ATHLETICS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1437, 11 May 1912, Page 12

ATHLETICS.

PLEA FOR ORIGINALITY[Bt "Hikcukt."] Where It It Wanted. Harrier men profited by lost Saturday's fine weather, both the Wellington and Brooklyn Clubs having largo numbers out. Tho former mustered eomo twenty-two strong. They scoured tho noighbourhoofl of Lyall Bay and Seatoun. whilo 25 Brooklynites descended from choir own hills Xα explore tho heights round Wadcstown and Kaiwarra. Harrier running ehows promise of becoming popular when fifty Wellington citizens take it into their heads on tho one Saturday to take a jaunt across country. A satisfactory feature'of the runs, 60 far held, is tho prominent places occupied by now men in tho final epin home at the end of each day's gathering. One wonders if the clubs have ever seriously sot to work to explore thonoig.libourhood of Wellington for satisfactory stretches of country. Saturday after Saturday the runs are held over country savouring somewhat of tho Southern Alps, though, occasionally, a fairly level tract js located somewhere out in the adjarcnt counties. A Eub-committee, consisting of one or two members of each club, with a good geographical knowledge, of Wellington and its surroundings, should bo appointed to draw up a list of the best courses hereabouts. Of course, the ideal course will not he found,,but many bettor than those at present in favour, are available for merely- tho expenditure of a little sensible effort in finding them. Too much steep.hill-work is the great fault of the game at present. Five Hundred Harriers Out at Once! In Melbourne, or to be precise, at Brighton, the other day the cross-country season was opened by a run, at which. 18 cluba ivero represcntiod, the Bast Melbourne Club, with an attendance of sixty, holding priae of place for tho fifteenth consecutive time. Carlton, with fifty-four, and Malvcrn with Sffev-one followed cloeely. The total attendance was five hundred and one, a number which at first sight almost makes ono weep, suggesting, as at does, an awful state of affaire in our own village. AVhen tho event was, inaugurated some twenty-three years ago, the. attendance numbered fifteen. At that time the total membership of harrier clubs,, in Melbourno totalled alout a hundred. Now it amounts to something like two thousand. Tho total membership of our three clubs totals about seventy or eighty, so we have many a weary mile to go before harrier running is as strong here as in Melbourne, even on a basis proportioned to the population of the two places. Some Capital Local Spirit. The Wellington Centre's annual gathering last Friday, at which trophies won at the. New Zealand and jsrovineial chamoitsiiiDs were presented, opened ouietl> enough, but iolore tho flnisfi took" on a loud tone of enthusiasm. When presenting the Bannister Challenge Cup to' J. Wilton, provincial quator-milo champion, the chairman of the gathering, Mr. J. H. Pollock, drew attention to the fact of 1 that cap's being the only individual challenge trophy competed for at the prorinsinl championship meeting, and suggested that perhaps others might be had i'or the asking if local supporters of anmteur athletics wore approached. His words bore fruit immediately, for Messrs. W. H. Pollock and B. A. Gulso promised a cup each. When one comes to think of it, there is no good reason why every provincial, championship or New Zealand championship for that matter, should not have a challenge trophy attached to it. Olympln. Matters Olympic are eomewlrat. quiet this week. Nothing of any consequence has-drifted through beyond the,.cabled statement that the Games had been opened, and a letter from tho manager of the Australasian team, in which reference is made to Hill. It appears that "Jack" Donaldson has taken a fancy toour champion, and one result of this will be that to will probably be fitted with special shoes recommended by Donaldson. A Big Man Talks Moonshine. In an article in the New York "American," Ernest HjeTtberg, formerly coach to the Irish American A.A.C., and at present engaged in coaching tho Swedish Olympic team, discusses the | chances of tiio various nations, and incidentally referg to Australasians Stewart and Opie. Ho says: "The Americans should not overlook nor under-estimate W. Allen Stewart, of Australia, in the 100 metres. He is a phenomenal sprinter for CO yards. If he learns to run 100 metres with tho name speed he shows in shorter events, he will be a terror." Hjortberg mentions Ofiie as a 200 metres candidate, and elates that Opie appears to bo , the only one who may give the Americans' a hard rub in. the MO metres. Which is all very nice, and, at the same time, all "my cyo and Betty Martin," as tlie popular saying goes.' Opie is at his best as a 200 metres runner, but, even at that distance, was always inferior to Woodger, who, champion that he is, would hardly claim equality with K, C. Craig, for one. As a quarter-miicr Opie is a sound Slsec. man, or thrreflbouta, at his very best, and alongside such men as tho Canadian Halbhaus and English 'Varsity Champion D. MaeMiUan I he would cut a very second figure. Groat Clocking at the 'Varsities. The OxforcUCambridge meeting, briefly alluded to in this column last week, was responsible for somo excellent performances, as tho following list shows:— 100 yds., lOsec; liOyds., 49 2-ssec; halfmile, liniu, 56 3-sse'o.; mile, 4min. 21 2-ssec.; broad jump, 23ft. lin.; three miles, Mtain. 47sec. Any one of these performances is up to the Olympic standard. The Cambridge President, ]'. J. Baker, did not turn out in tho mile, which is a great pity, for his presence would have resulted in even faster time being recorded. However, he contested tho half-milo, winning it easily by 20yds. Tho two 'Varsities are among the greatest strongholds of amateur, athletics in England, but it is a pity that so comparatively few of their greatest at!ilet«s take any* serious active part in the sport when their 'Varsity days are over. To name but one in recent years, Inere was that phenomenal Cambridjjo miler, H. W. Grcgson, who bent Jmin. SOscc, en more than one occasion. Notable Peomen at Durban. At Durban on March 23, K. E. Walker again proved his superiority over C. 13. Holway by defeating him in two runs straight. The match was scheduled for tlirco distances—looyds., 130 yds., and 150yds.—aud Holway, winning the toss, picked the 130 yds. for the first distance. At the gun both rose together, and, to tho surprise of all, Walker settled into his strido ■moro quickly than his opponent, but, at fifty yards, they were levei. At lOOvds. Walker was inches in front. Thon Holway made his run rr.d pns-wd Walker, biit tho latter inuv.cii!aleiv secured tho lead again, and maintained it to thi' finish, winnins! by ?i<;'it inches in 12 2-ssec. •• *Syds. inside evens. A strong wind helpod the runners. In tho lOOyrl's., Walker hiul the face well in.his keeping ail tho way, winning by Uyds. in 1) 3-SSOC. In both cases the times wers excellent —almost as good as Donaldson's, but Ilia fact (hat the American finished so ci(p« to Walker docs not brighten the lalter's prospects in a with Dmaldsnii. both' starting off the same mark. ITolway spciiis to havo struck something like his best form, which is, perhaps, 3yds. inferior to Donaldson'* at 130 yds., ond this would give Walker the best cf tho argument with the Australian champion, should they meet on tho Jatlors <(-ri!3, viz that he is willins to give Walktr 3yd« in 130 yds. for .£SOO a tide. Prob'ablv Donaldson's party may, m tho light of Walker's latest performance?, reconsider their oiler.