Coventry Half Marathon 23rd March 2014

Photograph Quiz:

Photo no: Sorry Blog, I haven’t a clue. Look in your letter box and let me know! Did I really stop in this on my visit to Edale. A most interesting railway carriage, I have to confess.

Dear Blog,

        Sorry for the long silence but I have been on my holidays and there was not a lot of communication facilities there. I went to the Edale Valley and radio / T.V / etc. reception just doesn’t happen!!! Blog, I would not lie to you.

        I have had a note during my absence about the Coventry Half Marathon. Well, apparently it isn’t. Isn’t going to happen this year. It has been switched to March 23^rd 2014. Now this is interesting … the council got into bed with a commercial organisation Big-something or other, presumably thinking that they knew what they were doing. It was a two year contract – two races as it turned out costing the council £5000 which is nearly £30 per competitor who actually paid a similar amount in entry fees to have a gallop round. And if you refer back to the letters I wrote to you at the time, the organisation and the deliverance, left a great deal to be desired. A great deal, with a capital ‘G’ and ‘D’. I do not know if it was a councillor or a local government employee who was suckered, but were they conned???? And of course the local rag always puts a gloss on these things ‘hundreds took part’ when a couple of dozen turn up for some event, ‘thousands took part’ when a couple of hundred turn up for some function. It is all kidology, conveying the feel-good factor. Part of the duty of today’s press???? So both races were a resounding success in black and white whereas in reality, a lot was left to be desired. A lot with a capital ‘L’.

     Now the interesting question is who will be the next company and will the person doing the appointing have the slightest inkling of what half marathon running is all about??? Or what the competitors want?? Where will the course be?? How close to a half-marathon will the distance be??? Will enough t-shirts be ordered for all the competitors??? Will the runners be sent wrong??? Will the marshals turn up to man the junctions???

   Now is the time to hold your breath Blog and watch this space????

                                Colin