New-York tribune., 1921-03-27
Crews Prefer
Long Distance,
Says Clendon
Declares Strain on Men
Is Much Greater When
Top Speed Is Demanded
, By Richard ]. Clendon

By Richard Glendon
Coach Of Navdt Academy cresas
for last seventeen gears. In 1890
tho MidsMpmaex scom the inteycol-
lsgs1te championship and broke the
,corld's record for the Henley dis
tnsacc of lM miles ia soissssins the
championship Of the ,miuerse ot the
Olympic Comes.
Numerous critics Of rowing have
time and again pronounced cong dis
tance races as injurious to the partici-
pants. A fouf-mile boat race is called
too long race, while in the running
game twenty-five miles is not consid-
ered too long q distance to run, pro-
vided the runners are properly trained.
A boat race Of 4 mile and quarter
Is considered sprint race by rowing
experts, which may be iikened to the
4zo-yard race ia running; while four
milo boat race is long distance race,
as compared to tho twenty-five-mile
running race.
/ agree with other commentators on
the subject that more harm than bene-
fit is derived from entering four-mile
boat race with insufficient training.
But the same may be said of any other
branch Of sport
On the other hand, l share the
opinion Of many others that four
mile boat race is easier to row than
the Henley distance races The Henley
is one mile and $50 yards and the oars
mon in rowing this race are compelled
to go at top speed the full distance,
crossing the finish line just before
they get their so-called Second wind"
Less Strain in Long Race
In the four-mile event, after the ini-
tfal squirt, the stroke is dropped to q
medium beat and held until near the
finish, and at no point in fourmile
race does the stroke approach the
speed Of that used in the Henley dis
tance.
The strength Of the oarsman is let
out gradually over long distance,
while in the short races a sudden and
severe call is made upon his resources.
which is undoubtedly more of q strain.
It IS an accepted fact that it is more
beneficial to spread any form of exer-
else, moderately, over long period
than to crowd it into q short space Of
time at top speed.
do not mean by this that short
races are injurious. They are not
provided, Of course, that the partici-
pants are properly trained. man
Who never runs may develop heart
trouble by running one hundred yards
as fast as he can.
/ have been in position all my life
to observe the effects Of vigorous exer-
else upon men Of different. grades of
physique, and have noticed that if prop
erly handled persons of almost no
muscular development whatever can be
made strong enough to indulge in the
most vigorous exercises imaginable.
In all my experience I have never
known single case Of personal injury
resulting from fcur-mile boat race.
Oarsmen Favor Long Race
The members Of the worlds cham
pionship eight-oared crew OF 1920 can
be quoted as saying that they would
much rather row long race than q
short one. 1t may be juodged by this
statement. made by crew which has
had much rowing experience, that b
short race takes more out of them than
long one.
Inasmuch as the oarsmen themselves
consider it in this light, do not un-
derstand how numerous critics, many
Of whom never pulled sweep-oar, con-
slider themselves in position to say
much about it.
1t is my candid opinion that much
of the opposition to the four-mile boat
race is fostered by young medical
prodigies looking for reputation.
If some Of the knockers of long dis
lance boat racing would turn their at
tention to football, game from which
several deaths occur annually and
by which many prime athletes, a
crippled-or long-distance running, a
pastime which "Spike" Webb, Of Olym-
pic boxing fame, credits with present
ing him with bald head ut the age of
twenty-eight years-they would, NO
doubt have better and much more de-
serving field for action.