The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-07-27
R45JLMe e. hEJJAcE q

One Of the most interesting an
unique athletic events OF the summe
will be the 1,OOO-mile cross-country II
lay race which Is to be pulled OF b
the Y. M. c. A. boys between Me-
York city in the east and Chicago i
the west. Two thousand trained, flee
footed runners each In turn catchin
on the fly the message sent by Mayo
Mcclellan Of the eastern city an
speeding 1t on It's westward journey
The entrants for the race have beei
carefully selected from the tleetes
| gymnasinms Of the Young Mems Chris
tian associations of New York an,
| Chicago, and by those OF the numerous
other branches Of the association
which line the 1,O0O-mile route.
It will be a race against time, a con
test between the flying feet Of the
young athletes and the fugitive hours
But although the race is against time
there will be the zest Of keen rivalry
to spur the racers on. An automobile
carrying official timekepers Will follow
the racers over the entire route, max
Ing careful record of the speed Of each
relay. Besides this individual rivalry
there is the rivalry o. the numerous
associations. each hoping that as a
body Its champions will show a higher
average than the others.
The direct mail route to Chicago Ii
900 miles. The more winding highways
that the boys will traverse is estimated
at 1000 miles There win be nearly
1000 boys in the race, and it is expect
ed that It will be run well within five
days.
The start will be made from the city
hall Of New York at Elne O'clock on
the morning of July is. There the
speediest runner Of the TvaAty-third
street branch Of the Young Mems
Christian association will receive from
Mayor Mcclellan a message addressed
to Mayor Busse Of Chicago. The mes
sage will be inclosed in silver tube.
The starter will give the signal, and
the youth will sprint up Broadway, fol-
lowed by the automobile which Is to
accompany the racers 10 Chicago.
The route will be up Broadway. and
at half-mile from the starting point
the bearer Of the silver tube will toss
it to the fieet-footed youngster await.
ing him there, and he in turn will set
a flying pace to the next halfmile
point where another eager youth win
snatch the tube aud after his half-mile
race will pass 1t to the next in the re-
lay line. So It will go day and night
until the tube. which by the time it |
has reached Chicago viii have passed /
through nearly 1000 hands. is delly.
cred 10 the mayor Of that city.
owing to the continuous course Of
raining which our boys undergo, said I
Mr. A. A. jameson, boys work director
If the Twenty-third street branch Of T
he Young Mems Christian association.
New York city, IT would be quite pos
ible for us 70 pull this race on in a
week. We have extended the time Of
he start however, because Of neees-
AIRY road arrangements and the ap
iointment Of district superintendents.
)ur tryouts have revealed the fact
hat the boys average speed IS about
AS for every half mile. Making al
1wanees for possible bad weather and
oor roads, Il Is expected that the az
rage speed Of the race Of 900 miles
r more win be about a mile in eight
linutes. When You come TO consider
nat the age limit Of the contestants Is
5 years. and as the majority Of
lese will not be over IS years old, the
Ian becomes j significant test IN ath.
tics. The time have mentioned will
be improved. and by I
ugh calculation we assume that the /
ice will be run IN FIVE days. The
rst part Of the race will be from city &
al, New York city. TO city hall. Yonk. I
IS, boy being stationed at that dis t
nee for every half mile. We average =
distance from New York 10 Yonkers
IS miles. which will he covered by 6
or 30 Of our New York city boys. fir
The schedule Of our course from &
CIV York 10 Buffalo viii Be as fol. i
VS.: New York to Yonkefs. Oasiniue a
awburg, Poaghkeepsie. Rhinebeek I
ltskill HUDSON. Albany, Troy. sehen,
tady, johustown, Little Fails. Utica. b
1me Syracuse, Auburn. Geneva ca. a
Rochester. Batavia. Buna. v
The western division Of the race b
II be In charge Of Mr. # d crackel #
rector Of the West Side Boys club Of Il
e Young Mems Christian association b
Cleveland. O.. who viii direct the Il
urse from his town to the city han e
Chicago. Mr. Crackel deserves the P
edit Of being the originator Of this &
An. as the outcome Of the crogsc0un. II
race he organized among HIS boys ii
om Cleveland to Erie. Each boy
II wear the athletic dress or the
'ung Mems Chriatian association
4 will stand ready At his post to nj
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