Radcliffe track is off and running, but on Harvard funds.

The Harvard Athletic Department is financing uniforms, equipment and transportation for the fledgling squad Athletic Director Robert B. Watson '37 said yesterday.

"There was no money in the budget for this," Watson said. "When we made it up a year ago, we hadn't heard of any interest in women's track."

Watson said when he became aware of the team's existence he got approval for the expenditures from Dean Rosovsky's office.

He estimates the office will spend "in the hundreds of dollars." If there is enough interest, Watson said, the sport may be elevated from a club sport to a varsity sport next year.

Head coach Don Jurivich '76 said yesterday he was "surprised" at the favorable reception the team has gotten from the Radcliffe and Harvard athletic offices.

Jurivich, a J.V. cross country runner, said the idea of organizing the team had been "in the back of my mind for a long time."

He said he began to symphathize with the plight of women's athletics after his younger sister was forced to stop running because of the distance of her training facilities from their house.

After a male friend formed a successful women's club at Brown, he said, he felt encouraged to try one at Harvard.

Assisting Jurivich are Steve Fisher '77 and Don Barfield, a tutor in Adams House.

"We're concerned with getting off the ground this year." Jurivich said, adding that he expects to form a "competitive" unit.

The 40 women on the team's roster range from "experienced athletes" to "potentially good runners" to some people "trying to get rid of spare tires," Jurivich said.

"We welcome anybody." Jurivich said. "But I like to think in terms of champions, of trying to be a winner."

"Several people have had no experience before, but are extremely enthuslastic," he said.

The turn-out at the hourly, five-days-a-week practices varies, he said, from 30 to 15 depending on the weather.