Athletics

CROSS-COUNTRY RUNNING. cross-country work. Old time starters (andmost swimming starters of to-day) used to make out what they termed a back handicap, erroneously however, as it was a forward handicap, as they took the limit man as zero, and this made out thescratch man's performanceseconds or minutes slower than it really was. If he, the selected starter and timekeeper, can obtain a copy of the handicap, he ought to prepare a sheet as follows, in the second table the first being the handicap NEMO HARRIERS.—5 MILES HANDICAP. T able I. T able II. Starts allotted. m. s. Jones ... Scratch. Kent Brown 0 5 Green Smith ... 0 30 South Black ... 0 45 East \ White I 10 West/ West ... 1 30 White East 1 3° Black South 2 0 Smith Green 2 55 Brown Kent ... 4 0 Jones Back (or Starting)Handicap. Time onwatch. ... 56 O ••• 57 5 ... 58 o ... 58 30 ... 58 50 ... 59 15 59 30 ••• 59 55 ... 60 o If the "clock" be merely an ordinary stop-watch, then the watch shouldbe stopped with the spider handat "zero," and the minute hand setat 56 minutes (the hour hand need not be meddled with). Some of the officialswill get the men into proper order (table ii.) As soon as all are prepared, the starter says, " Kent, get ready," then dispatches him with the word "go," at the same time "striking," or starting, his watch. When there is sufficient interval, thenext man may be cautioned; thus at 57 mins., "Green, get ready," and then "go" at 5 sees, after will send him off. With a large field the simple dismissal "go" is enough. The watch-holder must not be bothered or interfered with in