Page 33 - Summer2018Gazette

Feature 33

ating, she overtook several other preparation and sensible attitude administrators has given way
championship runners. Steve which is sadly missing in many to new ones, and now many
Evenden, despite earlier travails other runners these days. familiar faces in the Marathon’s
was able to manage a sprint fin- management have moved aside
ish. Paul Kerkgyato in his first Some years ago in 2011, Colin to allow another generation to
London Marathon come in in 3 Poole observed at a previous come forward whose inheritance
hours 33 minutes, and found the London Marathon Supper is to maintain the standards set
experience ‘surreal’, so a number that those Blackheath runners by their forebears, and to take
of experiences were surprisingly completing the marathon were the events, on into the future.
positive. to be commended for their
professional approach to it, In time this generation will fill
On the whole most of the praising those who had trained the space left by the past one
Heatherns running had positive properly for the event, hydrated although they face challenges
experiences of this ‘London’ be- sufficiently, and had bothered made by the very success of the
cause they had firstly prepared to pace themselves for its entire event itself. The sheer size of the
well for it, and secondly had duration. “You’ve finished it operation and numbers running
the good sense to adapt their because you’ve treated it with in the event is testament to that
expectations to the existing respect and you’ve treated it success, but it must face an in-
circumstances on the day. Paul correctly”. He further men- flux of newcomers to marathon
Kerekgyato could point to his tioned a higher than usual drop running, many of whom may
achievements in the Bennet Cup out rate due to exhaustion and not have always actually paused
which he had recently won and dehydration from those who to consider the whole meaning
the training which allowed him simply hadn’t read the advice of commitment to training,
to prevail over the heat, whilst literature or treated the mara- sound preparation, or taking the
Dave Beadle mentioned the thon seriously. One ‘Blackheath’ event seriously. For many of the
helpful training and speed ses- runner in last year’s race was
sions of Dave Liston at Norman clearly shocked by seeing some more traditional class of runner
the decline availability of places
Park as a key factor allowing runners who were after only five
runners to rise to the occasion. miles unable to muster even a for serious and committed
light jog. runners is a serious matter and
One aspect of good preparation it is no longer a race solely for
was undoubtedly the capacity of Colin for many years one of the the clubmen and women, nor is
runners to be able to pace them- management team in the Help there the same quality through-
selves and if necessary to adapt Desk is as much an authority as out the field of participants as
to conditions. Many runners did many of the names associated there was in the marathon’s ear-
just that, one of whom had came with the event from its founders lier days. Mike Peel commenting
into the marathon on the back Chris Brasher and John Disley on this in Athletics Weekly
of only two weeks training. He to Dave Bedford and Allan Sto- expressed a view that there
rather sensibly settled for a time rey. Chris Brasher’s brainchild were fewer quality or competent
of 4h 35 minutes, and was con- of the family of man and a race runners and more dilettantes
tent with that knowing he could designed for true runners, espe- running for charities on little or
do better next time. A similar cially the traditional harrier vari- virtually no training.
time was recorded by marathon ety has seen many changes over
vet John Turner, running sensi- nearly forty years of its existence Being a former marathon run-
bly and at times with Peter Rog- and has by improving its format ner myself and one who tended
ers who decided just to enjoy over that period become one of to do things by the book be it
the day aware of the conditions. the great sporting success stories the Complete Runners Guide or
Clearly all Blackheath Harriers of modern times. A founding Runners World, I would echo
respected the marathon by good generation of organisers and such a sentiment since I feel that