Last Sunday was the first of two major sporting events happening for me this April. Brentford’s first visit to Wembley Stadium since 1985 ultimately ended in defeat with Carlisle United winning the Football League Trophy. The most disappointing thing about the day was that Brentford didn’t play as well as I’ve seen in other big games this season, the performances against Everton and Birmingham City in the League Cup were some way off.
Every football fan becomes a great manager after a defeat, I won’t bore you with the one or two things I’d have done differently with our starting line up.
It’s also easy to wonder how much the big occasion played a part. Carlisle were making their return to Wembley following a 4-1 loss in the same competition a year ago, and although there will have been alterations from that team, knowing what playing in a stadium that size, and in front of over 40,000 people is like, not to mention wanting to right the wrong of twelve months ago, must have been a help.
Brentford will just have to emulate the Cumbrians in 2012.
With the game kicking off at 1:30 PM, jump forward two weeks to marathon time and I expect to have finished running by then, and will have had more than enough chance to soak up the atmosphere of the day.
One of the things which sets the London Marathon apart from many others is the vast number of spectators. Unless you’re at the very top end of elite sport, this race presents a once in a lifetime chance to experience an atmosphere usually reserved only for a select few.
Those that have run the London Marathon have said the atmosphere is something I won’t forget. I do however have one previous experience of competing in front of a large crowd.
In 2002 I ran for England at the Manchester Commonwealth Games, in an event titled 100M for Elite Athletes with Disabilities, a bit of a misleading name really since this was purely a sight loss-based competition. There was a wheel chair 800M race as well and probably some swimming stuff, but luckily I wasn’t having to keep up with those on wheels, or get wet.
The Commonwealth Games had previously included a couple of disabled competitions as demonstration events, but Manchester was, as far as I’m aware, the first time they’d counted towards the medals table alongside the likes of Paula Radcliffe, Dwain Chambers and Ian Thorpe.
Being the only English athlete in my race, the loudest cheer was reserved for me, despite a mere handful of people in the 35,000 strong crowd having a clue who I was. I didn’t get out of my first round heat, fellow English competitor Andy Curtis (blind British 100M record holder) made the semi final.
The marathon will be very different from that July day in Manchester for many reasons. Although the numbers watching both on the streets of London and on TV will be higher, it will be far harder to pick out individuals with the volume of runners taking part. This means anyone who might get stage fright can hide.
I don’t think my start in the City of Manchester Stadium was my usual flier, but that won’t be an issue in Blackheath. In fact, I’ve no idea how long it will take me to get over the start line, let alone the finish!
This is one of the things I like about distance running over sprinting, if something doesn’t work out in the early stages, there’s more than enough time to put it right and still achieve the goal you’re aiming for.
With the 100M, it’s all over before you know where you are. Thinking back, the actual racing bit of the Commonwealth Games is a bit of a blur. Things I do remember include:
Thinking what a friendly bloke Mark Lewis Francis was, despite having just busted his hamstring.
Loving the fact you could eat at any time throughout the day and night.
Swapping T-shirt with one of the Bahamas 4X400M relay team because their kit was the coolest looking of every country. This was done the morning after the last night of track and field, and they’d done rather well for themselves. He and his team mates were a touch rough around the edges having spent most of the night in a nearby bar. The T-shirt hangs on my bedroom wall, I can’t wear it for it comes down to my knees and could be rapped around me twice!
Returning to the crowd, my other memory was from the stadium on the last night. It seemed every finalist who was English were inspired by the atmosphere, producing the sort of gold rush the organisers of 2012 will be hoping to replicate. Those staging this event performed a master stroke by putting the words to ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ on the big screen, with each medal ceremony being treated with a “come on folks, let’s out sing our last effort” attitude.
Pretty much every athlete left in the ground did a lap of honour at the end, with ‘Simply the Best’ followed by yet another lung busting ‘Land of Hope and Glory’.
All I can say is, if the Manchester City fans give their vocal chords that amount of welly should their team reach the Champions League next season their players can’t fail to be inspired.
