College Team Racing.

Although the idea of relay races is probably a very old one, it is only within the past few years that the event has attained any prominence in our athletics. Exeter students claim to have been the first to have revived the custom. The popular features of the sport soon attracted the attention of athletic organizations,- notably the B. A. A.,- and the result was an immediate interest in it among the schools and clubs about Boston.

The first team race at Harvard was in the spring of 1892 between the four classes. Ninety-two won the event with ease. The next fall there was again a class team race, and this time '93 won by a pretty spurt in which Hubbel passed Corbin of the graduate team.

At the indoor handicap games of the B. A. A. last year occurred the first races between any of the larger colleges. Amherst won from Dartmouth in an intensely exciting finish which was decided by the casting of a shoe by a Dartmouth runner on the last lap. Harvard met Yale at the same meeting, but the race was hardly interesting after the first two laps. The feature of the race was the remarkably strong running of Brewer, who ran first for Harvard. With twelve sharp corners to take, he covered his 390 yards in the good time of 48 1-5 sec.

At the New Jersey Athletic Club's annual carnival of sports at Bergen Point last Decoration Day occurred the second intercollegiate team race, with Harvard, Yale and Princeton represented.

Yale evidently did not go into the race with any intention of making a fight, as there was but one quarter-miler on her team. Princeton did considerably better. Brokaw, her last man, ran a hard and plucky race, but was never able to get near enough to Merrill to push him.

The Harvard men in this race averaged 51 2-5 sec., and the time for the mile, 3 min. 25 2-5 sec., established a record for the event. If the men had been drawn out it is probable that this time would have been bettered by at least 1 1-2 sec., as Sayer, alone, ran a full second under his time of the Saturday before.

In the race with U. of P., Feb. 10, it seems that Harvard should win again, though with Bucholtz and Freeman Pennsylvania is sure of at least two clever performers.