The San Francisco call., 1896-05-31
SCIENCE OF MIDDLE
DISTANCE RUNNING,
True Positions for the Arms
and Legs When in
Action.
Keep Your Eyes on the Finish
and Pay No Heed to
Opponents.
Suggestions in Training for Those Who
Are Fat and Those Who
Are Lean.

In this letter We will take up what is
known among athletes as middle distance
running" Sprint running refers TO dis
tances between so and 440 yards. The lat
ter distance, il will be rememb bered, is a
quarter of mile, and it is the limit of
sprint running. Now, middle distance
running refers to distances ranging from
440 yards to three-fourths of mile. The
latter is popular only because it is an i'm
aginary even distance. As g matter of
fact, however, it is very uneven distance,
il we are to regard quarter half and a
mile as standard races. One thousand
yards is 40 yards over half 1880 yards),
or not quite three-hfths of mile.
Now there are some men who are won
derfully strong at the shorter runs that
find half-mile very wearing on them
tn erefore all successful runners have ulti-
mately to make up their minds what dis
tance they will choose. Let me give a few
illustrations of natures peculiarities in
this direction.
Arthur Waldron, champion 1O0-yard
runner of 1888, time 10I seconds, was
second-class man at 900 yards and posi-
lively outclassed at quarter mile. H. S.
Brooks lett Berkeley and went to Yale
University in 1881 While there he ran
220 yards in % 3-5 seconds, turning curve,
and beat the celebrated L. E. Meyers, cham
pion quarter-mile runner of the world.
Yet Brooks could run 100 yards in only
10 1-5 seconds, while at 440 yards he has
barely beaten 81.
c. NJ. Smith won the half mile cham
pionship OF 1886. and have seen him run
the distance in min. 1 sec,, yet he has de-
clared quarter-mll race so Furnishing to
him that he never ran the distance after
his second year, when he went close to
so sec. He found mile the most COM
Portable race. L. E. Meyers was probably
the greatest all-round as well as the most
reliable runner of the century. I saw him
run 100 yards in 10 sec. in 1880, and beat
W. 6. George, champion of England, in a
mile run in 1885. But Meyers dreaded the
latter distance and said that even three
quarters of a mile was dreadful punish
ment n. Fredericks won the mile cham
pionship four successive years, from 1880
to 1888, his best time being 1872 Yet
Fredericks was so poor for half mile that
he never trusted himself with frst-class
company at the distance Moreover, he
was never known to run over mile-at
least to my knowledge.
These statistics and illustrations demon
stIate that there is a vast difference in
people, and that this difference is as true
among runners as among the mass of
mankind. 1t is necessary, therefore. for
the ambitious athlete to watch himself
closely, and determine by experience.
study and advice what his best distance
Is. Cases have been known where Young
men have struggled along for two or three
seasons, running the sprints without much
success. At length in fit of discourage
ment they have entered half mile race
just to change their luck, when, to their
establishment they have won by a fine
turn of speed.
In running a quarter of a mile man
should get into his running almost as
quickly as in a short distance, for there is
no time to be lost. Then he should take a
long clean stride and run himself out. re-
membering, though, that he has quite a
distance to travel, considering that it is a
sprint. The arms should be raised and
the step must be quick-not so quick as in
100. but as long, particularly from 100 to
$50 yards. When the latter mark has been
passed the tug of war begins. For ninety
yards the runner must punish himself if
his opponents are worthy of him. If his
legs feel like stone and his feet like fat
irons he should not concern himself, for
the men with him are Just as tired as he.
When you enter the home stretch fix
your eyes on the finish, comforting YOUR
self that you have only fifty yards to 90.
and the pleasure that will greet your vic
tory. Pay no more attention to your
opponents than if they were not present.
Look around at your perill Look neither
to the right nor to the left, but concentrat-
ing all your energies on one thought, for
get your numerous aches and pains and
throw yourself toward and across the tape.
A balf-mile is different proposition. In
that your stride must be long, but with
out straining. Start off with a long but
strong lope, feeling, however, that it will
not exhaust you. At 300 yards you should
feel good; at half-distance you should feel
vigorous, but not fresh. At $50 yards it is
time to feel very, very tired, but not thor
oughly exhausted. as the last furlong is
long distance for man TO travel who is
completely played out. Bear in mind,
however, that you will make grave mis-
take If you reach three-quarters of the dis
tance fresh and full of running. The only
exception to this rule is when your op-
ponent Is stronger and steadier runner
than yourself aud you are better spurter.
SPAAh1 ID q SuOIb-QlSldHC6 run. Inc
squirt is different thing, however. It has
reference to short distance, it is true,
but 1t is burst of speed iE a longer race
III TWO men race for mile, and one hangs
oehlnd the other until 100 yards from
home and then let's out, passing his oppo-
nent at the finish, it is called a squirt.
one writer has said that three things are
required OF a middle distance runner:
speed, strength and pluck. He is right;
speed Is necessary, because the distance is
comparatively short; strength TO carry one
through the race at fast clip, with no
chance TO ease up; and pluck, because for
most people hard race of half-mile or
thereabouts is Furnishing ordeal.
For man inclined somevbot ~.
following suggestions for commenc;no
training will apply: Dress in th;cL
sweater and heavy breeches, and taLa
spin of a mile or two at an easy gait u,h;.t