Virtual London Marathon 2020 ... in my backyard!

Round and round and round we go.

This wasn't the London Marathon experience I had planned ... 

It's the Covid Marathon year. None of the majors had races for the public (Tokyo and London had elite events, which, sadly, they didn't invite me to!)

Instead we turned virtual. And I took to the backyard. 

The 40th London Marathon was supposed to be in April, then it was postponed to October, and then it was virtual only. 

Disappointments are all part of the marathon experience and they always have been. While the marathon can bring out the best in people, it also has its downsides. Pain. Injuries. Anguish. Defeat. Disappointment.

I'm always surprised when people say to me "oh, you've run plenty of marathons you'll have no problems doing another". This shows a clear lack of understanding of how each event is separate. Just because I ran one previously doesn't mean that without training and approach I can do another anytime soon. 

So disappointment was a bit of a theme:    

Disappointment for the runners

Yes, we wanted to run in April. We trained and booked flights and planned holidays around a 'big trip'. But the coronavirus had other ideas. Shutting us down. But kudos to the organisers - they kept going.

This was the 40th running of the event and they had big plans....

Disappointment for the organisers

Eliud Kipchoge vs Kenenisa Bekele. The fastest 2 marathoners ever - separated by about 2 seconds - going head to head. What a headline act..... 

Only for Bekele to pull out the day before with a calf injury (I know what that's like, I had one ten days prior to this event). That's like Federer vs Nadal for the Wimbledon final only for one to withdraw once everyone has taken their seats and the chair umpire says "Play". Anticlimax. Disappointment. 

But, true to their word, the organisers enabled all of us to participate with a virtual edition of the event. 

Disappointment for the charities

One of the things that impresses me about London's event is how its a massive fundraiser. The biggest single day fundraising event on the planet. 66m last year - and that's pounds, not Aussie dollars.  So double that for the conversion rate. 

This year their charity sector is going to have a huge hole. My charity, Terence Higgins Trust, were fantastic the whole way through. Great communication and constant affirmation that "your spot is safe". 

Disappointment for the runners. 

We trained and trained but, alas, a virtual was the only alternative.   

Hardly a European vacation on offer, but I decided that I was keen to be involved (FOMO took over big time I admit) and the uniqueness of the idea took hold. 

Disappointment of Covid-19

Now there was another twist of the pandemic that impacted the idea of running in Melbourne. Thanks to the pandemic we had been in lockdown for the most important part of the lead up. We could only go outside for 1 hour a day and go no further than 5km from our home. Hardly good marathon preparation!  We couldn't join our friends at our running club or run with more than 1 other person.  Suffice to say that a proper training programme just did.not.happen. 

Round and round and round and .....

Planning for the day became part of the fun.  How many laps around our backyard would it take?  Time was not an issue - first because of the lack of training there was no time goal and second, because we had 24 hours to complete it in.  This meant I could start at 10am my time (midnight in London) and take as long as necessary. 

Sunday dawned and a rather freak 28 degrees in Melbourne was counterbalanced by 50mm of rain in London!   Such a contrast. 7kms around my impromptu 400m loop course started the day, followed by my (now extended) 2 hours of "freedom" outside my home doing a half marathon distance. (I even saw a small group of people wearing 'virtual London marathon' tshirts and had a little chat with them!). Then it was back home and around and around and around ,.....

I appreciated some company on our 2 hours of freedom ...

It was so different though. I had set up a little drinks/snacks refueling table outside and, given the humidity and heat, even took my time to have a shower, and changed running outfit 3 times! 

Just 'cos I  could!

This was not a 'pain program' (like a race is where in your head you constantly repeat "push, push"), this was a participation event that required totally different tapping into yourself.  No crowds to cheer you on, no adrenaline, no incredible locations - just round and round and round ....

The closest I got to Big Ben was seeing my son, Benjamin!

My 'CheerDogs' gave up and watched from the comfort of inside!

The London team had put together an app to track your distance and also give motivational messages at every mile marker.  The messages were great (like "You're passing 10km and you would have been on the Tower Bridge.....) even if the distance accuracy wasn't too flash - compared to my running watch the app made me cover an additional mile!  

