FOOT RACING.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 272, 13 June 1888, Page 6

FOOT RACING.

The match between \Y. G. George, of London, and William Cummings, of Preston, to run two distances (three-quarters of a mile and one mile), each race for £100 a side, has end in a forfeit on the part of George. Cummings now claims the championship at these distances. George Lifctlewood. the English pedestrian, is said to cover from thirty-eight to forty-two miles each day in his training. A celebrated English sprinter, named Jack Gibson, lias accepted the challenge recently made by Harry Bethune, the Canadian sprinter, addressed to any runner in the world. and says that ho will run Bethune 100 yards, 125 yard?, or 150 yards-, best two in three, for 8500 or £1000 on each race, ac any place that Bethnne desires. Gibson claims that he tried to get on a match with Bethune for two months without success The second annual championship meeting of the National Cross-Country Association occurred at Fleetwoort Paik New York, on April 28th. The chief event va? an eightmile run across the country, and the chief interest centred in the contest between T. F. Connef. the Irish champion, and E. C. Carter, the American champion, for the Championship of the World. The Ameiican led all the way, with the Irishman ell up, till he leached the se\en-and-a-half-mile post, when he fell in a dead faint. It i* thought that he will iceover. Another of tiie contestant* fainted at the finish. Carter's time w as 41min 35secs. At a meeting of the Executhe Committee of the National Association of Amateur Athletes of Ameiica. held at the latter end of Match, Malcolm \\\ Ford was reinstated as an amateur. Ford was pronounced inelegiblc to compete as an amateur last May, tor alleged participation in professional game* at Springfield, Ma-ss., on.lul} 4, 1886. He has always claimed innocence, and has competed in no games ot any character since hi? disqualification. The New York " Sporting Times," of April 1, -a s of the a Dove action that " The N.A.A.A.A. has leitiStatcd Malcolm Ford. They aie moie confident than ever of his guilt, but they think he is \ery penitant, and are anxious to give him a chance to turn over a particularly gilt-edged leaf. After disappointing his old backeis till he broke most of them, says the London correspondent of tht " Leader," Hanson, of Wood Green, tried to win a Sheffield handicap and succeeded. When Gent and Hutchena were matched Hanson wanted to lace the latter on lon el terms, but did not get a match on. For the Easter Handicap he was virtually at scratch, 83i$ec }urcl> start in 204 yard-. M. Claikson. of Leeds, in the same mark, wa- be'iten by a foot only on the tinal heat. JRanson landed t'4,000 for his new backer. These Nhefheld handicaps are canied ou on lines quite outside ordinan motality. A runnel.-o nly .-ense of straightne-s is between hU master oi gatier and himself. Their joint legitimate ousiness i* to rob the public The derinition of a dishonest ped, would bo one who sold his gatier, as, for instance, by winning when he was meant to lose. Not tryi ng is considered quite legitimate, so long a*. the gaffer gives the order. Ranson, tried by this) low standard of moral perception, cornea out badly, for there is, as I say, no doubt that se\eral times lately he deliberately sold his gaffer.