The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-07
ELIMINATING JUMP
MAKES TEST UNFAIR
without Leap Over Water in
Cross-cOuntry, Flat Racers
Now Have Advantage.
STROBINO AN ODD JUNIOR

Van Cortlandt Park has been selected
for both the Junior and senior cross
country championships Of the Metrvpoli-
tan Association. to the exclusion OF the
Prospect Park course. which was ret
forth by Broolilynites last year as the
ideal place for hill and dale sport. With
races run In both localities last season.
II was possible to compare the two
courses and in that comparison the
Brooklyn course suffered. runners had
trouble in finding their way through the
maxes OF the park and the spectators
nav next to nothing OF the race. At
Van Cortland the-runners are In full
view for the greater part OF the Jour-
ney and the trail over the hills Is 80
well known that there In little danger
of any one going astray.
As constituted last fall. che Van Cort-
landt course comprised as complete q
layout for the sport as II ie possible
to obtain in the vicinity Of a large city
like New Worldwide. nat stretches for
the start and finish, rough turf over the
hills. a little spell OF road work. some
wooded land TO thread through and n
water jump that gave the contestants
~ tdftF VI lie 'uIittultlsS titd' hih"t W
encountered in a journey across country
where the quickest line had to be taken
to the terminal OF the route.
This year the committee In its wisdom
has eliminated the water jump and thus
deprived the run of It's most picturesque
feature n one most calculated TO test
the pluck and endurance OF the runners.
There was Joy In the hearts Of old cross
country men when the good old hare and
hound days were revived by the inclu-
sion Of the little brook in the stretch Of
three miles that a to be covered twice
90 complete the course and hundreds
travelled out to the jump to sec the fun.
A good Jumper could have cleared the
water or at the worst got over by the
wetting of one foot, but most OF the
competitors waded through or jumped
In the middle and splashed their way
out. That was considered too much OF
n hardship for our carefully nutrured
athletes and by taking the water out
this year the men will be taking "A ster
toward road run or track conditions.
This liz not likely to improve the
chances OF an American team In future
Olympic cross-country events. for other
| nationalities recognize that a cross
| country course should be made as hard
as possible and not resemble a turf
course over hill and dale with plenty
Of ROAD to make the going easier and the
time faster. Under these conditions
the track long distance champions
should repeat without difficulty In the
cross-country title races. and the men
who really are suited for rough going
are at a disadvantage.
There is no limit 10 the obstacles that
may be included in a cross-country
course, and this was made plain a,
Stockholm In 1912. when the Swedes
picked out a rugged country where thu
contestants had to scramble over rocks
n through brush. The result was tina;
the Americans who had been brought ur
under the system Of 'cross-country run
| ming made easy were lost before hall
the journey had been finished and III.
hardy Swedes won the team competition
That "A good runner Vvas not necessarily
barred from success over "a genuine cross
country tlst was proved by the fact tina
Hanncs kolehmainen ~surmount.d all IN,
difficulties and won this run as he wor
all the others In which he competed a
Stockholm. He was a hardy Fin thei
and II Is doubtful now II ne could rur
over the same course as well as he die
IN 1912.
The argument which led to the drop
ping OF the water hazard was that tn,
competitors went In on the first rount
of the course and had to travel We
through for three miles before the,
took the jump again and then tool
another dip to finish in a hedragglet
state. II VAS said that they wer'
threatened by pneumonia. but not a cas-,
developed and all OF the boys lived I,
tell the tale and .augh over their ex
periences. What would some Of ,hes,
alleged cross-country runners think /
they had To travel over some of thu
old time courses? one veteran at tn,
game says that he went over one cours.
that contained seventy jumps and h,
was unable to count the number o
times he went In the water. As u com
promise the committee should revis
its decision and keep the run as ncai
to nature as possible by cutting on
the water jump on the first turn OF tn,
curse. but including II on the second
when the runners have only a dis,anc,
OF about a mile to reach the dressin,
rooms.
Their. is something ridiculous abou
the rule which allows "A runner Of inter
national renown such as CASTOR Stro
bino to compete as "A Junior In "A cross
country championship while men tina
he can give several minutes handicap T.
are barred ny the conditions. Yet suc'
il the case. for S%trobino, who inishe,
third In the stockholm marathon, is
member OF the New York 4. c. tear
for Tho junior championship to be III
over the Van Cortlandt course on Ne
vember 90. In finishing third at stock
holm Strobino defeated most Of the sta
long distance men in the world. but unit
joining the New York A. g. he neve
had a chance To compete in the JUNO
team championship.
There may be a genuine junior VIII
will finish In front Of the Olympi
veteran. but the chances are Target
against IL. and such "A man must fee
strangely II OF class among tho man
~novices engaged in the run. 90 far az (
known. StrobinO's right to run has no
been questioned and the club In entitle
to take advantage Of the rule which ha
preserved him as n junior through $
many years Of successful campaigning
Some way ought to be found, however
to keep Junior competitions on the levs
to which they properly belong.
William II. Parry. the old time wake
and considered the best judge of tn
game In New York to-day. has not ~
tired OF ~euosiz!ng the Canadian ticorg
Goulding for his marvellous Performance
In the seven miles championship. whe
he beat the worlds record for The dis
tance. Parry insists that Goulding
the greatest walker that ever lived an
admitted that he had to revise his judg
ment In a measure after seeing tn