The finish line was a very unmomentous middle of my driveway announcement with a fake crowd 'cheer'.  Not even my dogs raised their heads.  

The CheerDogs quickly got bored with my running in circles ...

No-one applauded. No-one gave me a medal (although one will be sent in the mail) or a celebratory drink. No, I would have to find satisfaction within. But was this disappointing? No!  There was a connection. I felt like I had participated with 45,000 other international runners. I felt like I was a marathoner again. 

So a very different experience, but one not to be disappointed about at all. 

Also, thanks to Terence Higgins Trust I have my entry ticket for next year's 41st London Marathon on October 3rd 2021 to look forward to.  And, hopefully,  to train, to plan, to vacation and to go all out at. Will it happen? Who knows?  I pray for those making vaccines and those trying to allow us to conduct big events again, 

Will it be another story of disappointment?   I don't think so.  I can't see how you can be disappointed with participating.  Once competing and worrying about your time goes out the window (because you have no control over covid) it can't be disappointing. 

I ran, I fundraised, I helped others, I helped myself.  That's why I run - and that's why I'll never be disappointed. 

At the end of the days running, I sat back on the couch with a beer (thanks Dan)  and watched the broadcast of the elite events. Amazing. The men's finish; incredible. Sara Hall (one of my favs - below) in the women's finish ; breathtaking. The men's wheelchair race; 6 within seconds; wow. 

There were many disappointments amongst these events. And there always will be in marathons. Eliud Kipchoge - the G.O.A.T - who finished 8th (and first time not winning for years) said it with typical grace: 

“I’m truly disappointed, but, all in all, this is sport. Sport is run by today you are up, tomorrow you are down.

"It's what normally happens in sport. Its not the end of the world. Its not suicide for Eliud Kipchoge to be beaten. I have more marathons. I will come back again". 

So will I. 

Just what you need to help recovery after a hot sweaty 28 degrees - a hot dog! 

ANDREW'S RATINGS!

Organisation	10		Hats off to London organisers. What a crap situation they had to plan through.  But they get top marks for perseverance and for delivering an elite spectacle and a mass virtual event.  Was it perfect? (The app, the comms, the system) No, but it was bloody good.  But they enabled us to run, To engage. To dream. To train, To find motivation.  Thank you,
Course	1
Atmosphere	1		Hahahaha. I have to laugh, Its interesting to see what I include in my rating system. Course - atmosphere - crowds. Obviously these are the things I rate as important for the big marathon experiences.
Crowds	1		That score is for my dogs - they could have done better!!
Expo	0		Not relevant
Medal	9		Nice to get 'the 40th' medal posted out. And I hear they have included a little tag update so you can include the updated date.  I got this one 'virtually' as soon as I crossed the 'finish line'.
Runner’s pack	6		Apparently we also get a tshirt in the post - haven't seen it yet. I like how they keep it secret!
Injuries	0		No pain = no injuries.  Best recovery ever!

Sunday 4th October 2020

https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/

Runjani.com

@runjanji

Berlin Marathon 2019

Berlin is a fascinating city.
It doesn’t hide from it’s 20^th century history. It puts it right out there; Nazis, Russians, Americans, The Wall, Jews ...just to name a few. It’s all there to see, right in front of you.

One example... In the shadows of Germany’s symbol of unity (the famous Brandenburg Gate) there is also the Memorial to the Victims of National Socialism (the Memorial to the lost Jews and gypsies of Europe). The contrasts are stark and moving. 

I start this way because the marathon is all about putting it all out there as well. I dare not compare world wars and tragedies to a ‘fun run’. I do so only to illustrate how the marathon is a personal journey. Every one has a story that becomes history. Good and bad. And nothing can be hidden away.

“If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon” said Kathrine Switzer and I felt a lot of symbioses between this marathon's efforts, Berlin and this cities similar challenges.

Found it!  There I am, one of more than 60,000 having a go on the streets of Berlin!

And what wet streets they were. Started dry, finished wet wet wet!
(Took 3 days to dry my shoes out!)

One day when I have given up running marathons I aspire to be the guy who dresses up in a non-alcoholic beer costume to cheer on the crowds!!

Berlin’s Marathon is a big one. One of six events that comprises the World Major Marathon Series, which is why I’m here.

