Bredin on Running & Training

HALF-MILE, MILE, AND DISTANCE RUNNING. 35 have been in Badminton ?-that the runner who goes to the scratch mark in a limited handicap with the view of creating a new record does not require so much pluck as he would do in competing against another man about his equal. My experience does not, however, coincide with such a view. In the latter case you have a chance of beating your man by better judgment, also you may catch him a trifle off-colour, and have, therefore, a comparatively easy race ; but the watch never suffers from a previous evening's dissipation, or an attack of nervousness that we poor mortals may have to submit to. Time is said to wait for no man; certainly it does not in foot– racing, and I believe nothing that can be undertaken in this sport is so punishing as a serious attempt to defeat the scythe-bearer at any other than very short distances. Striding quarter-milers, then, who cannot stay through– out half a mile, but wish to run successfully in a 6oo yards race, can slightly lengthen their long work on the path by covering 700 yards about twice a week, in addition to their ordinary sprinting. In now referring to the race over half a mile, and the various methods which each of the three previ– ously mentioned classes can best employ in their own interests-as for all practical purposes every four-furlong runner may be said to be included in one or other of these categories-1 must commence by pointing out that the following observations apply to level races only, for in handicaps men to whom a start has been allowed must principally rely on this advantage for their chance of success, and therefore have less 02.