Rowing and Track Athletics (extract)

Distance Runs and Distance Runners 329 of athletics, finally became a race-track book– maker, was as reckless of even his mere heal th as, in his running days, he had been of his own com– fort and prestige, and it was not long before he went completely to pieces. This was the heyday time of our club ath~etics. With a man like Meyers running it was no wonder that the interest in the new sport grew amazingly and that English and Irish and Canadian athletes were attracted to try their fortunes here. Among these transplanted runners was the Eng1ishman, E. C. Carter, picturesquely known during the later eighties to the club athletic public as " Eddie " Carter, the " Little Boy in Pink." This sobriquet was tacked upon him in England be– cause of the somewhat flowery costume in which it pleased him to appear on the track. He had acquired a great reputation over there and had finished second to W. G. George, when he sailed for America in 1885. It was the psycho– logical moment for a first-clas distance runner to appear in this country, and Carter was taken up by the club athletes and made much of. He joined the New York Athletic Club, became cap– tain of the Suburban Harriers, and interested him– self much in cross-country running; and at the amateur championships he soon showed what he was made of. In 1886 and I 887 he won the championship in both the mile and the five-mile