Christmas and New Year, the time for catching up with family and friends you’ve not seen for a while.
The days of “haven’t you grown!” are long gone. Comments relating to “looking well” with age and health in mind are of course many years ahead of me.
Work-based small talk inevitably comes near the top of the, what shall we talk about next list, but for me, there was of course another focus for discussion, or should that be, questions, this year.
I thought my next blog post should work through the things I’ve been asked the most over the past couple of weeks, website FAQ’s page-style.
I’ve already dealt with the issue of
how I run, I will do a separate blog another day answering the question of how it feels to run when you can’t see – mainly because it’s something I hadn’t given any thought to until I was asked last week. With this freakin’ weather rather disrupting my
football watching plans this week; I might have a bit of thinking time on my hands tomorrow afternoon. That is unless I’m still asleep after another night
in the company of the cricket. On that note, Ricky throwing a strop like a spoilt child who didn't get the Christmas present they wanted was most entertaining last night.
Anyway, here’s a few to be getting on with.
So who are you running for?
Its credit to the London Marathon as an event that the natural assumption of the majority is that anyone that enters is doing it for charity. I wonder, was I doing Brighton, Paris or Edinburgh would the same assumption be made?
My motivation for entering the London Marathon was purely the goal of completing the distance. Having done a few half marathons I felt it about time I went for the big one. My place is not tied to any charity and so I have the freedom to pick any cause in the world, or, not pick one at all. Either way, I have other, more important priorities right now.
Will you be running in a costume?
Absolutely not. This is about seeing how good a marathon runner I can be. A couple of years ago I did the Maidenhead 10 just before London Marathon day, and we saw a man taking his apple costume for a run and it didn’t look much fun to me. Were I to dress as something, or someone, given that I have to be attached to another person, the choice of costume should really take that into consideration, salt and pepper pots,
The Chuckle Brothers, a knife and fork, bride and groom, that sort of thing. Maybe something to keep in mind for a Christmas Day Parkrun, or maybe not.
Will you have run that far before the day?
It’s a fair question, the answer being no. Marathon running, so I’m told, takes it out of your legs, therefore the training and
pre-race race schedule has been planned with building up the distance in mind. The Cranleigh 21 four weeks before hand will be the longest race I’ll do.
Have you started training yet?
Ah! Now, you see, the thing is, ahem!
As previously blogged illness, injury and the snow has meant I’ve not exactly got off to the best of starts. That said, over the Christmas weekend I ran about ten miles, with no negative reactions from the body, so here’s hoping it’s onwards and upwards.
What is the world record for blind marathon running?
Something’s can always be relied upon, and it came as no surprise to me to learn that the world record is held by a Kenyan.
Henry Wanyoike is the speedster in question, his time of 2 hours 31 minutes 35 seconds set at the 2005 Hamburg Marathon still stands as the world best to this day. Of course I don’t expect to get anywhere near that, within an hour would be fantastic.
Next up for me, Tadworth Ten, weather and injury permitting of course.
Monday 27 December 2010
Saturday 25 December 2010
Nothing Says Merry Christmas Like A 5K Race in the Freezing Cold
Nothing says Merry Christmas like a 5K race in sub-zero temperatures.
Actually, the
Bushy Park Parkrun has become as much a part of my Christmas Day rutine as eating lots, opening presents and avoiding the Queen’s speech.
Although I don’t watch the Queen, I think the subject matter of her 2010 message is very important, especially with Parkrun in mind.
"In the parks of towns and cities, and on village greens up and down the country, countless thousands of people every week give up their time to participate in sport and exercise of all sorts, or simply encourage others to do so.” Parkrun, take your bow!
This morning, 530 ran the original course, supporting each other, and in turn given the opportunity to do so by a team of volunteers who will have been far colder than us.
Although there will have been personal best performances, including
the day’s winner, for me this was never going to be anything other than a leg stretcher/apitite builder. Running on left over snow is one thing, trying to avoid significant ice patches on the paths is another, I can think of lots of things I’d rather do with Christmas Day than sit in A and E. We gave up and ran on the grass most of the way.
I’m pleased to report I didn’t land on my arse at any stage of the run. Father Christmas went over in the snow at one point, but really, all that sherry and a long night travelling round the world, the man done well to be in South West London for 9.
Including the mile or so there and back, the five mile run set me up nicely for a day spent eating my own body weight. The beauty of the Parkrun is it’s 9 AM start means it doesn’t write off your morning – I was home, showered and eating breakfast before 11.
When I’ve mentioned to people I was planning on running on Christmas Day, and have done before, the reaction I get often suggests people think I’m mad! This is something I don’t really understand. Why should it be any different from any other day? Especially considering I love my running. It’s not as if I’ve had to spend Christmas Day doing a twelve hour shift in hospital, treating idiots who fell over on the ice when running.
Training on Christmas Day is something countless professional sports people do. Last year, while out for the family post lunch walk in the park, we saw
Mo Farah run past.
