Modern Athletics 1868

64 MODERN ATHLETICS. enabled to overhaul the leaders. At the endof the third mile Bentley retired, leaving Stoker with the lead, and -Kiccleas nd Wilkinson in the order named, some distance m the rear Williams was level with Stoker at a hundred yards Irom home, and then ensued onoef the most excitino- contests everwitnessed. Neither could shake off his op" ponent, and both infringedthe rules ofair walking. Stoker breasting the tape firstby a yard only. The committee co ^nlyadjudge the first and second prizes to Eccles and Wilkinson respectively, both having gonethe distance inn y * / exce P tion of the first 200 and the last 100 yards, Williamswent perfectly fairly the whole wav, and made the fastest amateutrime for five miles—viz. 40 minutes 5 seconds. Stoker's style, though by no means pretty, is welladapted for gettingover the ground, as he has a goodstride. Had he started much faster at first, the race wouldhave been at his mercy. Such a termina­ tion oi so close a contest was most unfortunate; but it was to a greatextent caused by the spectators breaking into the course and thus seriously inconveniencing the leaders. Sydenham Dixon appeared to advantage at a distance new to him—viz., a mile—as he won the chal- lenge cup for that race easily in 4 minutes 63 seconds. M. h. Joblmg, theholder, was far from well and bv no means up to his oldform, being defeated easily by W. E. M. Bethune for secondplace. At Canterlmry, Jounne 2, acouple of amateur handi- caps came off. In the 300 yards A. J. Goodwin, Merthyr w vr -i, y ar( is)was let in well, and won easily from W. M. Bennett Thames R. O. (23yards); H. J.Chmnery, London A C. (3 yards), not having quite time to catch his men. In the two miles the long starters again had the best of it, as E. E. HannisE, ton Excelsior, B. C. (40 seconds), and A. KingL, ondon A. 0. (35 seconds), finished first and second respectively. W. M. Chinnery, London T r'A scr . ch), finished third, 4 yards onlybehind King. University CollegLeo, ndon, heltdheir annual meetmo- on June 3, at Beaufort House, but the onlynoteworthv features were A. W. Harding's winnintghe mile, andW. f • \ a - iV 3 ' ^y. 11 Service, securing the strangersq'uarter, in which he defeated a large field. 1he second annual Blaacheath meeting was heaelrdlier + \! 1S / e fT Vlz " on J 11110 5 and 6, in Westcombe PaOrkn. the nrat day several handicaps weredecided. The open