GREAT RUNNING

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 251, 14 June 1932, Page 7

GREAT RUNNING

n.2. exfonents WORLD'S QUARTER AND HALF MILE RECORDS BROKEN BY AMERICAN. BOTH WITHIN A FORTNIGHT. In the opinion of Robert Edgren, American sports writer, Ben Eastman, of Stanford University, is the greatest runxier that ever pulled 011 a spiked shoe. While it is not the first time the expression has been used, the fact is, according to repovts, that Eastman, within a fortnigbt, broke the quarter-mile and half-mile world' s records. He ran the quarter-mile in ! 46 2-5sec, clipping a full second off the sixteen-year-old record of J. E. I Meredith (U.S.A.), and the half-nnle I in lmin 51 3-10sec, which ^as three- J tenths of a second better than the performance registered by the German, Dr. Otto Peltzer, in 11126. But the view is held by Templeton, the Stanford coach, that Eastman can do even better. He predicts that Eastman will run the 440 yards, in under 46sec and the half-mile in under 4mim 50sec. New Zealand Runnqrs.. Eastman will no doubt be one of America's represent&tives at the Olympic "Games in Los Angeles in July and Au.^ust next, anc/ in view of the fact that New Zealand will be repres;,ented in the 400 metres by S. A. ilaek (New Plymouth) and possibly also by C. E. Evans (Taihape) in not only this event but the 800 metres as well, the American's performances are of interest. Black holds the New Zealand 440 yards record of 48 4-5sec, and Evans the New Zealand 880 yards record of lmin 54 4-5sec, both of which, however, were made on the grass and not on fast cinder tracks such as exist in America. America also has another good man, from all accounts, in Williams, who is j stated to be Eastman's closest rival over the quarter-mile. Eastman has defeated Williams, but Williams, referred to as a great competitor with a driving finish, beat Eastman in the American inter-collegiate championships, equalling Meredith's record for the quarter-mile. And now Eastman has broken that record by one second. Eastman is known as "Big Ben the Blazer," and is a college junior. He wears big spectacles, and is described as being a tall, rangy youth, with a powerful leg drive, tireless, cairn but detennined, of even temperament, and utterly lacking in conceit. Edgren says that he has seen all the famous middle distance runners, but in his opinion Eastman, on his record-break-ing half-mile run last month, could have given any of them yards in either quarter or half-mile. Eastman is a natural runner, but it was the keen observation and skilful coaching of Templeton, one of the best coaches in America, that brought out his recordbreaking form. Last year, after very little coaching, Eastman equalled the world's quarter-mile record in one race and was close to record form in others, both quarter and half-mile. Novice to Record-Breakier. Iq an article in the San Francisco Sporting Green, Robert Edgren tells of the development of Eastman under Templeton from a novice to a world record-breaker. For a time Eastman was set to work practising sprints and running 220 yards. He developed much more speed, until he could step out and run 100 yards any time in lOsec, and could run the 220 yards as fast as any sprinter in his team. There was no more chance that he would be "nipped" in a drive for the tape, all other things being even in a race. Then. Templeton announced that Big Ben was ready to break the

- ■ ii. i in iii-r i m "r r ■ i m n World's quarter-mile record. His run in that meet was startling. Eastmriri ran the first 220 yards qf that race iii 21 3-10sec, the fastest first half of a quarter-mile ever run. It proved that Eastman, like Lon Meyers, the first great American all-round runner, could be a champiori at sprints as .well as middle distance runs. Trained for the 220 yards he would certainly run it under 21 seconds. In this recordbreaking quarter, he finished far ahead of a fast field, breaking the sixteen-year-old record of the great Meredith by a full second. No such record-breaking has been seeri in recent years in any event. Half-Mile Record. Templeton announced that in the next triangular meet between Stanford University, of San Francisco, and the Olympic Club, Eastman would be sent out to break the worlds half-mile record. Ben was to run his first quarter mile in 53 seconds, then cut loose the rest of the way at the best pace he could carry without straining. "I sat in the Press starid beside the track with a clear view of start and finish," says Edgren. "Eight men started. Eastman, in the inner. lane, stood above the lot in height, and his mop of blond hair was a mark none could miss. When he passed me at about the 220 yards line he was running with a long, powerful stride, leaning far forward at the waist, arms swinging in perfect rhythm. He was running very easily and was evidently holding his pace down, trying to follow instructions and run his first quarter in 53 seconds. Ben wears dark rimmed glasses. He was frowning a little with the effort in trying ! to get the right pace, for his natural inclination always has been .to cut loose from the start like a sprinter. He passed the half-way mark in 53 3-10sec, having held back too riiuch. "But almost immediately he- bent forward at the waist, got his hands down, and his ?egs went back to the powerful, even drive again, and so he

went all the way to the tape. He finished so strong that he went galloping on down the track to get clear of the crowd. This 'bird' is so modest that he doesn't realise yet that he has done anything. After the race in which his lmin 51 3-10sec broke Dr. Peltzer 's record, Eastman was asked for a statement about how he accomplished his feat. Gee whiz!' said Eastman, T just ran as fast as I could.' And he didn't have another word to say."