“That’s commitment, training on Christmas Day,” someone commented. Naturally I pointed out I’d already been for my run earlier.
Articles about the dedication shown by one of Britain’s all time greats, decathlete
Daley Thompson, often make reference to the fact that December 25th was never a rest day for him.
“I train every single day, and I think the reason why I had to train every day is because I never wanted to leave any stone unturned. I can actually take not being the best, but what I couldn't do is take not having tried as hard as I possibly could. I think that whenever you go into anything, and you're serious about it and you're committed to it, you do those kinds of things because you have to do the hard yards and you have to go the extra mile.”
Quote from an article on the
BBC Wales website.
If an athlete and their coach are doing their jobs properly, then the athlete will want to train on Christmas Day. If they, not unreasonably, might want to be somewhere else, then the training session should be structured to make the athlete want to be there: alter the time to fit in with family commitments, design the session to make it more fun than usual or, if this is what motivates them, make sure the athlete believes this will be the day that will make the difference in achieving their goals.
Although you can’t compare Daley Thompson’s level with me doing a Parkrun, the same principals apply. The atmosphere at Bushy is always great, but especially so on Christmas Day. It’s an opportunity for some fresh air and exercise before the festive asult on the digestive system begins. Plus, with recent illness and injury in mind, it’s was a good way to get back into running while the pressure’s off. I plan to do a four mile race in Twickenham on Boxing Day, meaning a total of nine miles over this weekend, exactly the test I need to see where the bodies at ahead of Tadworth Ten next Sunday.
It’s also far more civilised than a trip to our local open air pool which has been done in previous years, I resisted the invite to go for a dip post run. If you think my few miles was madness, check out
this picture gallery from the Metro’s website sshowing the Christmas Day tradition of a dip in the Serpentine in Hyde Park. At least we just ran round ice patches rather than swam between them!
Actually, the
Bushy Park Parkrun has become as much a part of my Christmas Day rutine as eating lots, opening presents and avoiding the Queen’s speech.
Although I don’t watch the Queen, I think the subject matter of her 2010 message is very important, especially with Parkrun in mind.
"In the parks of towns and cities, and on village greens up and down the country, countless thousands of people every week give up their time to participate in sport and exercise of all sorts, or simply encourage others to do so.” Parkrun, take your bow!
This morning, 530 ran the original course, supporting each other, and in turn given the opportunity to do so by a team of volunteers who will have been far colder than us.
Although there will have been personal best performances, including
the day’s winner, for me this was never going to be anything other than a leg stretcher/apitite builder. Running on left over snow is one thing, trying to avoid significant ice patches on the paths is another, I can think of lots of things I’d rather do with Christmas Day than sit in A and E. We gave up and ran on the grass most of the way.
I’m pleased to report I didn’t land on my arse at any stage of the run. Father Christmas went over in the snow at one point, but really, all that sherry and a long night travelling round the world, the man done well to be in South West London for 9.
Including the mile or so there and back, the five mile run set me up nicely for a day spent eating my own body weight. The beauty of the Parkrun is it’s 9 AM start means it doesn’t write off your morning – I was home, showered and eating breakfast before 11.
When I’ve mentioned to people I was planning on running on Christmas Day, and have done before, the reaction I get often suggests people think I’m mad! This is something I don’t really understand. Why should it be any different from any other day? Especially considering I love my running. It’s not as if I’ve had to spend Christmas Day doing a twelve hour shift in hospital, treating idiots who fell over on the ice when running.
Training on Christmas Day is something countless professional sports people do. Last year, while out for the family post lunch walk in the park, we saw
Mo Farah run past.
“That’s commitment, training on Christmas Day,” someone commented. Naturally I pointed out I’d already been for my run earlier.
Articles about the dedication shown by one of Britain’s all time greats, decathlete
Daley Thompson, often make reference to the fact that December 25th was never a rest day for him.
“I train every single day, and I think the reason why I had to train every day is because I never wanted to leave any stone unturned. I can actually take not being the best, but what I couldn't do is take not having tried as hard as I possibly could. I think that whenever you go into anything, and you're serious about it and you're committed to it, you do those kinds of things because you have to do the hard yards and you have to go the extra mile.”
Quote from an article on the
BBC Wales website.
If an athlete and their coach are doing their jobs properly, then the athlete will want to train on Christmas Day. If they, not unreasonably, might want to be somewhere else, then the training session should be structured to make the athlete want to be there: alter the time to fit in with family commitments, design the session to make it more fun than usual or, if this is what motivates them, make sure the athlete believes this will be the day that will make the difference in achieving their goals.
Although you can’t compare Daley Thompson’s level with me doing a Parkrun, the same principals apply. The atmosphere at Bushy is always great, but especially so on Christmas Day. It’s an opportunity for some fresh air and exercise before the festive asult on the digestive system begins. Plus, with recent illness and injury in mind, it’s was a good way to get back into running while the pressure’s off. I plan to do a four mile race in Twickenham on Boxing Day, meaning a total of nine miles over this weekend, exactly the test I need to see where the bodies at ahead of Tadworth Ten next Sunday.
