A Great Victory for England:
Three Englishmen in First, N. Webb Leading The revived International Walking Match on Sunday morning was and of the greatest successes amongst Shanghai's sporting events and if the promoters had any doubts beforehand about the extent of public interest they had every assurance that the public were wholeheartedly in favour of it, for there was an enormous crowd at the Race Course to see the finish, there being. many thousands of people present. Such an event, when occupying an ae: customed place in the year's programme, may be fairly easily managed, but as a novelty—for as such it must be counted after a lapse of 12 years—it entails a tremendous amount of work and one and all were agreed that Mr. W. L. Gerrard was the one person to act as chief organizer. His personality and his fame as the local champion walker of former years counted for-everything and matters went far more smoothly with him at the head of affairs' than they might have done with anybody else in charge. He had a most able assistant in Mr. E. Linde and highly valued help was given by the Stewards of the Race Club (who lent the Race Course and dressing rooms and helped in many ways), Mr. A. W. Olsen (the Race Club secretary), the Light Horsa and American Troop. (who provided travelling referees), the Boy Scouts, the International and French Police and the Police Reserves.
Then, too, one cannot omit motorists. As members of the sporting fra-eternity, they responded nobly to the appeal to keep off the roads whilst the walkers were in action and not more than a dozen cars were encountered on the whole length of the route.
Fortunately the weather, which seemed likely to be unfavourable over the week end, was perfect and of the 56 entrants there were only five absentees when "G" called them to the line at about 8.15 a.m. The men did not re-spend any too quickly but the committee hustled about (with the knowledge that the railway I p already had' granted cope concessions in the way of of holding up trains at the level crossings, and too great liberties could not be taken) and promptly at 8.20, the advertised time, the competitors were sent on their way. It is to be regretted that, when everything was carried through so successfully, the race itself proved to be somewhat tame. Within two miles any person with some knowledge of walking matches could have named the 10 men who were most likely to finish first and it was practically a cer-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.