The Pedestrian's Record

78 the pedestrian's record. half-mile is beyond a sprint, and yet is a short distance in com­ parison with a mile, and there are few long sprinters who show any form over the half-mile road, although fast runners like A. G. Le Maitre andF. J. K. Cross have made equally good time overthe quarter andthe 600 yards. We have seen heats and finals run on the same day for this course, and of course it is a line of arrangement much to be deprecated, although this is not so severe as the quarter double race, because the half-mile cannot be run from end to end at top speed, whereas the quarter must; for instance, fifty seconds would represent good timeforaquarter,and two minutes is fast time for the half, so the clock proves that each quarter in the half takes ten seconds more than the quarter by itself, and demonstrates the fact that a continuous top speed cannot be persisted in over a half-mile course. The training forthis race does not much deviate from that for the quarter, withthe ex­ ception that trotting distances must be doubled, but the journeys need not be accomplished in such quick time; but a half-miler should be able to do his quarter in fifty-three seconds, and never so slowly as one minute. It will be better to start slowly, and gradually day after day increase the speed, and not to burst at first and shut up afterwards ; and always try to sprint a few yards at the finish of any run, say a quarter or 600 yards, and by so doing you will inure your system to stand such trial on the day of