It’s also far more civilised than a trip to our local open air pool which has been done in previous years, I resisted the invite to go for a dip post run. If you think my few miles was madness, check out
this picture gallery from the Metro’s website sshowing the Christmas Day tradition of a dip in the Serpentine in Hyde Park. At least we just ran round ice patches rather than swam between them!
Friday 17 December 2010
Mo Farah
Whilst being off work ill yesterday I saw an item on ITV London News about
Mo Farah.
ITV had sent a camera crew out to Kenya to report on his training, plus interview Mo and MRS Mo.
This morning thanks to
www.twitter.com/mo_farah I discovered he is to write a regular blog for ITV.
So, if you want to read how proper athletes train, go
here.
You can relive his fantastic 5K victory in Barcelona this summer at the European Championships
here. Brilliant commentary from
Steve Cram, if there’s a GB gold rush in 2012 I think he might explode!
When in London, Mo Farah and a load of the Kenyen’s train in my local park, it’s not uncommon to be overtaken by one or more of them.
Allow me to name drop for a moment. In the late nineties, Mo Farah spent a bit of time running in the same hill sessions group as me on a Sunday morning in Richmond Park, I confess I have no memory of this at all.
About a year ago he moved into a flat near my house and I was surprised to discover he not only recognised my dad, but remembered my name, at least ten years on from the Richmond Park days of which I have little recollection.
I did smile to myself when I heard him interviewed on Five Live after his victories in Barcelona, stunned that
Arsene Wenger (Mo is a Gunners fan), was aware of who he was and had sent a congratulations message.
Mo Farah.
ITV had sent a camera crew out to Kenya to report on his training, plus interview Mo and MRS Mo.
This morning thanks to
www.twitter.com/mo_farah I discovered he is to write a regular blog for ITV.
So, if you want to read how proper athletes train, go
here.
You can relive his fantastic 5K victory in Barcelona this summer at the European Championships
here. Brilliant commentary from
Steve Cram, if there’s a GB gold rush in 2012 I think he might explode!
When in London, Mo Farah and a load of the Kenyen’s train in my local park, it’s not uncommon to be overtaken by one or more of them.
Allow me to name drop for a moment. In the late nineties, Mo Farah spent a bit of time running in the same hill sessions group as me on a Sunday morning in Richmond Park, I confess I have no memory of this at all.
About a year ago he moved into a flat near my house and I was surprised to discover he not only recognised my dad, but remembered my name, at least ten years on from the Richmond Park days of which I have little recollection.
I did smile to myself when I heard him interviewed on Five Live after his victories in Barcelona, stunned that
Arsene Wenger (Mo is a Gunners fan), was aware of who he was and had sent a congratulations message.
Bah! Humbug!
It occurred to me this week that today, Friday December 17th, is four months from M Day.
As already blogged, I have my race schedule all planned out, I have my guide runners in place and I know what will be required in terms of training.
With Christmas fast approaching, this means for many plenty of time off. That goes for me, and I have two of my four regular guides pretty much free for the duration. Of the other two, one is injured and the other has gone to Australia to supervise
England’s attempts of retaining The Ashes.
There is one problem though.
Since my name came out of the hat in November I have been either ill, injured, or as is currently the case, both.
I’m told the thie problem I’ve been having is due to a twisted hip. This has been seen to once and will get another session on Monday.
As I write this my tempriture has regained some sense of human normality, it was 100 on Wednesday night.
The latter has resulted in my missing of both a work and Stragglers Christmas gatherings in the last couple of days, hense the subject for this blog. Annoying though this is, if the cold was going to make me ill I’d far rather it was while I was injured, hopefully I’ll be rid of both in time for the Christmas Day Parkrun in Bushy Park.
It won’t be the end of the world if I don’t get the running in over Christmas I was aiming for, but it will certainly be mighty frustrating.
As already blogged, I have my race schedule all planned out, I have my guide runners in place and I know what will be required in terms of training.
With Christmas fast approaching, this means for many plenty of time off. That goes for me, and I have two of my four regular guides pretty much free for the duration. Of the other two, one is injured and the other has gone to Australia to supervise
England’s attempts of retaining The Ashes.
There is one problem though.
Since my name came out of the hat in November I have been either ill, injured, or as is currently the case, both.
I’m told the thie problem I’ve been having is due to a twisted hip. This has been seen to once and will get another session on Monday.
As I write this my tempriture has regained some sense of human normality, it was 100 on Wednesday night.
The latter has resulted in my missing of both a work and Stragglers Christmas gatherings in the last couple of days, hense the subject for this blog. Annoying though this is, if the cold was going to make me ill I’d far rather it was while I was injured, hopefully I’ll be rid of both in time for the Christmas Day Parkrun in Bushy Park.
