus was beaten by a few inches at most in the 220vds. championship of England (bv "Tex" Ramsdell), it is hard to credit that ho should have had so poor an opinion of himself. Anyway, the management officials of the Canadian team told mo a dilferent story about llalbhaus and his sprinting ability. Mr. Opio is

also reported to have said: "Tho 200 yds, at tho Festival Sports was also • won by Malbhaus—l was third." Well, the raco was over 220 yds., and Opio was second, not third. Tho great l'ross Charily meeting at tho Shcplicrd's Hush Stadium is, according to (o the report hoinro mo (from The -Dominion oi' September 20), described as "only a lake meeting." That Opic should have mado uso of such an expression passes my comprehension. Anyway, if ho did so bo will have to explain what he means by a "fako" in duo course. Tho Merits of tho Caso, Tliero seems to bo a decided difference of opinion here, but it must bo said that Upio is borne out in his assertions about mismanagement by several of tho Australians, although tho charges arc levelled at the inuddlemcnt which characterised tho whole business on the English sido rather than at any particular meeting at which they may havo competed, ltcgarding Jlulbhuus, the Canadian sprinter, "Prodigal" is rather unfortunate in his rcferenco to "Tex" Ranisdell, tho man who beat him in tho English 220yris. championship. Of this samo Rauisdcll, "Strephon," in tho last "Athletic iNows" to hand, writes "I cannot recall a fimo when wo had so few good sprinters. A man like I\ L. Ilamsdell nas twico conic to England and won a 'double first' at Stamford Bridge. What is more, he has tturi summer had a raro time iu scratch races, i-nd pretty nearly as successful an experience in Bnortlimit handicaps. As a collector of diamond rings ho must havo done very well! "And yet Rainsdell is not a good runner. It may sound churlish to siy this after tho chai'go of the American's status from the amateur ■ixi tho professional, but it is tho truth. "What would Charles Bradley oi A. E. Downor, or even J. W. Morton, hare done with the American over 100 yards? In fact, I do not belicvo tho gi'iiit is in tho same street as 'Nat' Cartmell was as an amateur, and I think that flyman, his com patriot, would have givon him shut and beatins at a furlong. "But there yon are; Ramsdell has won two championships. His style .and his running generally did not impress everybody, but ho showed up the piverty of tho land." This, then, is on English opinion of tho man who beat Halbhaus, so it is very' probable that tho Canalian, bciug, as Ome soys, "a very deceit cbt.p," would not bo otherwise than modest about his own sprinting powers. And oven then "Piodigal" docs not quoto Opio quite correctly. What he said and what was published vrca: "Halbhaus who iron—a very decent chap—toJd mo that ho was not a 100 yards nor even a 220 yards man —his distance was -HO yards." The addition of tho little bit about tho ■110 yards makes all tho difforcnee. Halbhaus ovidently meant not that ho could not run a 100 or 220 yards, but that he could not run theso distances as well as ho could 410 yards. It will bo interesting to see how Opio is bo bo "made to explain" what ho meant hy "a fako meeting," and as to another matter that of the 220 yards, which appeared in The Doirmox as 200 yards (probably a printer's error)—it is hard to see what blamo is attachable to Opio for being ieport<*l as saying that ho ran third instead of aceond. Had he olaimed to have run second when he only got tiird it would ha.'e been quite a different thing. The N.Z.A.A.A. Council has now brought down its programme for tho Ausfralasitn championship meeting here on Boxing Day and tho day following. In addition to the usual championship events a full program-no of handicaps is listed, comprising: Fiist. Second. 75 Yards .Plat ._ £2 £1 220 Yards Flat .£3 ill S6O Yards Flat X 3 JCI 2 Miles Flat .■_ £3 £1 3 Miles Steeplechase .£3 £1 1 Mile Relay—2 men 220 yards, 1 man 440 yards, i man 880 yards £1 — Half-milo Walk £2 £1 2-milo Walk '. £3 £1 Half-milo Walk (boys) ..- .£1 - High Jump £2 £1 Hop, Step, and Jump £2 £\ Putting IMb. Shot £1 £1 Four amateur cyclo events. Trophies to valuo of .£lO.