Haven't posted for two weeks, I am getting slack.
Inspired to write an entry after watching a fair bit of the London Marathon. Saw a couple of CRY runners going through. Weather was pretty good for them.
It is an amazing spectacle, and well covered by the BBC, although, they do spend a bit long covering the elite runners and this day is really all about the 40,000 odd people, and in some cases really quite odd, who are out there running 26 miles for charities. Sorry, 26.1 miles.
That last 200 yards is critical for some people.
There was one interview given by the guy who presents Match of the Day 2 on Sundays where ha though he had under 8 miles to go, and was told, no it was 8 miles. His face was a picture. Of dejection.
But the real drama for the last 200 yards we saw unfold as we were watching. A guy from Chorlton Runners had got this far, but was now in a terrible state. Just about able to put one foot in front of the other, but also wobbling a lot and lurching to one side.
Matthew Rees from Swansea Harriers saw this guy and stopped to talk with him and encourage him. He ended up along with a marshal getting the Chorlton runner, David Wyeth to the line to complete his race. I really hope they still give his medal as you aren't meant to have help, but really, he had earned it. Matthew looks like being the hero of the day now, saw him interviewed on the news, but what he did was typical of the kind of thing that happens throughout the race.
There were other people who spoke during their runs whose stories were heart breaking, but inspiring at the same time. It is a day that shows the best of people.
Different subject, odd thing that happened to me. I was riding through Lewes wearing one of my CRY tops and went past some young lads, one of whom looked at me and called out, 'I was following you'. As I had ridden on, I have no idea if he had been following the LEJOG, had been reading blogs, had been riding earlier and been behind me! Will never know....
