Bredin on Running & Training

120 RUNNING AND TRAINING. back to Stamford Bridge (at that time I resided close to the L.A. C.). On entering the then almost deserted grounds, strewn with betting tickets, pieces of pro– grammes, number cards, and other like evidences of a recently held modern athletic meeting, I soon espied old Nat seated on a chair near the number board, in a condition decidedly not arrived at by the strictest adherence to temperance principles. In answer to my remark, somewhat hesitatingly put forward, that with better judgment I might have been returned the winner of the quarter-mile championship, the veteran blurted out, "\¥ell, you did your running and you got beat; what have you got to grumble at?" which brought to my mind the dear old saying that "a friend in need is a friend indeed." Seven days later I turned out for the l~vel quarter, or so-called International Championship, at Paris, and having no one to hurry me along after the first 200 yards -up to that distance the French champion made the pace a cracker-won somewhat easily towards the finish in 49iths. The distance of this race in British measurement is 437 yards 7 inches, and the times its record has been lowered may perhaps be of interest, as the event has always been contested over the same course: 5oith by C. G. Wood in '86; 50 by M. Remington in '91; 49!ths by E. C. Bredin in '92; 49gths by M. Long in '99· However, I noticed a great improve– ment with regard to the state of the track whilst at Paris during the latter season, and as the French knew little concerning athletics when their first meeting was held in '86, probably Wood's performance may be relatively considered the best.