New Britain herald., 1925-03-18
NURMI HITS THREE
 MARKS, C0LLAPSES
Has to Quit Race-JOie Ray
 Equals World Record

over the protests of the Connecti- | cut association of the amateur ath- | letic union and disordered stom- |, ach last night, but in the end the | stomach and Willie Ritola, the light | were victorious. Illness, an attack which distorted his features, came to Paavo as he | raced away from the field in the | 5000-metre event, one of the fea- lures of the Knights of Columbus | track meet, the last to be held in | old Madison Square Garden. Four | laps from the end he staggered as he rounded a turn, shook his head. | and held his left hand to his stom- ach. He struggled on, striving 10 | regain his stride as Ritola, who had | been thirty yards behind, raced past | l him. Another circuit of the track, | 1 the slowest pace that Nurmi ever i has made in a race, for he merely moved his lightning -fasts feet, and the Olympic star left the field.
 Before the race Nurmi had es- saved meal of meat which had not had time to digest properly, and to this is laid his faltering at a critical time in his athletic career. He had been challenged by those from whom he had taken the hon. ors of the present season and of many campaigns in the past and it was for him to attain his greatest condition 10 forestall his track ad- yersaries
 Little Joie Ray. mightier than ever before, awaited the battle at Q mile late In the evening. but was denied. But a phantom Nurmi must have run at the side of the Chicago mite for he broke the tape in time that equalled the world record held by the Finn, minutes and 12 sec onds. It was q sensational battle between Lloyd Hahn, the Boston A. A. runner whose powerful legs have carried him to a record for three quarters of mile, and the Midget Ray.
 lap from the finish Ray press ed, gained the lead and set forth with terrific sprint. Hahn was at his heels in determined chase. With two turns to make it seemed that the Bostonian, a man power fully constructed below the waist. would have the stamina necessary 10 win but Ray was running as never | before and every challenge drew from the little fellow a burst of speed that kept the crowd of 12,o00
 in frenzy.
 Breasting the tape, the courageous little veteran came into his own and
 smiled ioyfully at the din that had
 been denied him throughout the
 winter.
 Ritola Wins
 The race in which Nurmi faltered
 went to Ritola in 14:S3 3-5, more
 than ten seconds behind his own
 record for the distance. He was fully thirty-fve yards behind when his bitterest rival, forcing an eX- ceedingly fast pace, suddenly failed,
 and perhaps would have made bet
 ter time had Nurmi continued in the
 race. Ritola ran the last four laps
 in spirited dash. however, urged
 by the clamor of an enthusiastic
 crowd. evidently delighted to see Nurmi conquered in any manner
 whatsoever.
 Track followers have predicted
 the turning of the American spec
 tator. Checred throughout his pre- yious appearance and accorded ? tremendous reception on taking the , track, the Olympic meteor played into the hands of those who enjoy seeing champion fall. And the turning came. The cheers for Ritola, the conQueror, seemed greater than any that ever arose from a garden assemblage for Nurmi, as the dark-skinned Finn made his way to victory.
 Nurmi Struggles In After the first mile, Nurmi was , breathing harder than ever he had , in his previous American races.
 His face was flushed and the sweat poured down his neck. Across his chest, a streak of moisture showed | upon his light blue jersey. But he was racing along in record time and was within six seconds of his re- 3 markabIc record of S:5S l-5 when
 he reached the two mile line. Be-
 tween this dibtance and the time
 when he quit the track he shattered three records, for 4.O0O yards, 4,O00 metres and 2l2 miles.
 There could be no doubt Of his
 illness, as when stricken he had re- taincd a lead of 35 10 50 yards for
 several laps and had only four cir
 cults to make, an easy task for such :, as he unless the body failed. Joie Ray was not alone among inc veterans drawing enthusiastic , applause, for Abel kivat, a star of
 tho boards a dozen years ago, ran
 from scratch 10 victory in a race at , fhrce-ouartors of mile. Kiviat Q rounded a field of 70 in the last . two laps.
 S Willie Plant Fails
 Willie Plant, champion Of Amer
 ica's walkers. was too heavily handicapped in a ono-miIe event s and failed 10 place, Phil Granville D of Canada led Plant across me |, line. but also was outside the prizes. s Plant, realizing that he was outdis-
 tanced. journeyed easily in the last half of the race.
 Alan Helffrich of Penn State con- tinued his dazzling performances by winning the Casey 600" and creating 6 world record of i minute, ,I1s-5 seconds. erasing the mark Of l:l24-5 held by Jake Driscoll, for mer Boston College star, DriscolI,
 now of the Boston A. A., finished fourth.
 Nurmrs records were as follows: Distance. 1000 yards; time, 1O:31; former time, 1O:41 5-10: made by Ritola.
 Distance 4.ooO metres. time lI:SO 4-5; former time. ll:55 3-5;