Fifty Years of Progress 1880-1930

CROSSCOUNTRY RUNNING A PURE SPORT BY W. W. ALEXANDER Viet-President .A.A.A. and Hon. Secretary Birchfield Harriers CRosscouNTRY running as a sport first came into favour some sixty years ago, when the Thames Hare and Hounds made history by their runs and races across country in the Roehampton district. In a very short period this example resulted in many other crosscountry clubs being formed, and the sport of paperchasing becoming popular and firmly established as one of the purest of winter games, not only in the South, but in many parts of the country. The Public Schools, in olden days, had their day of "Hare and Hounds" for the scholars. Important Schools like Rugby made their annual crosscountry run a race to be remembered by all who took part, for the "whipper-in " gave no quarter to the runner who lagged behind. One can read "Tom Brown's Schooldays" and find that crosscountry running was a sport that .flourished some years before it was taken up by the Thames Hare and Hounds. It is, however, due to that club's initiative, and the work of their Hon. Secretary, the late Mr. Walter Rye, that the sport of crosscountry running became established as a pastime for amateur athletes for all time. A FLOURISHING SPORT Looking forward from this modest beginning to the present time, one can easily appreciate the huge amount of good work that has been success– fully accomplished and which has proved so beneficial in many ways. The International Associations (ambassadors of peace and good-fellow– ship) show that the sport continues to thrive : throughout France, with her representative team all-powerful, Belgium making headway, and in the not very distant future, Germany will be sure to enter a stern chal– lenge, for the athletic development of this nation since 1919 is remarkable. Italy also, in a few years, may show progress, for close to their borders in France I have seen large fields in Championships. Add to this the greatly increasing numbers in the North, South, and Midlands taking part in crosscountry running since the end of the great European War, and it can truly be asserted that the sport is flourishing. 109