Pony Express

When curly-haired, 29-year-old Taisto Maki landed in the U. S. two months ago, he was considered the world's distance-running nonpareil. Five times last summer, in his native Finland, he had broken world's records at distances ranging from two miles to 10,000 meters (a little over six miles)--"unbreakable" marks once held by his idol, coach and traveling companion, famed Paavo Nurmi.

Last week, when 14,000 foot-racing fans and Finnophiles surged into Manhattan's Madison Square Garden to watch Runner Maki compete against a hand-picked trio of U. S. distance runners, track experts were not so sure that the Finn was unbeatable. In five previous appearances in a nationwide tour for the benefit of the Finnish Relief Fund, he had looked like an average U. S. trackman. Twice (in two-mile races) he had been defeated: once at Kansas City by Wisconsin's ginger-haired Walter Mehl, once at Ann Arbor by Michigan's Ralph Schwarzkopf.

Last week, in the climactic race of his tour, Maki was matched against Indiana's Don Lash, New York's Joe McCluskey and Montana's chunky Gregory Rice, Notre Dame '39.

Two months ago, Greg Rice was an in conspicuous U. S. runner. But suddenly, within a fortnight he set new world's indoor records for two miles and three miles. Instead of an affair as one-sided as the Russian invasion of Finland, the Garden race looked like a square shake, particularly at Maki's favorite distance, three miles. Rice's style sports a fast sprint to the tape. Maki's formula is an almost imperceptible acceleration, pulling farther & farther away from his opponent un til he has an invulnerable lead. If Rice could dog Maki's heels for two and a half miles, experts felt he could beat the Finn.

At the gun they started churning around the Garden boards--Maki, loping along with hands held low like a cross-country runner--chesty, short-legged Greg Rice showing that he had as much sisu (fighting spirit) as any Finn. Mincing along in his pony gait, he stuck to Maki's heels, moving forward when Maki (coached by Tutor Nurmi, standing stop watch in hand in the infield) moved forward. For 31 laps the Notre Damer and the Finn were so close together that the Miraculous Medal on Rice's chest practically beat a tattoo on Maki's back.

Then, two laps from the finish, the pony express got steamed up. Off went Rice like a quarter-miler. While 14,000 spectators stood on their toes and yelled themselves hoarse--and Tutor Nurmi sank forlornly to a wooden bench in the infield--Rice tore around the Garden like a tornado, broke the tape 28 yards in front of Maki, 20 yards in front of onetime Record-Holder Don Lash, who had also whizzed past the Finn. Rice's time (13:52.3) not only broke the world's record he set six weeks ago, but was only ten seconds short of the mark Maki made outdoors in Finland last summer.

While track experts predicted an unprecedented boom of three-mile racing in the U. S., Maki's sympathizers (of whom there are many) explained his defeat: 1) he had come to the U. S. directly from the Karelian front, 2) he had attended too many banquets "for Finland," 3) he was unaccustomed to running on small saucers and board floors. Let Maki meet Rice outdoors some time* and track fans will see the real Flying Finn, they added.

Other high lights of the meet that netted $12,000 for Finland:

> A spine-tingling exhibition by Nurmi, the Old Master, now 42 but fit enough to run a half-mile in 2:18.

> In the shot-put, big Al Blozis of Georgetown went on a record-breaking spree with a 16-lb. put of 55 ft. i in a 12-lb. put of 65 ft., an 8-lb. put of 78 ft. 8 in.

> In the high hurdles, little Allan Tolmich of Detroit set a new indoor record (8.4 sec.) for 70 yards, and in the low hurdles set another (6 seconds flat) for 50 yards.

> A 1 1/2mile run, in which Wisconsin's long-striding Chuck Fenske, winner of eight mile races in a row this winter, nosed out Two Miler Schwarzkopf in a sizzling last-lap duel. Time: 6:39.4.

* Not yet has Finland officially canceled the Olympic Games, scheduled for Helsinki this summer.

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