Athletics (British Sports Library)

THE HALF MILE 105 sprinting and quarter-miling, and introduce some of the work from those sections into their progFamme. Coaches and instructors should keep the closest watcb upon all their charges in training, and never allow them to exceed the pace or distance at which they have been told to work out. It is better to underwork an athlete than to run the risk of over– training him. It must be remembered that the athlete coming into training is a very highly strung individual, and that directly he feels fit he will want to go the limit. To let him do so is certain to turn him stale. He will then be inclined to loaf. The natural exuberance of fitness should be the runner's greatest asset on the race day, if it is stored 1lP instead of being allowed to expend itself in a useless series of all-out trials. It is not unusual in this country to see athletes, and particularly schoolboys, start the half-mile race from a standing position. It is, however, far better to crouch as the sprinters do and to make a dash for the lead, so that other runners will have to work round you when you want to drop back for the position you mean to hold until you gather yourself for the final burst of speed. During the last five years it has been usual for the winner of the Public Schools Half Mile to produce form approximating to 2 minutes 5 seconds or 2 minutes 6 seconds. This would mean covering