The 2 miles, although not a standard championship event, is popular at indoor meetings and corresponds at the American In ter-Collegiate Outdoor Championships to the 3 miles at the Eng lish Oxford and Cambridge Sports. In 1936 D. R. Lash, U.S.A., established a new world's record by running 2 miles in 8min. 58.4sec.
This includes all flat races from the 3 miles upwards, as well as steeplechasing, road and cross country running. Great Britain was for centuries the home of long-distance running, and for many years all world's records from 2 to 10 miles were held by Alfred Shrubb, England. Those for 7, 8 and 9 miles still stand to his credit, and those for 15 and 20 miles to the credit of his compatriots, F. Appleby and G. Crossland. Of the remaining distance records, up to 25 miles, the longest distance recognized by the I.A.A.F., six are held by Finns, while Italy and Argentina have one each. It is perhaps re markable that none of the world's long-distance records is held by America. The decline of British supremacy began some years before the War with the advent of two great foreign runners, the late Jean Bouin, France, and Hannes Kolehmainen, Finland. France has not found a successor to Bouin, but Finland has es tablished a long line of world's champions who now, almost ex clusively, rule the long-distance running world. Of these the most noteworthy has been Paavo Nurmi, who at one time held the majority of records from 1 mile to the 'hr. run. His success was maintained from 1920 to 1932. It was his custom to carry a stop-watch in his hand in order to time himself over the various stages of any race in which he ran, because he believed that the only way of breaking records was to work strictly to a pre-ar ranged time schedule. In England the championship distances are now 3, 6 and 1 o miles. In America, however, the A.A.U. has adopted the 5,000 and I o,000 metres events which figure in the Olympic Games program. There is also in each case the Mara thon race of 26m. 385yd. This classic of the Olympic Games has been won by France, U.S.A., and Finland 2 each, while Greece, S. Africa, Argentina and Japan have each I victory.
was originally only a cross-country run over a course plentifully provided with natural obstacles; but at the present day the steeplechase takes place on the grass plat inside the cinder track of the athletic field. A water jump must be in cluded, in addition to which there are four flights of hurdles 3ft. in height. The championship distance in England is 2 miles, in America and at the Olympic Games 3,00o metres. U.S.A. won the first two Olympic Steeplechases, at 2,50o metres, but since the distance was increased to 3,00o metres in 1920, when P. Hodge, Great Britain, was victorious, the subsequent four Olympic titles have gone to Finland.
had its inception with the founding of the Crick Run at Rugby School in 1837; the English national championship was first contested in 1876, but without result as the whole of the runners became lost in Epping Forest. It is a
peculiarly British sport and still remains more popular in England than elsewhere. In addition to the I o miles championship there is an annual international race at the same distance in which the four countries of the British Isles and various Continental nations compete. The preponderance of victories lies with England, but French teams have, upon occasion, proved successful. Olympic cross-country races held in 1912, '20 and '24 were all won by Finland but, being decided in the summer, whereas cross-country running is a winter sport, and over short and easy courses, were not considered sufficiently characteristic.
This form of competition has long been prac tised in America and has become popular throughout the world. Relay races are usually run by four men, each going a quarter of the distance. From 1911 to 1926 only one relay race was in cluded in the English championships. This was really a medley race in which four men ran 88o, 220, 220 and 440 yards respec tively. In 1927 the medley race was abandoned and two other relay races substituted, i.e., a 4.aoyd. relay, in which each of the four runners goes iioyd., and a mile relay (4x440vd.).
The American national championship relay distances are 44o yd., 88oyd., 1 mile and 2 miles, four runners representing each team, and each running an equal distance. In addition there is, in the United States, the most famous of all relay fixtures, the Pennsylvania university relay meet, at which English university athletes have competed successfully upon several occasions.
The Olympic relay distances are 44o metres (437.45Yd.) and 1,600 metres (almost a mile).
This method of racing was started in the United States about the year 189o, on the model of the Massachusetts Firemen's "bean-pot" race. The old method was for the men running the second quarter of the course each to take over a small flag from the first relay man as he arrived, before departing on their own stage of the race, at the end of which they, in their turn, handed on their flags to the awaiting next runners. The flags, however, were considered cumbersome, and for a time it was sufficient for the outgoing runner to touch or be touched by his predecessor. Nowadays a hollow cylinder of wood, constituting a baton, is carried and must be exchanged between lines drawn at right angles to the side of the track ro yards on each side of the starting line for each particular relay.
As the progenitor of relay racing it is not surprising that the success of America has been phenomenal. Of the Olympic tests at 4x I oo metres instituted in 1912, Great Britain won the initial contest, since which time America has won the subsequent 5 titles. The 4x400 metres Olympic Relay was instituted in 1908, U.S.A. winning upon every occasion except 192o and 1936 in which years Great Britain proved victorious. Of the world's rec ords at the Io standard distances (metric and English measure), 8 are held by U.S.A. teams, 1 by the British Empire and I by Great Britain.