Evening star., 1939-05-28
Sees 4-Minute Mile
Possible in June
Test With Glenn
Conditions at Princeton
Must Be Ideal, Says
Little EneIishmon
BY DREW MIDDLETON.
(All rights reserved by the Associated Press
Feature Service)

olOAollal oHOl 10, 11C lul W 1OUl
facing into which he poured such
concentration and courage he has
become at "a the first runner of his
country.
The nervous, difiident little law
yer soon undertakes his greatest
adventure, an invasion of the United
States and race against the great
Glenn Cunningham and two others
in the Princeton invitation meet
June II.
Wooderson crosses the Atlantic
almost unknown outside of two big
races. In one he set the world rec
ord for the mile of 4:06.4. In the
other he cracked the half mile
standard with a performance OF
1:494.
4-Minute Mile at Princeton?
Those races made him. Usually
he counts on winning and little else.
Soft tracks and cold, damp weather
forbid British athletes the luxury
of aiming for a 40 second quarter or
a 4:10 mile.
Nevertheless, Wooderson expects
the 4-minute mile, the standard
about which bug-eyed track addicts
babble, will be run-and soon. He
points out it might occur when he
races Cunningham at Princeton if
all conditions-track, weather and
an early pace-setter-are perfect.
Wooderson is as different from
the complacent, callous, publicity
wise American athlete as day is
from night.
For one thing he is little bit of
a guy. He weighs 1875 pounds soak
ing wet and he is about 5 feet 6.
Cunningham, who is light at 100,
will tower over him. Wooderson' S
shoulders are somewhat narrow and
his customary facial expression is
one of shy interest.
He'll Race Glenn Only Once.
He is almost pathetically anxious
to please He dashes to get record
books, running shoes and anything
an interviewer asks for. He is as
polite as bishop.
Only when he talks of running
does he drop his customary shy
ness Then he becomes a skilled
workman surely confident of his
ability in a game he has mastered
after long struggle
This solid confidence broke
through when he talked of Cunning
ham. You told him Glenn had said,
"Wooderson may be able to beat me
in one race, but if we raced six times
I'd win five of the six races"
Sydney thought it over. At length
he said: Il really regard Cunning
ham as one of the greatest runners
in the world. But I think I have
a good chance to beat him if train
well. If do win this one race, isn't
it logical to suppose I would be able
to beat him in the majority of our
races?
But we'll race only once. I'm not
anxious to make the long trip out
to Lincoln, Nebr., for the National
A. A. U. meet. After all, I must get
back here to take care of my prac-
tice."
Wooderson's biggest worry is that
he will not be able to get in shape
for his effort at Princeton.
It'll have only about five days in
the United States to train. I hope
I can become acclimated in that
time. This is quite an undertaking
for me. I've always wanted to run
in America. I sincerely hope I shall
be at my best"
A Former Distance Runner.
Spindly-shanked little sgd Wood,
erson started running as boy at
the Sutton Valance School in Kent.
He comes of solid, middle-class
stock, and it was unthinkable he
shouldn't participate in games" Of
some sort despite the handicap of
glasses.
AS kid of II he ran cross-country
az miles up to S. Then he tried the
mile and half-mile and finally de-
cided on those distances when he
won the mile at the public schools
meet in 1888, defeating Tom Pell,
his most persistent homegrown rival
Cnen ana now, IN 4.24.Z.
Wooderson's growth as a runner
was slow but steady. He made the
British Olympic team in 1885, but
finished sixth in his heat of the $500
meters at Berlin. He watched Jack
Lovelock win the event in world
record time from the sidelines. He
saw Cunningham beaten by Love-
locks sense of pace and relentless
sprint in the last 200 meters.
II really believe I learned more
at the Olympics than I have before
or since. I had hurt my ankle
rather badly running at home and
I was in aWfully bad shape. After
I was beaten in my heat I sat
around and watched the big fellows
run. They taught me a great deal. u
Belongs to Blackheath Harriers.
When he returned to England
Albert Hill, who won the 300 and
$500 meters for Great Britain in
the 1920 Olympics took the young
nervous schoolboy in hand.
Hill, who stoutly proclaims Wood
erson will do 4 minutes or better
some day, put him on what is con-
sidered a strict training regime.
Sydney was studying law and for
two years he alternated heats with
Blackstone with races with the top
flight British runners and any in
vaders who happened to be around
He joined the Blackheath Harriers
the club he still runs for, and started
to run cross-country again to builo
up endurance.
Sydney is far from chauvinistie
about his running. Until he,
pressed he won't talk much about
1t. He gives the impression hi
loves to run; not because his col.
leg or his club wants him to Of
because he needs big juicy expense
accounts, but because "it's really
very good fun"
Called old Leatherlegs.'
The sporting public treats hin
with considerable less veneratior
than they do a great cricketer o.
footballer, but they have great af
lection for him. They cSn him "Olt