Athletics of To-Day 1929

CHAPTER VII RELAY RACING To this phase of athletic competition America owes a great deal of the phenomenal success and many of the world's records of her sprinters and quarter-milers. The popularity of relay racing in America has had another very ben ficial effect on national athletics. \:Vith each fresh season the varied relay races bring to the notice of the American coaches a number of runners who are capable of fine performances, although not quite up to championship standard. These men get their places in the relay teams and they invariably train on. In consequence of this Am rica is always able to bring extra– ordinarily well balanced teams to the Olympic Gam s, and if a first-string man breaks down, or meets with an accident, there are invariably three or four men, very nearly as good as he is, to take his place. Relay racing was started in America in the early nineties of the last century and added an amount of interest to the war that has been ceaselessly waged against the growth of the individual spirit, as opposed to the team spirit, in competitive athletics. The Univ rsity of Pennsylvania R lay Meet, which is still the greatest festival of its kind, was the first such meeting ever instituted. This was in r8gs. In r897 the New York A.. Relay Team (M. \V. Long, H. S. Lyons, T. E. Burke and . J. Wefers) won th American One Mile Relay Champion– ship (4 x 440 yards) and made a world's record mark of 3 rnins. 2If secs. These wer four magnificent quarter-milers, but how do s the tim compare with the present world r cord of 3 mins. I3f secs. made by the American t am ( . aird, 49! secs., F. M. Taylor, 47i· secs., R. arbutti, 48 secs., and E. pencer, ro6