A Christmas story

HO, HO, HO. Full to bustin Blog?

   Christmas Day so it must be THE Day of the Christmas Day Run in Warwick!

Interesting how circumstances force changes to races. This year’s event was four laps on the park tarmac paths around St. Nicholas Park giving a distance of around 3.75 miles. One of the lady organisers who stepped in at the last minute to help get the race on the road (of the ground?) was fretting about the lack of slick organisation. To my mind, if a group of officials from Leamington AC take the trouble to get out of bed on Christmas Day to promote a race for 50 plus runners, then they are to be congratulated. It is always the club stalwarts who step into the breach. Roll up their sleeves, get on and do the job. As in this case. The important officials save themselves for important events …. NO comment, please Blog.

So it’s Christmas Day it must be THE Day of the Christmas Day Run in Warwick. The pub which acted as race HQ opened solely for the purpose of providing runners and officials with a base before and after the event. The landlord of the Millwright Arms, in Warwick, has to be thanked wholeheartedly as he won’t have made a fortune big enough to retire on from a bunch of tight fisted athletes on Christmas Day! The run was four laps of the park … my prerace tactics were to avoid being lapped which changed after 1½ laps to avoid being lapped more than once when Leeds AC international James Walsh came screaming past. My revised tactic, I am glad to report, was most successful … JUST!!! I remember James as an under 11 running in the Rowheath AC’s  Easter Bunny Race, just beating one of my daughters in the run in! I remember one of the club officials I knew, telling me how good James was going to be. A ten year old?? Give over matey. A little lad like that. No chance!!! So was I right or was I right, Blog?? Is the Pope Jewish, Blog??? I am also glad to report that I did beat my wife, despite having a bad knee which makes even walking painful. At times the leg has to be rested. She really should get it seen to. A nice touch was that after the race everyone put their race number in a hat. The numbers were drawn at the presentation, in the bar, for spot prizes. So you want to know what I won, Blog. What do I always win, Blog? It was big and round with a hole in the middle and occurs in the number system immediately before the first digit! But my wife won a prize!!! That is so unfair Blog. SO UNFAIR. I beat her fair and square and I win nowt, with a capital ‘N’. Is there no justice in this world? I must say however that my wife and I are now talking to each other again. She said I could share with the prize with her, which I thought was very generous of me, allowing her to keep half of the prize when I had beaten her by such a wide margin.

I don’t know if you are interested in my magnum opus, Blog, but the history of the race I find fascinating. For a detailed account you must refer to my historical work on ‘The History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other athletic clubs around the city’; here is a synopsis. Potted version. Very potted. In exactly 200 words. Go on Blog, count them  …. Would I lie to you? In 1908, Coventry Godiva Harriers were in serious financial difficulties. [For a detailed account you must refer to my historical work on ‘The History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other athletic clubs around the city’] They were bailed out by Bettman, the Triumph motor bike and motor car manufacturer, who donated cash and a silver cup, named after his wife, Annie, which was competed for annually … the silver cup, not his wife. [For a detailed account you must refer to my historical work on ‘The History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other athletic clubs around the city’] The competition was only for paid up club members and was awarded after a series of races during the winter. [For a detailed account you must refer to my historical work on ‘The History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other athletic clubs around the city’] The format has changed over the years. [For a detailed account you must refer to my historical work on ‘The History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other athletic clubs around the city’] One handicap race was held on Christmas Day. [For a detailed account you must refer to my historical work on ‘The History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other athletic clubs around the city’] In the 60s, the race on the 25^th December was dropped. [For a detailed account you must refer to my historical work on ‘The History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other athletic clubs around the city’] One old member thought this a shame and organised a fun event for any club or fun runner from the Emscote Tavern in Warwick over one lap of Leamington and Warwick. [For a detailed account you must refer to my historical work on ‘The History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other athletic clubs around the city’] Initially it was pub regulars versus athletes! [For a detailed account you must refer to my historical work on ‘The History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other athletic clubs around the city’] The same course was kept when the race moved to a nearby pub after the Emscote Tavern was demolished to make way for a Tesco store. Heard that ever before Blog? Has a familiar ring to it?? [For a detailed account you must refer to my historical work on ‘The History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other athletic clubs around the city’]  Last year’s appalling weather meant a shift to the St. Nicholas Park for safety reasons, retained this year because the entrance to the said supermarket was proving to be too dangerous for the runners. [For a detailed account you must refer to my historical work on ‘The History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other athletic clubs around the city’]

                                                      Colin

PS I am not going to tell you Blog, how I got on … if you are desperate to know, go to the Leamington AC and CC web site.

PPS Now that is interesting Blog, that Leamington still retain the ‘CC’ in their club title following the 1952 events which Godiva had to deal with …. [For a detailed account you must refer to my historical work on ‘The History of Coventry Godiva Harriers and other athletic clubs around the city’]