Running

According to Nietzsche, the German philosopher, "The belly is the main reason why man does not mistake himself for a god." All is not lost, however, for though many Canadians are groaning under a heavy burden, the Commonwealth Games will encourage them to become fit. The new Commonwealth Stadium will host track and field. These running, jumping and throwing events are the heart and soul of the Commonwealth Games. Spectators can look forward to some first-rate competition if past performances are any indication. The 1954 Games at Vancouver witnessed the "Miracle Mile" when Roger Bannister of England and John Landy of Australia cracked the four-minute barrier. Twenty years later at the Christchurch, New Zealand, Games, Filbert Bayi of Tanzania won the metric mile race with what Bannister himself called "the greatest run I have ever seen." Such accomplishments have popularized track and field in Canada despite the short summer and the emphasis on team sports. The athletes deserve this recognition because they endure repetitious training, loneliness and pain in hopes of a brief and elusive moment of glory at the pinnacle of international competition. This Commonwealth Games stamp were designed by Stuart Ash of Toronto. The 14-cent stamp in a se-tenant format the sport of running. An interesting detail of this pair is the manner in which the horizontal yellow bands on the stamp featuring the runners merge into the representation of the track in the stadium stamp.