ATHLETICS

Taranaki Daily News, 10 April 1928, Page 7

ATHLETICS

REVIEW OF PAST SEASON. iATPP.OVEMENT IN PERFORMANCES With the winter months approaching the track season in amateur athletics in the New Plymouth Club has now ended. In place of the parks the open fields will be the home of athletes during the next six months, for the harrier season starts on April 21. The past track season has been one of vast improvement as far as performances are concerned, though numerically there has not been much of an increase in the New Plymouth Club. At the West Coast championships the club was successful in gaining two of the sprint titles, while second place was gained in the half and three mile events by members. Next year, with the experience gained at Wanganui, New Plymouth should be able to take four or more of the titles at the centre championships, which will be held at Hawcra. New Plymouth should be able to send a very strong team. Having only four or five members competing at centre championships does not give the club a fair chance, though the distance and expence has been a source of trouble to members. If a centre were established in Taranaki this difficulty would be abolished and better results would ac<TU».

As a result of gaining two sprint titles, S. Black was selected as a member of the West Coast team for the New Zealand championships. Though he did not get placed the experience gained should help him next year. At the Taranaki championships most of our best men were on the injured list or could not attend, with the result that only Gilmour succeeded in gaining any titles. The inauguration of the Taranaki championships proved a great success, and in luiure years, will help to advance athletics and encourage better performances. Next year they should be held before the West Coast championships so that the clubs will be able to eelect their teams for the centre meeting. The membership of the club has not increased as it should. As the success of a clulb depends on its members there should be a drive for more members during tho coming harrier season. _ Of course the harrier branch will bring in a f«W new supporters who do not wish to play football or other games. The reestablishment of two divisions next yeat would be advisable, so that the juniors will have more chance. It is by the encouragement of the juniors that the club will lay its foundation properly. Among the cyclists there lias been a great improvement, the members being able to now compete with first-class riders. This branch of the club is gradually growing, and with road racing to keep the cyclists interested during the winter months the numbers should increase still more.

This season three evening meetings were held, the last one being a little late for the public, who did not attend as was expected. The other two were fairly successful. To make these evening meetings a success it is best to try to obtain Borne prominent runner to participate and interest the public. The two Australian cyclists proved a great attraction and so would any other first class athletes. Though the club can hold its own In track events there is a great weakness in field events. This is a branch that should be developed as much as possible if the club is to gain leading place among the athletic clubs of the Dominion. This weakness was manifested at the centre championships, when Hawera scooped the pool in field events and gave Wanganui a great shake for the banner, just through points gained in this branch. Those runners who do not attain any success in running ought to be tried out in field events. The harrier branch promises to be even more successful than last year during the coming season. A number of new members have already decided to join, while some of the track runners will try themselves out in cross country running. There is nothing finer than a good run across fields and over the hills for building the body and for the health. Athletes should bear in mind that cross country running does not spoil them for sprinting or track running; it improves them instead. This year it would be interesting to see a fairly long race put on for the harriers just as a try-out. One, say, from New Plymouth to Waitara or there and back should create plenty of interest, especially if permission to start in the town could be obtained. It is by putting on something unusual that a club keeps the public interested, and while the public- are interested then athletics will advance. Such a race would be of as much interest as a great cycling race, and as no very long races seem to have been tried in tbe Dominion it would be interesting to see how it would fare.

A wise policy is being carried out in providing racing for the cyclists during the winter months. Road racing will keep them interested and also draws more members. Some very good prizes have been already offered for the cycling branch. Later in the season there are road championships for amateurs, and if the members show any promise then they might.be able to compete. As it is a little early yet, the date foi the Dominion cross country championships has not yet been announced, but they will probably be held at Wanganui this year. Its there will be no early trials for the Olympic games they will be held later than last year —probably about August. Some of .the members from the New Plymouth Amateur Athletic Club have gone over to the ranks of the professionals. There is not the money iu running that there used to be. It costs more nowadays to travel to some meetings than is to be obtained in prize money. Even if a runner devotes all his time to running and does not have to work he cannot always win, so that in the end he loses. If the prize money were bigger, then perhaps the races would i e worth going for. In America there is to be held a 3000 mile race for a prize of £5OOO. The person who wins that will not need to run any ln days gone by there used to be little else but professional running, and the athletes then were first-class too. so that to win then was a great performance.