Why? The Science of Athletics

THE BT:JILD OF THE ATHLETE 375 Hill, and to an even more marked degree by Henry Stallard, the Cambridge Blue who won English Cham– pionships at 440 yds., 88o yds., and I mile. He was of an amazing slimness in his racing days, and has his modern counterpart in W. Bonthron, U.S.A., who holds the world's I500 metres record of 3 mins. 48 4/5 secs. Paavo Nurmi, Finland, the maker of so many distance records, Jules Ladoumegue, France, who reduced Nurmi's mile record from 4 mins. IO 2/5 secs. to 4 mins. 9 I/5 secs., and J. E. Lovelock (Fig. I 25), who brought it down to 4 mins. 7 3/5 secs., all conform closely to the ideal build for the miler, but Glenn Cunningham, U .S.A. (Fig. I 26), holder of the present world's I mile record of 4 mins. 6 4/5 secs., is more stocky and of considerably heavier build. Beyond the One Mile distance it is more Long Distance often than not a case of the good little 'un Runners and beating the good big 'un. Marathon Men For, as Lawson Robertson, U.S .A., Chief Olympic Coach, has said, "Marathon run– ners come in all shapes and sizes, but rarely is the big man successful at this distance. Short runners have always proved the best, and obviously this is because it requires less strength to lift and keep up the body." One remembers Johnny Hayes, U.S.A., Olympic victor, I908, and the little Italian Dorando who collapsed when victory was almost within his grasp ; Hannes Koleh– mainen, Finland, who won at Antwerp in I920 ; and El Ouafi, the French-Algerian, who came home first at Amsterdam i:n 1928. Of all the Marathon winners, perhaps only K . McArthur, I9I2, and J. Zabala (Fig. I35), were more than what one might call little chaps, and Zabala perhaps was lucky to beat Great Britain's diminutive airman, Sam Ferris, who came in second. Of diminutive men who have not been Marathon runners, but who could win at almost any distance from ten to twenty miles, the doyen is Alfred Shrubb, of Great Britain, who at Buffalo, U.S.A., in I906 met Billy I I I 11 I " " 11 I