Running Recollections and How to Train

24 Upon this occasion there were two other competitors— Jones, ofShrewsbury, and Taylor. Profiting by my lesson earlier in the year,I made all the running, and won by two yards fromBredin, with Taylor third. Other athletes with whom I had "matches" in my amateur days were Teddy Messenger and S. R. Huson, of London. I met Messenger over200 yards at Povvderhall in the St.Bernard's Sports,1894, and beat him by a yard-and- a-half. Huson and I came together over 200 yards at the South London Harriers' Sports in September, 1894. 1 was originally matched to run Bredin 350 yards, but owing to that unfortunatepedestrian spraining his ankle about aweek before the date fixed for the sports, the South London Harriers prevailedupon Huson to take his place and run me 200. This he did, but I won somewhat more easily than they expected,owing, I presume, to hisnot being as fitas he might have been. Wittenberg and I never were great rivals, although we frequently met in level races. Our first meeting was in 1893, at Blackburn, in a 220 yards' handicap. We were both off the four yards' mark, but while I ran second he was unplaced. We tested our paces for the second time in Glasgow in the followingspring. Here he beat me in a 120 yards' handicap, giving me one yard start. Our next encounter was at Glasgow, later on in the sameyear, when he had to giveme one-and-three-quarter yards' start. I have already described the race in the preceding chapter. During thefollowing twoyears we repeatedly met in scratch sprint races, and he was always a good third to Bradley or myself. Our last meeting was at Huddersfield, in the 220 Yards N.C.A.A. Championship, w r hich, by the way, was my last raceas an amateur. Here I won, with Wittenberg second, and Bradley third.