Athletics and Football (extract)

RUNNING AND RUNNERS 103 To the statement that the miler and ten-miler are all of the same class,there is one important qualification. The long­ distance runner is rarelyover middle height or middle weight, and frequently is undersized. Whatever his weight is, the runner has to lift it all at every stride, and consequently all the weight of the body, except that of the muscles which are actually used for travelling over the ground, is simple dead weightwhichhas to be carried. As the distances are lengthened, the heavier man gets more and more handicapped, and at ten miles,or in long cross-countryraces, the smallerand lightermen come more and more to the fore. The crack long-distance runner rarely weighs more than ten stone, and a man of the calibre of Walter Slade, six feet high, and weighing over 11 stone, is rare on the path. There are occasional exceptions; thus Deerfoot was, we believe,a very heavy man for his height, which wasmedium. Some of the best professionals, however, were verylight men ; Jack White, who at the time of writing still holds the four-mile record (19 min. 36 sec.), weighed 7stone 10 lbs. ; Howett, of Norwich,7stone 8 lbs.; whileLang and Cummings were both under 10 stone. Indeed, on com­ paring crack amateurs at shorter and longer distances, the differenceis striking ; Colbeck,whowasa six-footquarter-miler, weighed over 12 stone ; Slade the miler, who was of the same height, was more than a stone less. And at this juncture, wefeel inclined to offer a respectful suggestion to our brothers, the ' coaches' on the river. It is a constant occurrence for the newspapersto record howthe coach, after taking the crew for a long course, afterwards took out Nos. 5 and 6, the heavy weights, for some tubbing practice. Apparently then the coach believes that Nos. 5and 6, being the biggest and most muscular of the crew, can stand the greatest amount of work. This may be so : there are no in­ variablerules as to physiqueand stamina; but it is abundantly proved from military,as well as athletic, experience, that the biggest men are not those who can stand the most work. In averagecases, then, the coach had much better give some extra