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Show MARATHON' CHAZK OX ' IX EXITED STATES Tribune Special Sporting Seivice. XBW YORK", Jan. 2. Everybody is wondering what effect the sudden and immense popularity of professional "Marathon" running will have on amateur athletics. Some, pcoplo think it will have a tendenc3, to mako amateurs ama-teurs turn professional. A few will, of course, but tho general effect will bo to mako amateur athletics stronger than ever before. Thousands of voung athletes who ncvor went in for the sport seriously av ill train harder and enter moro competitions. The amateur I clubs will put 011 loug distance races, in which instead of two men running around and around for two or thrco. hours, n, dozen may bo seen coiupoling" al a limo, which wilt bo far more interesting. in-teresting. Thero aro amateur runuors still in tho amateur class who could give Dorando ur Longboat or Shruhb a tough time over tho Marathon route. In 11 tow months now runners will come ui uud eel ipso nil the old records. It nlw3's works that way when thoro is goner.il interest in any one specialized branch of sport. Tho general result will be a" crop of long distance runners that will doubtless doubt-less crack all of England's long distance dis-tance records. |