It won’t be the end of the world if I don’t get the running in over Christmas I was aiming for, but it will certainly be mighty frustrating.
Saturday 4 December 2010
I Have A Cunning Plan
“I have a cunning plan.”
“Baldrick! You wouldn’t know a cunning plan if it painted itself purple and danced naked upon the harpsichord singing cunning plans are here again.”
OK so that quote might not be word for word accurate, I did Google it and found various versions and I can’t remember which
Blackadder episode it’s in, but it’s still one of my favourite lines from any sit com, even if I can’t repeat it exactly right.
Anyway, point being, I too have a cunning plan, and, because it was constructed from extensive research from those more experienced than me in the field of marathon running, it’s not as ridiculous as
presenting someone in prison with a wooden painted duck as a prop to escape captivity.
What I’m basically saying is, I asked people what my training programme should consist of, and am planning to do as I’m told.
So, injury allowing, and all other wood touching statements in mind, these are the races I’m aiming to run between now and April.
January 2: Tadworth 10
6 weeks to
February 13: Wokingham Half
5 weeks to
March 20: Cranleigh 21
4 weeks to
April 17: London Marathon
In October I did a training run of around 15 miles in 2 hours. If I stay fit and healthy this all looks very achievable.
IF!
“Baldrick! You wouldn’t know a cunning plan if it painted itself purple and danced naked upon the harpsichord singing cunning plans are here again.”
OK so that quote might not be word for word accurate, I did Google it and found various versions and I can’t remember which
Blackadder episode it’s in, but it’s still one of my favourite lines from any sit com, even if I can’t repeat it exactly right.
Anyway, point being, I too have a cunning plan, and, because it was constructed from extensive research from those more experienced than me in the field of marathon running, it’s not as ridiculous as
presenting someone in prison with a wooden painted duck as a prop to escape captivity.
What I’m basically saying is, I asked people what my training programme should consist of, and am planning to do as I’m told.
So, injury allowing, and all other wood touching statements in mind, these are the races I’m aiming to run between now and April.
January 2: Tadworth 10
6 weeks to
February 13: Wokingham Half
5 weeks to
March 20: Cranleigh 21
4 weeks to
April 17: London Marathon
In October I did a training run of around 15 miles in 2 hours. If I stay fit and healthy this all looks very achievable.
IF!
Wednesday 1 December 2010
Guide Running: An Explaination
The question I get asked the most when I tell people that I run is, not unreasonably, how?
For those who don’t know, my sight level, or lack of it, amounts to light and dark perception only. This means I can wake up in the morning and see how light it is outside, always useful if I’ve overslept in the winter. If a light in a room is especially bright then I can pick that out, and on a particularly bright day I can make out shadows and large objects, such as buildings, although only if I’m close up.
In short, what I can see is not a lot, and is certainly no use when it comes to running.
To my knowledge there is no official method of guiding a blind runner at International level. There are rules, such as the guide must never be ahead of the person their guiding, think of it as like
straying offside in football. If the guide crosses the finishing line ahead of the runner, even if only by a fraction of a body part, then, as I have found out through experience, you’re disqualified.
How person A guides person B and what they are attached to each other by is, within reason, down to what feels most comfortable.
I have heard of occasions at fun runner level where the blind runner chooses to hold the elbow of the person guiding them. Internationally I would imagine this would be against the rules since the guide would be in front of their runner, and my personal opinion is that this also limits your arm movement and, as a result, means you inevitably don’t go as fast as you might. At fun running level if this is how the blind person feels most comfortable then great, but it’s not something I would ever do.
My preferred way is very simple. I’ve taken one of those sweatbands that go around the head and tied a knot in the middle to create two smaller loops. The guide holds one loop and I hold the other. This allows the guide to retain control when necessary, whilst giving enough room for the arms to move in a relaxed way.
I’ve no idea who thought of this, it was introduced to me by an excellent guide who I raced with during my time with the Great Britain blind athletics squad in the late nineties.
We often hear about footballers with random superstitions, coming out of the tunnel last, wearing a certain colour pants, not putting their shirt on until they get into the tunnel and so on. I have two guide bands which I use, one of these has a loop slightly smaller than the other. Let's just say I always try and race with that one, and always hold the smaller loop. Oh, and the knot in the middle must point forwards: all as important to my success or failure as training and recovery, ahem!
Once someone has seen how the guide and runner are connected, the other question I encounter a lot is, how do I actually guide you? What they’re getting at is, how do they control me, what information do they need to give, how do they avoid bouncing me off trees and lamp posts and so on?
The answer to this is just as simple. Worn me about curbs, tree roots, speed humps and anything else I might fall over, but that aside, go with your instinct. I like to let the guide give me as much information as they feel comfortable with, after all, it’s their responsibility to make sure I finish my run in one piece. If for piece of mind they want to tell me more then that’s absolutely fine by me.
