TRACK AND FIELD

Evening Star, Issue 23383, 28 September 1939, Page 3

TRACK AND FIELD

ATHLETIC NOTES AND COMMENTS PREPARING FOR NEW SEASON

[By Pistol.]

To-morrow at Forbury the Civil Service and Caversham Clubs will engage in a dual meet, and both clubs are already on the job of preparing for their summer activities. On October 7 and 14, the Civil Service Club will conduct its first track and field meetings of the summer season, and Caversham is holding field days on the same dates with a view to encouraging some of the promising men among the winter athletes to take part in summer activities. V. P. Boot, N.Z. and Empire Games half-mile track champion and recordholder, is training, not now with any 1940 Olympic Games aspirations, but for the Centennial Games to be held in Auckland next January (says an exchange). He is turning out a couple of nights a week doing very easy work. Naturally, he is extremely disappointed that the Olympic fixture is now but an extremely remote possibility, but he sees no reason why he should not whip himself into condition. No date has yet been fixed for the first evening meeting to be staged by the Otago Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, but the sports committee is to meet before the annual meeting on October 17 to arrange for a series of meetings to be staged before Christmas. C. Weller, only New Zealand crosscountry runner ever to have won the national title four times in a row, has returned to Wanganui from Palmerston North (says a northern writer). The harrier season is dead, but Weller’s presence next year should give considerable stimulus to cross-country competition' in Wanganui. Judged on bis form at Napier this season (he made a remarkable recovery after apparently being right out of touch a fortnight before the New Zealand championship), Weller shouldn’t have much trouble in adding still further to his national honours. There is no one about, unless it is W. Pullar, and he might not continue in the sport, who threatens to worry Weller for a year or two yet. Weller, and to a lesser degree Pullar, outclassed the opposition at Napier. Smashing world track records _ is now just as much a habit with Taisto Maeki as it was jvith his fellow-coun-try-man and mentor, Paava _ Nurmi. Maeki’s latest achievements—six miles in 28min 55 3-ssec and 10,000 metres in 29min 52 3-ssec—were truly prodigious. Think of it. An average mile time for six miles of 4min 49sec, or an average figure for three miles of 14min 27sec. It was not so long ago that the New Zealand record for three miles stood at 14min 27 3-ssec. '

The coming summer promises to be a busy one for the veteran Cavershara distance runner, G. L. Austin, and already he is covering as much as 50 or 60 miles a week on the three days he indulges in training with a view to being in form for his first serious effort of the season, an attempt on the New Zealand 10-mile record, which he hopes to make at one of the Otago Centre meetings towards the end of October. The Otago marathon champion will defend his title over the course of 26 miles 385yds on December 2. and he hopes in the ordinary course of events to make another bid for the New Zealand marathon championship in which last season he filled .the position of runner-up to his Otago team mate, C. G. Gibbons. Austin, will make his attempt on the New Zealand 20mile record some time in January. Now that harrier activities have come to an end for the year, he will engage in four training runs a week, and will increase the distances he is covering. Invariably one of the most successful and enjoyable fixtures of the track season is the _ women’s interliouse meeting, which is to be held on October 7, at the Caledonian Ground. This vear the organisation is in the hands of Mrs E. J. M'Aughtrie, the _ secretary, who has wide experience in the conduct of such gatherings. It is expected that at least 14 teams will be competing, and as usual a feature of the programme will he the march past, always a spectacular affair. Referring to the modified marathon of 12 miles, held in Auckland for the first time, the ‘ Herald ’ says “ T. Collins ran a very fine race. There is no doubt that long road races are more his forte than cross-country events, although he is very capable over the field and plough. He is very light and lean, with a good stride, easy action, and great reserves. Properly trained, he might prove a fine marathon runner. Crompton, who is probably the heaviest distance runner in New Zealand, found his weight and the extra distance too much of a handicap, although he led for 10 miles and ran a fine race. (His time was 67min 4sec.) R. Cathcart showed great ability. The leg cramp he suffered over the last four miles is the inevitable outcome of insufficient or incorrect training. Bradley, who gained second place, ran a well-judged race, and gave a fine performance for a veteran. He was a representative runner some years ago, and has been consistently good all this season. Dolan is another veteran who relished the long work, and gave a good exhibition. J. Howells, who is a coming runner and one of Lynndale’a leading athletes, gained third place, provincr that he is equally capable over

