Athletics (British Sports Library)

24 ATHLETICS A brisk walk of half an hour's duration before • breakfast, with the body warmly clad from chin to heels and with a cap on the head, is excellent pre– paration for the day's work if followed by a tepid sponge bath and brisk towelling. As a natural corollary one is bound to mention road and cross– country running. This brings us to one of the greatest evils of English school athletics. At more than one school I know of it is the custom during the period November to March to make the boys strip to their vests and shorts at the school prior to a run of anything from three to four miles out ; on arrival at the end of the outward journey the boys first up have to wait about, sweat drenched and shivering, for the slowest runners to arrive: They are then called over and allowed to proceed back at their own pace and still clad only in vest and shorts to the school three or more miles distant, where their warm sweaters, which would have saved mu~h damage could they have been put on immedi– ately at the conclusion of the outward run, are waiting for them. This system is little short of cruelty and produces lasting harm. Then again there are schools that have " famous ." -those who have studied the problem consider them "infamous "-long races either across country or upon the roads.