I’ve been extremely lucky in the last couple of years. Mid 2008 my regular running partner moved to another part of London, making meeting up to train much more difficult. Seeking Google’s assistance I searched for running clubs in South West London and, as luck would have it,
The Stragglers came out top of the list.
Two things stood out. Their closeness to where I live, the club meet at the
Hawker Centre in Kingston, and a line I saw on their site describing them as “a drinking club with a running problem” – perfect!
So, having explained how I run, here are a few performance stats for anyone interested, distance followed by personal best.
5K: 21:08
10K: 44:03
8 miles: 58:25
10 Miles: 73:23
Half marathon (13.1 miles): 1 hour 36:36
I have run some of these distances faster, during longer races, for example when setting the 10 mile time listed, I reached 8 miles quicker than the race time I've given. I don't count mile splits within races as personal bests, even though technically they are.
For those who don’t know, my sight level, or lack of it, amounts to light and dark perception only. This means I can wake up in the morning and see how light it is outside, always useful if I’ve overslept in the winter. If a light in a room is especially bright then I can pick that out, and on a particularly bright day I can make out shadows and large objects, such as buildings, although only if I’m close up.
In short, what I can see is not a lot, and is certainly no use when it comes to running.
To my knowledge there is no official method of guiding a blind runner at International level. There are rules, such as the guide must never be ahead of the person their guiding, think of it as like
straying offside in football. If the guide crosses the finishing line ahead of the runner, even if only by a fraction of a body part, then, as I have found out through experience, you’re disqualified.
How person A guides person B and what they are attached to each other by is, within reason, down to what feels most comfortable.
I have heard of occasions at fun runner level where the blind runner chooses to hold the elbow of the person guiding them. Internationally I would imagine this would be against the rules since the guide would be in front of their runner, and my personal opinion is that this also limits your arm movement and, as a result, means you inevitably don’t go as fast as you might. At fun running level if this is how the blind person feels most comfortable then great, but it’s not something I would ever do.
My preferred way is very simple. I’ve taken one of those sweatbands that go around the head and tied a knot in the middle to create two smaller loops. The guide holds one loop and I hold the other. This allows the guide to retain control when necessary, whilst giving enough room for the arms to move in a relaxed way.
I’ve no idea who thought of this, it was introduced to me by an excellent guide who I raced with during my time with the Great Britain blind athletics squad in the late nineties.
We often hear about footballers with random superstitions, coming out of the tunnel last, wearing a certain colour pants, not putting their shirt on until they get into the tunnel and so on. I have two guide bands which I use, one of these has a loop slightly smaller than the other. Let's just say I always try and race with that one, and always hold the smaller loop. Oh, and the knot in the middle must point forwards: all as important to my success or failure as training and recovery, ahem!
Once someone has seen how the guide and runner are connected, the other question I encounter a lot is, how do I actually guide you? What they’re getting at is, how do they control me, what information do they need to give, how do they avoid bouncing me off trees and lamp posts and so on?
The answer to this is just as simple. Worn me about curbs, tree roots, speed humps and anything else I might fall over, but that aside, go with your instinct. I like to let the guide give me as much information as they feel comfortable with, after all, it’s their responsibility to make sure I finish my run in one piece. If for piece of mind they want to tell me more then that’s absolutely fine by me.
I’ve been extremely lucky in the last couple of years. Mid 2008 my regular running partner moved to another part of London, making meeting up to train much more difficult. Seeking Google’s assistance I searched for running clubs in South West London and, as luck would have it,
The Stragglers came out top of the list.
Two things stood out. Their closeness to where I live, the club meet at the
Hawker Centre in Kingston, and a line I saw on their site describing them as “a drinking club with a running problem” – perfect!
So, having explained how I run, here are a few performance stats for anyone interested, distance followed by personal best.
5K: 21:08
10K: 44:03
8 miles: 58:25
10 Miles: 73:23
Half marathon (13.1 miles): 1 hour 36:36
I have run some of these distances faster, during longer races, for example when setting the 10 mile time listed, I reached 8 miles quicker than the race time I've given. I don't count mile splits within races as personal bests, even though technically they are.
Saturday 27 November 2010
London Marathon: An Introduction
There are one off events which maybe touch this city more, but on an annual basis, nothing affects Londoners more than the London Marathon. Whether you’ve run it, wanted to run it, no someone that has, sponsored someone that’s taken part, gone to soak up the atmosphere, been inconvenienced by the road closures or, in the case of many, given it as wide a berth as possible, you’re living in a very thick bubble if a 26.2 mile run round the streets of London aren’t in your mind on that Sunday morning at the end of April.
London isn’t the original big city marathon; however England’s capital’s contribution to this challenging event is arguably one of the most significant. When the modern Olympics were founded in 1896, the marathon wasn’t a fixed distance, varying from one host city to the next, depending on the chosen route with a, give or take a mile either side of 25 kind of approach to course planning. It wasn’t until the
1924 games in Paris that the current distance of 26.2 miles was adopted as the standard measurement.
