Athletics (British Sports Library)

108 ATHLETICS since the Public Schools One Mile Challenge Cup was first instituted in 1896 the winner has only three times failed to cover the one-mile course in less than 5 minutes, while somewhere round about 4 minutes 37 seconds is now approximately winning standard. This would argue the ability of most of the com– petitors in the race to accomplish a mile in at least 4 minutes 45 seconds, in which case the follow– ing intermediate times would probably appertain : quarter mile, 65 seconds; half mile, 2 minutes 18 seconds; three-quarter mile, 3 minutes 31 sec· onds. The Public Schools record of 4 minutes 32f seconds h(l.s, however, stood to the credit of H. W. Gregson, of Oundle, ever since 1900, and the time for the first-class schoolboy now to aim at is the 4-minute 30-second mile, which would mean approximately: quarter mile, 62 seconds; half mile, 2 minutes 10! seconds; three-quarter mile, 3 minutes 20 seconds. But we must not forget the average schoolboy winner, who at his own sports will probably do somewhere round about 5 minutes for the mile ; this would mean 68 seconds for the quarter, 2 minutes 25 seconds for the half, and 3 minutes 42 seconds for the three-quarters of a mile. Particular stress is laid upon the above time schedules, for it is only by strict adherence in