Photograph Quiz:
Photo number 121:- cf. below …. Where is Carthorse Hill?? What year did the AAA Marathon Championship runners have to run up the hill at least twice?? Who was the silver medallist?? Twenty years before that race, another marathon used the same course. Who was the most famous runner to run in that race, a name many people will be familiar with today … if I gave you a clue Blog, it would have to be in code!!
Dear Blog,
What a weekend. Non stop. National Road Relays on Saturday and the Rugby ‘10’ on Sunday. Quite knackered from all my support trudging’
The organisers of the National Road Relay at Clumber Park on Saturday have to be congratulated for a job well done. The ‘clubs’ and ‘club members’ came up trumps when the governing body threw in the towel with no effort when faced with a little local difficulty at Sutton Park; they seemed happy to let the chances afforded by the staging of the such a race go to waste. Clumber Park was pleasant in the sunshine but I am not too sure what it would be like in the wet with all the rain falling off the many trees on the course … the torrential rain that fell in the late afternoon held off until just after the event had concluded. Was that good timing Blog, or was that good timing?? After forty years of visiting Sutton Park four times per year for the National Road Relays, it was very nice to watch the event somewhere completely fresh!!! I think it worth commenting also, that during all those many years, never has there been a car parking fee charged. I know our sport is run (no pun intended) on the cheap, but I do think that no one would mind coughing up a few quids to park for the afternoon… the income could be used to offer an incentive to the winning club/s?? The fastest leg runners?? Me, for long service watching??
On Sunday, the same compliments should be said for the officials at the Rugby ‘10’. Both events were run for the sport by unpaid volunteers for the benefit of the sport, both well organised, both events enjoyed by all. Would that the same could be said about the Coventry Half Marathon held on the same day!! The Rugby ‘10’ (see quiz!!) had some reasonably fast times considering the tough course. Three women under 64 minutes is good in any ‘10’ these days, but to have three with the inclines around Barby, is impressive. To have the use of the clubroom at the local cricket club with refreshments etc. and a speedy results service goes to show that athletics at club level is alive, sociable and well. It amply illustrates how the commercial organised race has raped the sport, even sadder to realise that the vast majority of mega race participants are unaware of the existence of races such as ‘Rugby’ or the ‘National Road Relays’ where there is not a goody bag in sight!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Coventry Half Marathon:- The Lane was BLOCKED by barriers at 9am when I left home on Sunday bound for the Rugby ‘10’. I had to stop the car, let my daughter shift the barriers aside to allow the car to pass and then put them back after the car had passed through, all the while the marshal stood and watched with his hands in his pockets ‘… nothing to do with me mate …’ The bloody race had not even started and was eight miles down the road any way. Bye gum, the race organisers do a good job in drumming up public goodwill!!! Race numbers in the race were down again this year which was surprising considering the excellent weather. The standard was appallingly low with only six runners breaking 80 minutes. I believe the present contract with the race organisers and the council comes to an end this year? I could be wrong. If correct, let us seriously hope that the Coventry Council take this opportunity to grab the race by the scruff of the neck and have a fresh start, learning from all the mistakes of the last few years and build the event into a race the city can be proud of. It has been upsetting for me to watch the chances afforded by the staging of such a race go to waste. The Council should get an interested party who knows what they are doing and someone who is interested in road running rather than someone who is interested in making a fast buck at the expense of the rate payers of the city. I don’t suggest the present organisers fall into that category. I suppose the counter argument would be that everyone was happy on the day, they got their t-shirt, they got their goody bag, so why bother striving for excellence when mediocrity will suffice?? After all, athletics seems to be all about participation rather than competition. Footfall, sod all, free for all rather than stand tall and be counted for the benefit of all.
And talking about the Coventry Half Marathon …. Having my breakfast about 8:15 a.m. before leaving home for the Rugby ‘10’, I listened to the church service from Coventry Cathedral on the radio. I was surprised to hear the service being led by an old club mate … and was even more surprised to see that he had finished in the first 175 in the Coventry Half Marathon just shy of 98 minutes!!!!!!! Did he have his kit on underneath his surplice? After the service, did he jog down from the Coventry Cathedral to the Transport Museum where the race started, for his warm up?? I hope he didn’t slurp too much of the Communion wine???? If he hadn’t have had to stand around in the pulpit for an hour or so, would he have broken 95 minutes????
Colin
Oh yes Blog ….. another poem by Colin
A Trudger goes out for his run
In singlet and shorts in the sun
Trips over his lace
Falls flat on his face
Finds running was no longer fun
Is there no genius to this man??? Sorry that should read ‘Is there no end to this man??’ Sorry I’ll try again, third time lucky; that should read ‘Is there no end to the genius of this man??’
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