Their had been one running of 26.2 miles prior to this,
London in 1908. This was so that the race could begin at Windsor Castle, the King didn’t have a TV in those days so for him to see the race from the comfort of his own home it had to start outside his window, and finish in the Olympic Stadium at White City. Originally the route was planned to be 25 miles, however protests over the course taking in cobbled streets with tram lines in the closing miles meant a rethink was in order, with an extra mile being added taking runners over rough ground at Wormwood Scrubs.
For the vast majority for whom running the marathon is a personal challenge and not something we can do as a professional or international athlete, the thought that the London Marathon as we know it was born from a conversation in a pub is hugely comforting.
Chris Brasher who, in 1954 was one of the pacemakers helping
Roger Bannister become the first man to run a mile in less than four minutes and went on to win 3000m steeplechase gold at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, found the idea of marathon running intriguing, following a chat in the
Dysart Arms just outside Richmond Park in South West London. After returning from completing the New York Marathon, he along with friend John Disley secured sponsorship which enabled the staging of the first ever London Marathon on March 29 1981. Their objectives were to promote long distance running, raise money for charity and create a feeling of community, without question it’s been mission well and truly accomplished on all fronts.
7000 took part in the first London Marathon in 1981, thirty years on filling in the online application simply to be in the ballot from where lucky names are drawn is a race for the prize similar to buying a ticket for a major music or sports event.
In his book ‘From Last to First’, 1984 London Marathon winner
Charlie Spedding talks of going for dinner in a Central London Italian restaurant the night before his victorious run. Sitting on his own, he was able to overhear his fellow diners on next door tables complaining about this retched run which was causing so many roads to be shut the next day. You can just imagine what they were saying:
“Who do these runners think they are?”
“Aren’t there enough parks for them to run in?”
“Don’t they know some of us have church to get to, how are we supposed to drive when all the roads are shut?”
You know, exactly the kind of grumbling that goes on now when the tube is shut. And given how running wasn’t nearly as fashionable as it is now, you can understand why the “not in my backyard” attitude might kick in. Times have changed somewhat since the mid 80s, Time Out for example list running, or at least watching the Marathon as one of the
essential things to do in London. 162,000 agreed in 2009 as that was the number of people who applied to take part in the 30th London Marathon in 2010, meaning that over 100,000 people were disappointed they couldn’t be on the start line in Greenwich Park on April 25. Half a million people are said to gather along the route to support the 35,000 taking part, and at key points like Canary Warf, sport and entertainment collide to create something which is a cross between the
Notting Hill Carnival and the Olympics.
And it is that link between the elite and the average Joe and Joanne which makes the London Marathon so special. For those up the front this is one of the key events on their race schedule, even the best in the world can’t grind out a marathon for fun at that intense level week in week out. So for the athletics enthusiast this is an opportunity to see world class sport for free.
For those taking part, be they the club runner who can pull out a sub 3 hour marathon or the charity fun runner looking for a life changing experience, this is a rare chance to line up in the same field as Olympians, even if in reality they’re likely to finish nearer the bloke dressed as a pineapple than Paula Radcliffe. And, given that they’re on the same course, the fun runner gets that special experience of being cheered on by thousands, as if they’re an international athlete. In 2002 I was lucky enough to be part of the England team at the Manchester Commonwealth Games. The stadium wasn’t full for the morning session my race was part of, and I didn’t get out of the heat in the 100 metres for elite athletes with disabilities, but being the English competitor in front of an English crowd, for that brief moment the biggest cheer was reserved for me – the fact only four people in the crowd of over 30,000 had any idea who I was made no difference at all.
It’s the potential for the Sunday morning jogger to have a piece of the limelight which makes the London Marathon such an appealing prospect. I did hear later about a friend making everyone in a TV shop stop what they were doing to watch my race that Tuesday morning in July 2002. For those taking part in the marathon, or more likely the friends watching at home, being spotted on the TV, or better still, be interviewed by one of the many reporters dotted around the route adds to the excitement. I did have a microphone shoved in my face as I walked off the track at the City of Manchester Stadium and so was able to add giving an unintelligible, breathless sound bite of words which make no sense whatsoever to
Radio Manchester to my list of experiences which gave me the full fifteen minutes of fame package.
So although I do have the experience of running in a large crowd atmosphere, I’m told the London Marathon is like nothing else. When I filled out my online form in May 2010 I’d never even been to watch the Marathon live, let alone run it. A sensible training schedule and luck with injuries should make my marathon debut something to remember.
London isn’t the original big city marathon; however England’s capital’s contribution to this challenging event is arguably one of the most significant. When the modern Olympics were founded in 1896, the marathon wasn’t a fixed distance, varying from one host city to the next, depending on the chosen route with a, give or take a mile either side of 25 kind of approach to course planning. It wasn’t until the
1924 games in Paris that the current distance of 26.2 miles was adopted as the standard measurement.
