Brose Warwick University Cross Country Relays real results, October 27th 2012

Photograph Quiz:

Photo number 123:- Place in order of ‘Slow’, ‘Slower’, ‘Slowest’ and ‘You have got to be joking’.

                                Sociological comment for you to mull over Blog.

Today was the Brose sponsored Warwick University Cross Country Relays. Students and local teams came, university student and local teams ran, university runners and local athletes went to the presentation and went home. The course was set out using Coventry Godiva stakes etc., ditto was collected in again, everything was organised well and NO litter was left. No fuss. No bother. Compare that with the mess left by the Coventry Half Marathon two weeks ago. Compare with the rubbish left by athletic clubs after cross country league races. Compare with the piles of rubbish left after each football match on the local parks each weekend. So well done Warwick University. It is only thanks to mother Gaia and not the city council or the Coventry council hired organisers that the mess on the course is becoming less obtrusive as the wind and the rain and the mud and the grass slowly cover over the race debris.

A similar comparison was observed at the Olympics and the Paralympics. For the former we stayed on a temporary site on a local football club’s pitches. A feeling of tolerance pervaded. You are here with your tent for a couple of weeks so give us your money and you will watch this channel on TV Ya? Security? What security? For the latter we stayed on a temporary site on a local rugby club’s pitches. A feeling of welcome, come to the bar-b-q, which TV channels do you wish to watch, security on the gate 24 / 7 with a pleasant greeting. Is that interesting Blog, or is that interesting.

A further comparison … Go to a club organised race, cross country or road …. Couple of hundred competitors, pleasant, post-race awards, tea and cakes for club funds, reasonable entry fee, no goody bag full of rubbish. Go to a commercial cum council organised race …. Thousands on the start line, take out a mortgage to cover the cost of entry, scratch your eyes out buddy, who gives a damn about where you are sick post-race, use your goody bag if you wish, it’s full of crap already!

And so the world goes round and round. Would you stop it please Blog, I want to get off.

                                   Colin