Running Recollections and How to Train

CHAPTER X. AMATEUR RACES IN GENERAL. B «FORE concluding this, the first part ofmy story, I should like to make afew general remarks uponamateur races. I do not mean to say that amateur sports in this country arc lacking ingood management, but still there is room for vast improvement. There aretwo officials at the average athletic meeting who generally fall short of proficiency in their duties. I refer to the starter and referee. I mentioned a case earlier in this production, where the starter twice bungled over one single race, and this is by no means a unique experience in my career.I have been atsports where the starterwalked on to the ground with a regular armoury slung roundhis person, but never an honest muzzle-loading pistol among the lot. He had two or three revolversand a saloon pistol, forwhich, he remarked to me in confidence, he had only ball cartridges, but that he wouldn't use it unless he ran short of his other ammunition. I admit a good " barker " is very hard to get nowadays, but still one would imagine that an official starter would surely be able to possess himself of one. The referee is often possessed of oblique vision, and, as often asnot, it takes aboutfour men toallot afew miserable prizes. I once ran at some sports where they had four judges for the final of the sprint—one for each man. There was a battle-royal after the race. The judgewho was to " take " the winner " took " the man whom judge number two gave as being second, and judge number three, who was to fasten on to the third man, was prepared to take hisaffidavit that