Fast Business

Australia's young (20) Herb Elliott arrived in California announcing that he was not traveling for pleasure. This was a business trip. Elliott's business: running the mile faster than anybody else.

From the moment he galloped off the mark in the Los Angeles Coliseum Relays last week, the long-nosed, long-legged youth looked like the top man in his trade. With his countryman Merv Lincoln tagging along behind him, Herb loped over the grassy turf track with the stride of an astonished ostrich. He stuck to the early pacemakers with ease. When Texas' Drew Dunlap and Maryland's Burr Grim pulled him through a 2:00.5 first half, Herb knew he was running a hot mile. In the third quarter, his pacemakers began to burn out, and Herb went into business for himself. He opened a steadily widening lead, finished 20 yds. in front of Lincoln, who was clocked at a commendable 4:01.

His own time was a disappointment to Elliott. With no one pushing him, he complained, he had "faded a little" toward the end. All he had done was run a 3:57.8 mile, his fourth under four minutes and the second fastest ever. Only Britain's Derek Ibbotson. who last year was clocked in 3:57.2, has done better. But Ibbotson's time, like Elliott's, may never be accepted by the International Amateur Athletic Federation because both marks were made with the aid of "pacers.'' The world's record is still held by Australia's John Landy, whose record mile was a mere 3:58.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.