Page 12 - index

ail, the Amateur Athletic Association Championships,
in which the greatest athletes from all parts of the world
meet.
The names of many famous B!ackh h Harriers are
written in the pages of athletic history as A.A.A. Champions
and winners of open level races and handicaps from " the
post of honour," but as space is limited, reference to a few
outstanding performances only can be made. It is
fitting that first of all mention should be made of the
President for 1924-25, Dr. H. A. Munro. Many altogether
exceptional performances-both on the track and across
country-were accomplished by this very distinguished
runner. It 'fould be impossible for anyone who beheld
his victory in the Four Miles Championship in 1895 ever
to forget the last mile and particularly the last lap of
that race! They aroused indescribable enthusiasm at
the time and their memory does' so still! The time,
19 min. 49%sec., was remarkable enough, but the manner
of its achievement was simply enthralling! Earlier in the
same year, Munro had won the London Athletic Club's
One Mile Challenge Cup in the very fast time cf 4 min.
20% sec., a wonderful accomplishment, as he ran the
latter half of the distance alone, the other starters having
retired from the race. Another famous athlete-Vice-
President· J. H. A. Reay-won the 120 yards Hurdles
Championship in 1877, and nearly half a century after-
wards he is still the life and soul of most of the Club's
gatherings. A little later the renowned East Anglian,
C. G. Wood, appearing in the Club colours, won the Quarter-
Mile Championship in 1886, in 49} sec., and again in the
following year, in 51 sec.. An interesting reference to the
former of these victories is to be found in Sir Montague
Shearrnan's account of the 1886 Championship Meeting
in the Badminton Library Beok on Athletics, which should
be read by every member. In later years magnificent
performances were accomplished in the Quarter-Mile
10