Their had been one running of 26.2 miles prior to this,
London in 1908. This was so that the race could begin at Windsor Castle, the King didn’t have a TV in those days so for him to see the race from the comfort of his own home it had to start outside his window, and finish in the Olympic Stadium at White City. Originally the route was planned to be 25 miles, however protests over the course taking in cobbled streets with tram lines in the closing miles meant a rethink was in order, with an extra mile being added taking runners over rough ground at Wormwood Scrubs.
For the vast majority for whom running the marathon is a personal challenge and not something we can do as a professional or international athlete, the thought that the London Marathon as we know it was born from a conversation in a pub is hugely comforting.
Chris Brasher who, in 1954 was one of the pacemakers helping
Roger Bannister become the first man to run a mile in less than four minutes and went on to win 3000m steeplechase gold at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, found the idea of marathon running intriguing, following a chat in the
Dysart Arms just outside Richmond Park in South West London. After returning from completing the New York Marathon, he along with friend John Disley secured sponsorship which enabled the staging of the first ever London Marathon on March 29 1981. Their objectives were to promote long distance running, raise money for charity and create a feeling of community, without question it’s been mission well and truly accomplished on all fronts.
7000 took part in the first London Marathon in 1981, thirty years on filling in the online application simply to be in the ballot from where lucky names are drawn is a race for the prize similar to buying a ticket for a major music or sports event.
In his book ‘From Last to First’, 1984 London Marathon winner
Charlie Spedding talks of going for dinner in a Central London Italian restaurant the night before his victorious run. Sitting on his own, he was able to overhear his fellow diners on next door tables complaining about this retched run which was causing so many roads to be shut the next day. You can just imagine what they were saying:
“Who do these runners think they are?”
“Aren’t there enough parks for them to run in?”
“Don’t they know some of us have church to get to, how are we supposed to drive when all the roads are shut?”
You know, exactly the kind of grumbling that goes on now when the tube is shut. And given how running wasn’t nearly as fashionable as it is now, you can understand why the “not in my backyard” attitude might kick in. Times have changed somewhat since the mid 80s, Time Out for example list running, or at least watching the Marathon as one of the
essential things to do in London. 162,000 agreed in 2009 as that was the number of people who applied to take part in the 30th London Marathon in 2010, meaning that over 100,000 people were disappointed they couldn’t be on the start line in Greenwich Park on April 25. Half a million people are said to gather along the route to support the 35,000 taking part, and at key points like Canary Warf, sport and entertainment collide to create something which is a cross between the
Notting Hill Carnival and the Olympics.
And it is that link between the elite and the average Joe and Joanne which makes the London Marathon so special. For those up the front this is one of the key events on their race schedule, even the best in the world can’t grind out a marathon for fun at that intense level week in week out. So for the athletics enthusiast this is an opportunity to see world class sport for free.
For those taking part, be they the club runner who can pull out a sub 3 hour marathon or the charity fun runner looking for a life changing experience, this is a rare chance to line up in the same field as Olympians, even if in reality they’re likely to finish nearer the bloke dressed as a pineapple than Paula Radcliffe. And, given that they’re on the same course, the fun runner gets that special experience of being cheered on by thousands, as if they’re an international athlete. In 2002 I was lucky enough to be part of the England team at the Manchester Commonwealth Games. The stadium wasn’t full for the morning session my race was part of, and I didn’t get out of the heat in the 100 metres for elite athletes with disabilities, but being the English competitor in front of an English crowd, for that brief moment the biggest cheer was reserved for me – the fact only four people in the crowd of over 30,000 had any idea who I was made no difference at all.
It’s the potential for the Sunday morning jogger to have a piece of the limelight which makes the London Marathon such an appealing prospect. I did hear later about a friend making everyone in a TV shop stop what they were doing to watch my race that Tuesday morning in July 2002. For those taking part in the marathon, or more likely the friends watching at home, being spotted on the TV, or better still, be interviewed by one of the many reporters dotted around the route adds to the excitement. I did have a microphone shoved in my face as I walked off the track at the City of Manchester Stadium and so was able to add giving an unintelligible, breathless sound bite of words which make no sense whatsoever to
Radio Manchester to my list of experiences which gave me the full fifteen minutes of fame package.
So although I do have the experience of running in a large crowd atmosphere, I’m told the London Marathon is like nothing else. When I filled out my online form in May 2010 I’d never even been to watch the Marathon live, let alone run it. A sensible training schedule and luck with injuries should make my marathon debut something to remember.
Friday 26 November 2010
How I Came to Get My Place
Dear Runner
We regret that we have to advise you that your application to run in the 2011 Virgin London Marathon has been unsuccessful. Once again demand for places has far exceeded supply.
We are sorry that we were not able to accept your entry this year and hope you will have better luck next year.
