AMATEUR ATHLETICS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 February 1939, Page 7

AMATEUR ATHLETICS

ATTEMPT ON MILE RECORD BY W. A. C. PULLAR.

MEETING AT MASTERTON TOMORROW.

Keen interest is being taken in W. A. C. Pullar's attempt to break Randolph Rose’s New Zealand one mile record 'of 4min. 13 3-ssecs. on the Park Oval, Masterton, at an evening meeting tomorrow. The race is timed to commence at 6.40 p.m. Rose established his record on the Park Oval in 1926. and the time has not been bettered in this country since, though at the meeting held in Wellington early last month on the Basin Reserve on the occasion of the visit of the Victorians, G. Backhouse and E. W. Best, the New Zealand and British Empire Games half-mile champion, V. P. Boot, went very close to doing so, Boot's time being only one second outside the record. In that race Pullar was second, his time being 4min. 17jsecs. It was the fastest mile ever run at the Basin Reserve, and the second fastest in New Zealand. Prior to that meeting Pullar had the distinction of running the next fastest mile to Rose in this country. That was at Auckland, at the New Zealand championship meeting in 1937, when in a memorable contest, in which he defeated A. R. Wilson (Wellington) narrowly, Pullar recorded 4min. 14 4-5 secs.

In comparison it is interesting to note the best times recorded for the mile overseas. The present world record of 4min. 6 4-ssecs. stands to the credit of F. Woodersen, of Great Britain, and of the American Glen Cunningham. Cunningham also holds the world indoor record of 4min. 4secs. Arrangements have been made with two prominent Wellington runners, T. J. McGashin and F. G. Taylor to come to Masterton on Wednesday to ensure the setting of a sufficiently fast pace for Pullar. Supporting events commencing at 6 p.m. will be keenly contested.