longer distances. C. Francis, of the Taumarunui Club, was expected to finish further up. Ho has a good reputation for long races, and was third in tho last New Zealand marathon championship. His style, however, which aims at a very short stride witli effortless action, is one that gives insufficient pace for a 12 miles race.” The success of C. Bruce in winning the Bennett Memorial road race clinched his claim as the best harrier of the season in Wellington (says the ‘ Sports Poet ’). Bruce has performed consistently well, and of the crosscountry Then in action in the capital this year he alone might do something really worth while in the future. Apart from Bruce’s win, which was generally anticipated, the interesting feature of tho race was the performance of F. B. Silver, who. as long ago as 1928, finished third in the national championship to J. W. Savidan and R. A. Rose. Silver has only been pottering about with the sport for years now, yet on Saturday’s running as a B representative he was 'sixth man home, finishing ahead of several well-known A grade performers. As a matter of fact, two other B runners, in W. Ballantyne and J. Garty, were seventh and eighth respectively. The annual triangular sports meeting between St. Kilda, Leith, and Mornington will he held to-morrow, and Mornington, • with the material at its disposal this year, is expected to give a verv good account of itself. In the fie Id events T. Wallace, E. Lundquist, and G. Mnnro are expected to do well, and Mornington will have two experienced men in the middle-distance events in T. O Kennedy and W. Burrows, while I. Templeton and A. de Conrcv should go well in the sprints. Following the meet the annual dinner and presentation of prizes will be held at the R.S.A. r °Just a few weeks before the outbreak of hostilities a crowd of 40,000 spectators attended an international meeting at White City, London, despite the fact that the weather was unfavourable and there wfifG counter-attractions in tne way of Territorial camps. During the afternoon three new British records were set un and two more equalled. To the English crowd there was rather a denressing series of American victories interrupted bv isolated German. Italian, Swedish, Finnish, and Esthonian wins. The one exception, the only British win in the meeting, was that of Denis Pell in the mile. This race caused a mild demonstration of had manners on the part of a section of the crowd. _ On the Inst lap there was some humping, and Rideout got himself boxed in. and in extricating himself caused comment from some of the crowd; but Rideout was not to Idame. according to an authoritative English writer. There was much more .bumping and boring than is expected in a, race of this calibre. Everyone was deliobted_ a* Pell’s victory, and although the time l4min 15 l-ssec) was slow, he out-gene-rnlled the field and showed skill in picking the right moment for his supreme effort. J. B. Stauiszewski. of Poland, was second and Brian MacCahe third. Tho Americans won tho first throe events of the day—the 880, 100. end . 140 yards hurdles. In the hurdles, after a fight with Hoellig. of Germany. R. V. Cochran won in 52.75ec. a British record and a wonderful performance. Maeki. the flying Finn, set up a new British record, and for the first time in Britain covered the three miles in under 14 minutes—his time was 13mm. To the crowd’s intense disappointment Ward, England’s great hope, who nearly beat Maeki in Finland, failed this time to challenge him effectively, finishing fourth. It is interesting that in this race Maeki ran with a speciallymade stop watch strapped to his hand ; Nurmi used to carry a watch, but Maeki has improved upon Ins predecessor. The 120yds was a particularly fine race. Lidman and Batiste fighting hard ; Lidman just got home, equalling the British record of 14.4 sec. The 440yds, last race of the day._ was won by Lanz, of Italy, but Pennington and Brown were a good second and third. This was a very thrilling race. R. M'Lachlan. the Otago half-mile champion, who finished fourth in the New Zealand mile championship _at Napiemthis year, is beginning training operations at the Caledonian Ground next week. It is M'Lachlan’s intention this year to concentrate on mile running, and he is expected to show improved form after his winter racing. Mr B. R. M'Kernan, Otago track and cross-country selector and a vicepresident of the'Otago Centre, left on Wednesday to join the Waiiganella at Wellington on a two months’ visit to Australia. Mr M’Kernan will renew acquaintance with many athletic enthusiasts that he had the' pleasure of meeting when he was in Sydney as coach of the New Zealand athletic team at the Empire Games, and no doubt he will make inquiries concerning the possibility of further interchanges of visits between Australia and New Zealand._ Last week the Anglican Club held its first sports meeting under fair conditions, and some good performances were registered despite the soddten state of the track. Undoubtedly the most successful competitor was Walter Donovan, who. besides accomplishing the “ hat trick,” bad the best actual performances in two events. In the iavelin throw, Donovan, who had never handled the javelin previously, registered a throw of 106 ft, and a handicap of 25ft made him an easy winner. In tho discus, Donovan had a throwi of 79ft, and a liberal handicap of 20ft again made him an easy winner, while he also won the shot putt. G. K. Armstrong lhad a successful afternoon, showing a clean pair of heels to tho field in the 220yds, and finishing second in the 880yds to A. C. Marrett, who, off 55yds, had trouble in taking first place. The most popular win of the meeting was that of the club president, Fred

Rolfe, in the high jump. He had a clear-cut win of 2in over the next competitors, J. Hyslop and W. Norman. ' Two champion track runners, Iheo Allen and George Davie, filled two of tlie major plaoiugs in the discus with throws of approximately 70ft. Allen also displayed good form in the hop, step, and pimp event, which was won bv D. Lorden, whose actual jump was 38ft, second place going to G. Budge and third to J. Smith, who was also third in the shot, in which event N. Morgan had the best actual putt or 31ft, a good effort for a boy of 18. Other performances were those of A. Romerill in the 220yds, C. Elliott and M. Murray in the discus, and] F. Mitchell, W. Norman, P. Dunn, and K. Payne in the shot. St. Kilda athletes are all looking forward to tho club’s triangular sports meeting with the Leith and Mornington Clubs, All the clubs have very promising runners, and some exciting races should bo witnessed. Among the St. Kilda competitors are L. Dickison, who has been resting during the winter season, but is running very well, as his performance in the club’s meeting last week showed. T. Beatson and R. Beatson should be hard to beat. Both are in good form. R. Baldwin, a very promising junior member, who has performed well in recent seasons, hut has had rather a lean> patch, is training again, and should be well in the fore. L. M'Kay has shown himself _ as a promising sprinter. This is his first year with the club, and he has made some good performances. M. Spam is a young member and in his first season of'harriers, and is expected to run well. Henry Palme, of Sweden, retained his title when he won tho recent marathon over the twenty-six-mile route from Windsor to London in 2h 26m 565, beating A. J. Norris, of Great Britain, who clocked 2h 36m 425, and C H Footer, who was third, in 2h 44,11 455. The South African Olympic runner, Lalande, dropped out, suffering from cramp, two miles from homo when a good second. Palme’s time for 20 miles was Ih 54m 51s, which is four minutes inside the record. Lalande also bettered the record with a time of Ih 55m 275. Palme slowed down considerably after Lalande had left the race.