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Fancy achieving a world record at the London Marathon ?
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I think when it comes down to it, and wishing to be serious for a moment...
Marathons cost people - they cost in time, in effort, in ill health, in injury, and they cost on the mental, physical and spiritual level.
Just training for a marathon - if you're going to respect the distance and in doing so commit yourself heart and soul to it - it will cost an awful lot.
I know it's cost me in terms of time away from family, cold wet runs, shit runs where it doesnt happen, long runs that last forever. The fact is, I am mid-pack and compared to elites I will always be 29,000th loser. BUT I do respect the race - i try to RUN the race. I train and train and train.
I'm sure to the commentators at the BBC I will be just another fun runner - i don't see it that way. Not at all. I'm trying to better myself and do the best I can.
But somehow rocking up with the intention of parading dressed as a penguin/gimp for 26 miles in the name of fun... well it seems to me to diminish the magnitude of the event, even makes it even look ridiculous and... easy. Marathons aren't meant to be easy or fun. I know this is heresy to some.
If Usain Bolt wants to let off the throttle a bit before the finish of 100M and still does 9.5 sec, that is awesome. If he still won whilst wearing an Elvis outfit he would diminish the event, the achievement and himself.
I appreciate that the LM organisers may be running a multi-race strategy - the elites get a clear run to uphold the race's rep as a major with fast times, and the GFA times keep the standard up, and the fancy dress is for charity - but the FD part of it has gone too far and has diminished the race's reputation for people who care about these things.
I don't expect people to agree with me... it's just how I feel on the subject.
In the case of the centipede - well if you believe any of the H & S stuff most race organisers talk about - it shouldn't be allowed on the course.
If you believe the charity card trumps all other considerations go to it, but it's certainly not a black and white issue.
Actually JB..... I do agree with you.
As a non elite, non GFA, non fancy dressed, not especially fast (but certainly determined) runner I will be one of the people who is at the sharp end of this. And I doubt I'll find it a hoot on the day.
I share the frustration of the OP to an extent too though because it IS admirable that Scope have benefitted to the tune of £100k from charity events and I can see that she would be exasperated with people who dare to question their method of fundraising. Truth is, this race has been hijacked and bastardised and the charities now feel that they own it.
I'm just waiting for someone to accuse me of "wasting an opportunity" with my precious ballot place because I am NOT running for charity. I thought about it long and hard and decided to make a stand.
They can come and accuse of me of 'wasting an opportunity' as well if they wish. They might be best advised to don a pair of ear muffs before they do though......
If you want to run for charity then do so - just don't be a nob about it and piss other runners off - they have just as much right as you to be there.
Runner606 - how do you know that everyone holds that charity close to their heart and are all training well - When you are on here asking for complete strangers to swell your ranks ?
LOL LB
in answer to the initial question though, no, no i don't fancy breaking a world record. I hae zero interest in breaking a world record, which has become a farce in itself tbh.
I am glad my place is deferred til next year, however, I shall be most pissed off if this attempt is successful and next years attempt is 100 nitwits tied together
+ 1 for JB and LB (although I might have been put off my cornflakes after seeing that pic
)
Having seen the centipede running at Silverstone, if they're all marathon ready, I'd be surprised. It set off at 11 min miles (It was just in front of me and that's what I clocked the first few miles at) but finished nearer 3 hours. So either the pacing was dreadful or someone was not up to the initial pace that was set.
I wonder if that has anything to do with the request for more volunteers.
That's because all the charidee posters are too busy stringing themselves together into a caterpede or millipillar or something like that.
Wow! £100,000 is a huge amount of money. How much more is that than the amount that 50 individual charity runners would typically raise?
So ......... people are joining a chain to run more slowly and raise less money than they would if competing individually. Something not quite right there.
I can't complain about people running for charity, though I won't do it myself.
I can't even complain about people running in fancy dress, not taking it seriously, because so many of them get round faster than me. I think I was beaten by the testicles at Brighton....
but this seems like a really bad choice of costume. Especially given what Mick and Phil had to go through, I mean, FFS, people complain about MP3 wearers. How much worse is this?
Ouch!!!!
I suppose being hung by them would have been worse but my heartfelt sympathies go out to you.
I got a PB at LM two years ago at 4:40 something (haha, I can't remember the time and FLM search isn't working!) Anyway, I'm not quick! To suggest that when you're at mile 20- 22 looking over at those poor sods (i.e. me) at mile 13 - 14 who have loads of room, is quite obviously bollocks (although I don't recall seeing the testicles).
I've run Medoc too - a pure fancy dress marathon. I was getting drunk the entire way round and was there for the fun of it, yet the bigger fancy dress costumes (which were limited to <10 people) were still fucking irritating!
LM is run through the narrow and winding streets and is busy all the way round. Even at 5hr pace, it's right to suggest that the centipede will get in people's way. And it will ruins their pace, ruin their tired muscles dodging around things and it will prevent access to the drinks station.
Members of the centipede should all run as the testicles as penance for the annoyance they will cause all the runners they get in the way of.
Thats a point - do centipedes have testicles?
Jeez, this thread has made me think about things I really shouldnt be thinking about. 
Anyway, a quick search on the wibbly wobbly web throws up the following advice for how to get rid of unwelcome centipedes:
Spray centipedes with bug spray or smash them with your shoe or other hard object. Because they have many legs, centipedes can move quickly so you might not have enough time to smash them. If you hit and miss, the centipede will most likely run, which will make it harder to catch so try to get a good enough aim to make contact on your first try.
So I was thinking maybe one of those concrete wrecking balls might do the trick. Or is that not quite within the spirit of the event?