A WORLD CHAMPION RUNNER

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2093, 30 May 1907, Page 3

A WORLD CHAMPION RUNNER

VISIT OF B. R. DAY

Beauchamp Roehfort Bay, one of the champion manors of tho world, has come over from Australia to Now Zealand to run MeLaehlan for tho New Zealand Championship and a purse of .fit2o and a side wager of £SO. The contest' takes placo at Dunedin, tho distances being 200, 300

and 440 yards. Interviewed by a Christchurci Truth. reporter, Mr. Day, who is a:

unassuming young . man, gave some particulars of his career as an athlete. He was born at Kingston, a suburb of Dublin, on December 28th, 1882. tie started running as a boy of 14 years of age. He first competed at the Corrig Sports at Kingston, and won the 100, 200, quarter-mile', and hurdles. At the age of 16 he won the Irish open amateur championship for 220 yards and quartor-mile.- In the same year ho broke the Irish quarter-mile record on grass, which rocord still stands, viz.,, 50 4-5 sec. As an amateur he secured over one hundred prizes. He competed as an amateur till the ago of 18, and then ■joined the professional ranks. Mr. Day then said lie could not do-better than repeat to our representative what he had ’stated to a-. Home contemporary with, reference to his subsequent professional career:— “Knowing the great amount of moiiey to bo won at Powderhall,” said • Mr. Day, “I determined to have a bold bid for a fortune. I waited four years to bring off a grand coup at -Edinburgh. During, the whole of this time I confined my running to long distances, and although; very successful over these distances, the -opinion was general was that I was not a first-class sprinter, consequently when the starts for the big Powderhall Handicap were declared I was somewhat surprised to find myself on 10yds. I was, in fact, overjoyed, and as I was running sound ‘evens’ at the time, my connections backed me from 20 to 1 down to odds on. I wfJh the final-with, a bit in hand, and my party landed .several thousands in wagers, I thought -it possible to win another of these events, and, therefore, waited twelve 1 months- without starting, but next year I was handicapped on 4yds, with a 17yds limit, so I decided not to compete, and to look for matches. The first was with IV.' Growcott, for tho Championship of, England and £IOO aside", over 120yds, which I won. The same year I defeated It. IV. Wadsley, - the ex-Ama-tour Champion, for the 220yds Championship of England and £IOO aside. After that I .had great difficulty in getting genuine matches, I could get no one to race me any distance up to 880yds off the mark. “Thinking that I would b<T able, to get matches in America, I journeyed to the United States, but could not get anyone to put up money’and race me. Thero were several that wanted to race me for tho ‘gate,’ etc", but t would not bo a party to any ‘fake,’’and, therefore, had to return to England empty-handed. During the past two years I have competed in Great Britain in handicaps path varying success, but generally have had to give away impossible starts. “However, during that time I have had a standing challenge to' the world in the English sporting papers, but there has bepn no response. When Alfred Shrulib joined the ranks of the professionals, > after his Australian trip, I challenged him to race 1000yds for £3OO aside, but ho refused to accept- During the past twelve months I have given exhibitions at the leading music halls of London, Glasgow," and Aberdeen, a wooden circular track being erected on the stage with a circumference of 35yds. The management had a standing offer of a large sum to anybody who could defeat me over any distance up to 440yds, but although, numbers made the attempt tho management never had to part up. It was impassible to run longer distances than 440yds on this track, as the continual tuiming made you feel sick. “In February last I received a communication" from Mr. Rufe Naylor, stating that A. B. Postle was prepared to race mo over three distances for a large side-wager. I was beaten in my contests with Postle, but I hope on my return to England to recover the championship from him. The hot, West Australian climate told against me.” In reply to n question as to his records, Mr. Day said:— “The following are my English records, and they are authentic, as everything was in order: 100yds, 9 4-5 sec; 130yds,; 121 see: 220yds, 22 sec; 300vds, 304 sec; 440yds, 49sec. When I defeated ‘Lincoln Lass’ at Blackpool 1 was credited with the 100yds in 9 3-5 sec, but the track was slightly down hill; -and in another mat A over 115yds I was only beaten by a neck in 10 3-5 see. The 100yds record was run oh grass. Then I have an Australian record of 37 1-5 sec for the 350yds, run on cinders. I also hold the 440yds record on a circular track, 47 4-5 sec., I put up this record at Clarendon, West Australia, in a handicap which I won from scratch. I ran 300 yards in 30 1-5 S ec—l-sth of a second outside Hutchon's time.”

Barring Postle, Day has not been able to make a match with anyone in Australia, and has now accepted McLachlan’s challenge.

The West Australian climate did not agree with me. at all,” said Mr. Day, “I happened to be there in the very hottest season, and the extreme heat greatly interfered with my training. I was certainly not in my best condition when I was thine. 'As I liavo indicated, on my return to England, I intend to challenge Postle to come to England and race for £SOO. I hope then to turn the tables, and win back my championship from him,”

The following are Mr. Day’s measurements : Height, sft Bin (in stocking foot) ; weight, lOst Sll> stripped; size of calf, 15Jin; thigh, 21Jin> chest, 35iin; length of leg, 40Jin; length of arm, 28iin> ankle, B|in.