Out Door Sports and Pastimes

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 196, 2 April 1904, Page 21

Out Door Sports and Pastimes

THE amateur athletic sports, on the Basin Reserve last Saturday, were a great success, both in the matter of interesting racing and a gonerous attendance of the public. ° Sports in Wellington needed some livening up and the way m which the recent championship meeting was workel up by those responsible for its success provided what was really necessary snd the interest in the amateur branch of athleics has accordingly revived. The fields in every race on Saturday were large, and many of the events provided splendid contests Ihe 290 yds race was a particularly keen struggle, '"Tom" Seddon, second son ot our worthy Premier, beine just beaten by Stubbs after a ding-dong struggle over the last fifty yards. • ♦ In Len Blundell, a son of one of the proprietors of the "Evening Post Wellington possesses the makings of a probable distance champion lam doubtful whether he is yet out of his teens, vet with only 100 yds start off the Austral'asan and New Zealand champion, Simpson, that runner could not get nearer than 6 2-5-th sees— a matter of about 50yds— of Bluudell at the finish of the mile race, although Simpson cut out the distance in 4sec under standard time— 4min 41sec bein? h:s clocking for the mile, Blundell's being 4mm 34 d-stn sec. Another lad of whom great thinss may be anticipated in the future is Goodbehere, the Wellington College boy whose home is in FeiLdi"". Ine two' College events on the programme on Saturday were contested by the acknowledged best runners in the bt, Patrick's and Wellington: Colleges, but Goodbehere was in a class by himselt in both the 100 yds and 440 yds. In the latter distance, he put up the fine time of 50sec, equalling the best senior record of the Wellington College. "When I mention that the Ladies Bracelet over the same distance later in the afternoon, was won by "Mona ' Thompson off 25yds in 52sec, the sterling nature of Goodbehere's performance will be easily perceived. • • • Of the New Zealand champions competing at the meeting, W. F. Simpson, the Canterbury runner, ran well. In the two-mile event he made "hacks, or lr- opponents, but his effort to break his own record for the distance did! not meet with success. In the mile run he could get no nearer than third, although he broke standard time for the distance. Ross won both walks very easily, and a medley race' was early christened the "Ross Stakes," the conditions of which made it absolutely a gift to him. There were two different judges of the walking from those who officiated 1 at the championship meeting and, as they passed Ross's gait as a fair one, I suppose I must acknowledge therefore that I am not a judge of walking according to the amateur standard. Stubbs was the best performer among the older hands' at the meeting. His win from soratch in the 220 yds was a meritorious performance. He broke standard time for the distance, and also secured Mr. P. Nathan's challenge cup which he holds for the season. Stubbs also secured possession for next twelve months of Mr. J. Duthie's cup for most points in distances up to 440 yds. W. H. Pollock did not run up to the form displayed b^ him at the chammonship meeting. • • » Of the new runners, Seddon gives every promise of developing into a good sprinter, his movements being very clean. He is developing into a sturdy youth, and methinks in a year or two he will be one of the best at the middle distances. Dan Elias and Calcinai did not catch the eye. The latter has a terrible roll which must hamper him considerably in lus journeys to the tape. » # * The management of the meeting was excellent, all the events being got off well to time. The old complaint about too many people being on the ground was in evidence as per usual. The starting of Mr. Low was very good, his efforts to get his fields away well together being successful. But he allowed too much breaking, and did not exercise his power of putting the men back as he should have done. Granted that many of them were new iiion and over anxious, still I think the

best cure of over anxiety is to penalise. Mr. Low evidently thought otherwise, and by Iris own cool demeanour tried to put the competitors on their best behaviour. ♦ • • Mr. Stuart Robinson, the honorary secretary, was here, there, and everywhere, and it was pleasant to see the smiles lengthening on his face as the ciowd increased at the Reserve. As the result of the meeting, the Amateur Athlttio Club is in a strong financial position, being to credit something like £75. Besides 1 this, the membership of the club has increased by at least fifty since the championship meeting. Both of these facts are evidences of the thoroughness with which Mr. Robinson has carried out his duties. More success to him !