Athletics of To-Day 1929

Athletics of To-day No. r, Plate 22.) Another famous winner was E. A. Montague, Rugby, rgr8, who returned 4 mins. 8 secs. Both these athletes gained Blues at Oxford, and both have represented Great Britain at the Olympic Games. Since, moreover, upwards of fifty boys from some twenty-five schools meet in the Public Schools race each year, it is obvious that British interest in steeplechasing is not as yet quite dead. Montague was one of the greatest distance runners that the track has ev r se n, and perhap the most unlucky one. At Rugby he won the famous I3 miles Crick Run, in which his younger brother, F. A. Montague, was successful later on, a point of interest, since this is the only instance in the long history of the race of two brothers proving successful. At his first public appearance, E. A. Montague won both the Public Schools steeplechase and mile. His v rsatility is proved by the fact that in rg2o he beat W. R. Seagrove at three mil sin a gale of wind in ro mins. 45~ secs., won the mile against Harrow, and was second to B. G. D. Rudd in the half mile. There is reason to say that he was unlucky, for he finished second in no fewer than five English hampion– ship races. The occasion of the rg2r Steeplechase hampion– ship will not be soon forgotten. Throughout the race Hodge and Montague passed and r passed each other continually. The last lap found Hodge very groggy and his opponent hardly able to cl ar a hurdle, but in the finish Hodge, through better hurdling, won a terrific struggle by 7 yards. There is a good tale told of the occasion when Montagu repres nted England against France at s,ooo m tres. At the bell he was lying b hind S agrove and was just about tt all in." Although his legs were giving under him and he wobbled from side to side of the track, he yet succ eded in passing Seagrove and securing fifth place for England. When a ked afterwards why he did not give up as he was so acutely distressed, he r plied, with a smil , that he had run on in the belief that eagrove was a r nchman. The sport call for pluck and taying pow r, and th man who ess ys this event must be able to pre erve uniformity of