Josy Barthel Will Run Here May 15 Against Ashenfelter, Dwyer, Wilt

Josy Barthel, who cares more about studies than glory in track, will compete in a special mile run on Soldiers Field, May 15, but his three competitors will not be the "dream field" for which track fans have been clamoring.

The Luxembourg 1500 meter Olympic champion, a student at the School of Public Health, will run against Horace Ashenfelter, Fred Dwyer, and Fred Wilt, none of whom seem capable of pushing Barthel to the much-discussed but never-achieved four-minute mile.

During the winter there were rumors that a special field, composed of such outstanding runners as Wes Santee of Kansas, John Landy of Australia, and Roger Banister of England would run against Barthel. But all three had other commitments.

The special trial will be an extra event during the 20th annual Heptogonal Games, when all eight Ivy teams, plus Army and Navy, will compete for the championship won the Yale last year.

Barthel, unless he changes his style, will run "just fast enough to win." He has been as persistent in keeping to this formula as he has been in refusing bids to run outside of the Boston area. Barthel announced earlier in the season that he would not run anywhere outside a 50-mile radius of Boston, with perhaps one exception in late June. He recently turned down a chance to run in the Benjamin Franklin mile at the Penn Relays.

In 1952, Barthel surprised the track world by winning the Olympic 1500-meter run, breaking a 16-year-old record in the process. His 3:45.2 surpassed England's Jack Lovelock's 3:47.8. But in that race he was pushed at the end by Jack McMillan of the United States, who finished a step behind Barthel.

During the past indoor season he won every race he entered by decisive margins. His best time was above 4:07.5 in the Millrose Games in New York. Track experts felt that if pushed, he could have lowered the time considerably.

Ashenfelter, never very impressive as a miler, holds the indoor record for the two-mile distance, 8:50.5, and is the present Olympic 3000-meter steeplechase champion.

One of the top milers a few years ago, Wilt has steadily declined. He was second to Barthel all winter, and is regarded as a better two-miller than miler.

Dwyer is the only one of the three who may give Barthel a fight. As a senior at Villanova two years ago, he was the nation's top indoor miler, Dwyer did not run this winter, but is reported to be in excellent condition.

The present record for the Soldiers Field track was set by Gunder Haegg, the world record holder in 1943. He ran a 4:05.3. His world record for the distance is 4:01.4