Athletic Training

70 ATHLETIC TRAINING it was easy and natural for England to pro– duce good distance runners. It was not until the United States began to foster cross-country running that we began to develop good distance runners. The Inter– Collegiate Cross-Country Association con– ducted its first run over the Morris Park course, New York, in 1899, and since that time the popularity of this sport has grown by leaps and bounds. Not only has it spread remarkably in the colleges, but it has taken hold in our high schools, preparatory schools, and academies, not to mention the athletic clubs which have followed suit. The fruits of this policy were shown in striking manner at the 1908 Olympic games, when the United States won the 800 and 1,500 metre runs, as well as the Marathon, and performed cred– itably in the team and steeplechase events. At Stockholm, in 191~, we did even better, not only winning the 800-metre race and the 3,000-metre team race, but having ten of our representatives to finish in the first eighteen in the Marathon. In this respect we quite outstripped England, our original teacher.