Bredin on Running & Training

Il4 RUNNING AND TRAINING. and led until a yard from the tape, where I was just able to squeeze in front and break the worsted, a winner by a few inches. With a slight Cockney twang, and a face expressive of utter disgust, the frequent occupier of place No. 2, throwing his corks on the ground, pathetically exclaimed, " Beat on the post every time ! " The first amateur championship meeting I remember witnessing was that held at Stamford Bridge in '86. The events that left most impression on my mind were the races at 4-40 and 100 yards. In the latter Wharton was credited with doing " evens," both in his heat and the final ; he subsequently started for the quarter-which was run over the old course of 280 yards straight, round the bend opposite the present grand stand, and .finished about sixty yards up the back straight. Wharton led until he dropped, thoroughly exhausted, about one hundred yards from the tape, leaving C. G . Wood to struggle home inside fifty seconds. Lyle Smith, who had run with better judg– ment than Wood displayed, was a good second, and, it appeared to me, might have won had there been an extra twenty yards to go, as he was coming up very fast towards the finish ; but Wood had previously met the black runner in the sprint, and evidently determined not to allow him to obtain a further lead in the longer race than was absolutely necessary. This quarter mile was the fastest for its first furlong that I have ever seen or competed in. Shortly after these championships a scratch 220 yards was included in a programme of sports held near Birmingham, with the object of seeing Wood and