Sporting and Athletic Records

RUNNING in America than in England, but it is certain that the best American Records are every bit as trustworthy as the best English Records. Every now and then some ingenious English scribe discovers some advantage in American conditions and claims a discount from American times. For instance, it has been gravely urged in print that as English tracks are measured 12 inches from the curb, and American 18 inches, the difference round a couple of curves is appreciable in a distance of 600 yards. Seeing that in such a case the difference in the two methods of measurement would hardly exceed a foot, the criticism seems a trifle strained. We have no sympathy with this sort of cavilling. Such carping cannot obscure the fact that at the short sprints Americans in America are on the whole faster than Englishmen, whether in America or England. It is worth comparing English and American amateur performances over a few well-known distances. British American M. s. M. S. 100 yards 10 9*1* Quarter mile 48 v. 48% Half mile 1 54v 1 53% One mile 4 17 4 i5 8 /= Ten miles 5 1 20 52 38% One of the most noteworthy records is W. G. G EORGE'S mile in 4m. 12 s /*s., which remains nearly 3 seconds better than any one else has done. In the matter of long distance running G. Lrrxr .EWOOU, the British Professional, is not likely to be easily dispossessed of the record, having accomplished the astounding feat of covering 623 "/t miles in six following days.