Page navigation

March 2012

Countdown to the 50th Marathon

Life sometimes leaves me feeling a bit blurry around the edges, like an out-of-focus photograph. Running restores my focus and gives me clarity. If it’s a good run, I might even get to experience the rest of the day in glorious Technicolor.

Solitary pursuits such as running are often seen as a way of stepping outside of yourself, momentarily pushing the rest of the world aside. But sometimes it can feel more like stepping into yourself, with every stride bringing you closer to who you are.

I log all my runs & races, whether solo, with another runner, a group of fellow runners or if I have raced. I have kept a running diary for the last 9 years.

For all its portrayal as a sport for the loner, I have never found camaraderie in short supply in running. Does that mean, then, that we runners who crave the solitude of running alone are missing out? I think not. Even though I often hit the road alone, I do so with a sense of being part of something much bigger. So if when pounding the streets of our city I fail to acknowledge a shout or wave from you, it’s not that I have ignored you, but am in my own peaceful world, oblivious to what or who is around me!

Of course there are times when one cannot fail to be alone when running. Marathon 50, on 15th April will see me taking to the streets of our city with up to 15,000 other runners.

The 50 Marathon appeal may end at the finishing line on the 15th, however one week later it will be London’s turn with up to 33,000 others.

When asked ‘What distinguishes a group of runners from merely a crowd of people?’ a runner replied, If you feel you are part of a group, then you are. We runners might have fallen for a solitary sport, but I suspect we’ll never be lonely.

Waddle on friends.