David Bedford, Race Director
An extract from the letter I, and thousands of others received after our names were not drawn from the ballot for the thirty-first
London Marathon. The letter went on to tell me about the many charities that still had places available, where a minimum sponsorship would need to be raised in return for one of the great experiences London can offer.
I had filled out the online form at the beginning of May; one week after the 2010 Marathon had taken place.
Like most of us, I had watched or listened to on
Radio 5 coverage of the London Marathon on numerous occasions. As a kid I dreamt of leading the field home, something which of course was never likely to become a reality no matter how much training I put in.
Throughout my teens and early twenties it was the total opposite of the running spectrum that concerned me – attempting to run the 100 and 200 metres that fraction of a second quicker than the previous summer.
Even while at my best over the 100 metres, getting down to 12.5 seconds and competing for England at the
Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002, London Marathon day and the experience that came with it always had the effect of making me think “I fancy some of that”.
Once I’d got bored with sprinting and taken up longer distances, the appeal dissipated somewhat, there’s nothing like dragging your body over the finishing line at the end of a half marathon to make you think that doing another straight away is just madness!
As time went on and I mixed with runners who had several of the full jobs to their name, and my own endurance improved, it became obvious that I really should give the 26.2 miles a crack: every distance runner should attempt one at some point, right?
Receiving the sorry, it ain’t going to be your turn this time letter wasn’t as big a disappointment for me as it would have been for many. Although London definitely had its appeal, there was always another year and plenty of alternatives, Brighton, Stratford-on-Avon, Edinburgh and Belfast all happen around the same time. Then there were also plans B and C for how I could still run London if I really wanted to.
Virtually every major charity worth its existence has London Marathon places, plus, there was the running club route.
The Stragglers where I am a member, due to being one of London’s largest running clubs, gets five places. Anyone that fails to be chosen in the public ballot can put their name into the hat. As luck would have it, or not depending on how you view these things, mine was triumphantly drawn one Thursday night in November.
So here I am, four and a half months away from my marathon debut, as up for the challenge as I have been for any I’ve taken on.
Among the replies I got to my Facebook status update announcing the news to the 140 people on my friends list was one saying “I hope you’re going to write a blog about it”.
Given the repetition of the training required to complete 26.2 miles, trying to make preparing for the marathon interesting to read about could be as big a challenge as running the thing, but I’m planning to give this my best shot as well.
We regret that we have to advise you that your application to run in the 2011 Virgin London Marathon has been unsuccessful. Once again demand for places has far exceeded supply.
We are sorry that we were not able to accept your entry this year and hope you will have better luck next year.
David Bedford, Race Director
An extract from the letter I, and thousands of others received after our names were not drawn from the ballot for the thirty-first
London Marathon. The letter went on to tell me about the many charities that still had places available, where a minimum sponsorship would need to be raised in return for one of the great experiences London can offer.
I had filled out the online form at the beginning of May; one week after the 2010 Marathon had taken place.
Like most of us, I had watched or listened to on
Radio 5 coverage of the London Marathon on numerous occasions. As a kid I dreamt of leading the field home, something which of course was never likely to become a reality no matter how much training I put in.
Throughout my teens and early twenties it was the total opposite of the running spectrum that concerned me – attempting to run the 100 and 200 metres that fraction of a second quicker than the previous summer.
Even while at my best over the 100 metres, getting down to 12.5 seconds and competing for England at the
Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2002, London Marathon day and the experience that came with it always had the effect of making me think “I fancy some of that”.
Once I’d got bored with sprinting and taken up longer distances, the appeal dissipated somewhat, there’s nothing like dragging your body over the finishing line at the end of a half marathon to make you think that doing another straight away is just madness!
As time went on and I mixed with runners who had several of the full jobs to their name, and my own endurance improved, it became obvious that I really should give the 26.2 miles a crack: every distance runner should attempt one at some point, right?
Receiving the sorry, it ain’t going to be your turn this time letter wasn’t as big a disappointment for me as it would have been for many. Although London definitely had its appeal, there was always another year and plenty of alternatives, Brighton, Stratford-on-Avon, Edinburgh and Belfast all happen around the same time. Then there were also plans B and C for how I could still run London if I really wanted to.
Virtually every major charity worth its existence has London Marathon places, plus, there was the running club route.
The Stragglers where I am a member, due to being one of London’s largest running clubs, gets five places. Anyone that fails to be chosen in the public ballot can put their name into the hat. As luck would have it, or not depending on how you view these things, mine was triumphantly drawn one Thursday night in November.
So here I am, four and a half months away from my marathon debut, as up for the challenge as I have been for any I’ve taken on.
Among the replies I got to my Facebook status update announcing the news to the 140 people on my friends list was one saying “I hope you’re going to write a blog about it”.
Given the repetition of the training required to complete 26.2 miles, trying to make preparing for the marathon interesting to read about could be as big a challenge as running the thing, but I’m planning to give this my best shot as well.
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