Athletics of To-Day 1929

The Marathon Race I2J Great Britain; Ferris lay seventh, and McLeod-Wright ninth. Nearing the stadium, Yamada was still leading, but Isuda had given place to Ray, El Ouafi, and Mart llien, while Ferris was moving up place by place. When the trumpets rang out from the Marathon Porte to announce the approach of the victor, the Americans had their community yell all ready to greet Joie ay, the British were half hop ful that Ferris might yet do the trick, and the Japanese spectators sat silent but expectant. It was El Ouafi who swung in through the great gates and flung up his arms in acknowledgment of the volley after volley of cheering that came spontaneously from thousands upon thou ands of throats. Before he had trav r ed 200 yards of the arena, Plaza app ared, followed by Martellien, Yamada, Ray, Isuda, Ferris, and H. Wood, who had won the English orthern 1\iarathon in the spring. El Ouafi's time of 2 hours 32 mins. 57 secs. was less than a quarter of a minute outside the Olympic best, and he finished amazingly fit. The d scriptions I have written of various Marathon Races should give the reader a good idea of how the distance should be run. For xample, Hay s finished when Dorando collapsed, b cause the American was a fine judge of pace and would not allow himself to depart from his schedule. Lord failed because he was tempt d to try to run Price off his feet up Pinder Hill. The prop r proc dure is to start th race quietly and at moder– ate speed, s that you may establish full control over your muscles and nervous system. K ep the brain occupied by obs rving what is going on about you; this 1 ssens then rvous strain of the cont st. em mb r that you hav pl nty of time to pass your opponents ; do not try to g t ahead by sudden bursts of sp ed. un to schedule and at and drink only .according to your coach's ord rs or your own preconceiv d plan. Small, light men, like Dorando, Hay s, Gitsham, Kol hmain n, El uafi, and Ferris, usually make the best Marathon runners, but the big, tall m n, to which class b long McArthur and Plaza, and th hort thick-s t type, such as Mills and tenroos, have all had th ir succ ss s.