SPORTS: THEIR DEVELOPMENT, SPEEDS AND RECORDS. In the state of savagery man's life depended on his agility in running, jumping, climbing and throwing of projectiles. In the high condition of civil ization of ancient Greece the natives considered prowess in the arts of speed and endurance as evidence of superiority in manhood and they held their athletic sports in reverence as well as with enthusiasm. In their Olympic or Pan Athenaic Games the entire populace partook. A proof of all-round manly vigor was given in their pentathlon, which consisted of a series of five games contested by the same rivals running, jumping, wrestling, disc-throwing and javelin throwing. In recent years we have established a renewal of these ancient sports as well as that of the Marathon races. The latter covers a distance of 26 miles, 385 yards, and some of the records are as follows: Olympic Marathon, held at London in 1908, was won by the American John Hayes in 2:56:02 2-5; in the same year at Madison Square Garden, run by the Italian Dorando against Hayes, the former won in 2:44:20 2-5. J. T. Crowley of the Irish-American A. C.. won the race at Yonkers, same year, in 2:49: 16 2-5. In the amateur race from Rye to Co lumbus Circle, New York, Matthew Maloney of the Trinity A. C. won in 2:36:26 1-5. Of
marvelous interest would be a comparison of the speeds and records achieved in sports by the ancient Greeks and Romans with those of our day. Only a few records of classic day sports have come down to us, however, and these pseudo-records can only amuse and sur prise us. In leaping or long jump (termed halma) the ancients used weights (called hal teres) like our dumbbells to increase their ca pacities, and we have the record attributed to a certain athlete named Phayllus of Kroton of 55 feet. This looks like the measure of our hop, skip and jump. And we are never likely to achieve what these sporting reporters recorded with their elasticity of statement. Our records are scientifically measured and corroborated by expert unbiased judges or are ignored as ((unofficial.'" The outcome of the supreme efforts of man in recent days in running, walking and some other contests will be found in the last sec tion of this article under the head °World's Sports Records.° These tables afford a record of the advance man has made in speed by science and physical development. The fol lowing statistics give the various records to date.