Page 34 - Summer2018Gazette

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Continued

Mike Peel’s medals, ever present for the first three decades in the London Marathon.
the days of the London Mara- Having not run the race since ered to be of more good natured
thon being run by experienced 2001 my efforts have been temperament than other sports
sensible runners with adequate mainly centred around the four such as cycling. Now a small
fitness and a fair understanding day gathering known as regis- but growing element are clearly
of challenges seems to belong tration in the days immediately showing no sense of propriety,
to a different age. It seems con- leading up to the race itself. I’ve or consideration, and displaying
signed to the past by a variety always considered in the past an inflated degree of entitle-
of factors such as the influx of that registration has been a gen- ment. If like me you found
dilettantes, and by the tendency erally enjoyable affair, signing in yourself placed in the final
of many people today to ignore hosts of amiable, well mannered desk on the conveyor belt, the
the printed advice sent to them and congenial people who are goody bag distribution point,
or not use their common-sense with positive values, all keen you might encounter a hoard of
in matters of training and prepa- to run and grateful for what avaricious individuals, grabbing
the bags without waiting to
we did at registration. It could
ration. They certainly don’t do be a relaxed and pleasant time, offered them, and then tossing
things by the book! One encour- manning the issue desks with then aside when they saw what
aging thing in dealing with this your clubmates, not particularly was in them,
is that the marathon organisers arduous work and plenty of time
have for several years now been to wander around the Expo and At this point I wish to say that
holding public sessions at the take in the mounting atmo- despite my consternation at
Expo which include lectures and sphere of excitement building the way the London Marathon
multi-media events which give up to the marathon itself. has changed in shape and
guidance to participants on how character, this consideration is
to ‘do’ the marathon properly. Perhaps this in not something not meant to be a criticism of
Let’s hope that such attempts to which was planned but the the way it is now organised but
educate the masses do not fall atmosphere has subtly changed really a lament for a time long
on stony ground. even though runners are consid- past and a culture which seems