And a big city like this with great running pedigree has a big marathon to suit. This was the 46th running of the event that takes over the city for the day. But only the day.  By sunrise the next morning its gone. The streets are clean and opened. Not a scrap of rubbish or temporary fencing to be seen. Its efficiency is impressive.

Its spectacular.  I love these big city runs.  Is there a better way to play tourist and runner?  I don’t think so.  The idea is quite preposterous to a city of  nearly 4 million people: Close the streets and let us run.  But they do!  And we are grateful because it is awesome!

And here's the start!  I'm in the yellow top! 

And here's 200 metres after the start. And, yes, here are blokes already stopping for a pee! 
What a souvenir to have in my photos.  I'm the only one in this photo looking away!!

The elites lead the way out

 You'll be pleased to know I beat both Spiderman and the Brandenburg gate costume!

The 2019 Berlin Marathon had 62,444 starters from 150 countries.

And one runner in particular needs special attention:  Kenenisa Bekele.

Bekele missed the world record by less than two seconds. Ouch.  How do you recover mentally from that? To run for 2hrs 1min and miss the world record by two seconds is to learn about disappointment and motivation This is what marathon is. Learning about yourself. Addressing fears and being brave. So many doubts come all the time. Weeks before. Every niggle and every cough. Then on the day about the weather and other things you can’t control. I would have liked my time to be a minute faster - of course - but I didn’t miss the world record by just over a second! How do you deal with that disappointment? One second after 2 hours. It’s like a step.

And its all out there. Like I started with. The history, The run, The splits, The pain, The smiles, The results. 

And I like it that way.  Be transparent.  Be open and honest about what you're trying to do, why and how you went.  You can't re-write history. 

And if your travels take you to places where you question history's lessons of human nature, then go and watch the marathon that day. 

Enjoy it while its dry and wave to the fans!

The smile can lie!  Be careful on these wet roads. The deep contours fill up with water and are easy to trip on. 

You cant avoid the puddles .... just plough through

Can you imagine what this meant in 1990 when the wall went down ....

The iconic image of Berlin. I cant think of too many better finish lines that the Brandenburg Gate. 

Nice to see an Aussie in the Legends Area. Steve Moneghetti.
 In 1990 he won it in 2hrs 8:16 PB. This was a special occasion as the Berlin Wall had come down just months earlier and the race was 'The Reunification Marathon', joining the former east and west. 

ANDREW'S RATINGS!

Organisation	10		This is Germany after all! Anytime you can move 60,000 people has to be impressive. (Less impressive are the people that complain – usually loudly – when it doesn’t suit their individual needs L) And a mix of old and new technologies: New = printed bibs at every check-in point at the Expo. Old = shoe tags (& a fine if you don’t return them)
Course	8		No excuses! This isn’t the world record course for nothing. Flat. Main streets. But always crowded with that many people involved. Lots and lots of drink stations, with some interesting offers - beetroot juice, sweet warm tea as well as the usual water (in recycling cups), bananas and apples.
Atmosphere	9		Big big big!  Mexican and Brazilian fans were the loudest.  Lots of bands (particularly in the first half) and such a mix, including a Scottish Pipe Band (good for the guy near me running in kilt), as well as jazz, rock and everything else!
Crowds	9		Spectator viewing is great. Lots of cheering most of the way.
Expo	8		I liked the technology – instant bib printing- and I liked the location. I just don’t like crowds on the day before  race! Public transport everywhere is excellent. An amazing 5 minute wait between trains. The Expo is a easy commute and walk.
Medal	7		Nice. Honored a volunteer this year.  Worthy. And nice to acknowledge all the volunteers who enable us runners to do what we do. Respect. These great people stand for 7-8 hours (in rain) so we can do what we like. And then we splash water all over them!
Runner’s pack	6		A nice adidas t-shirt.
Injuries	1		Two toe nails. And blisters.  The wet shoes and socks ripped em apart!
The obligatory daggy kiss-the-medal photo		Danke Berlin!

29^th September 2019

http://www.bmw-berlin-marathon.com/en/

Runjani.com

@runjanji

Queens Baton Relay 2018 Commonwealth Games

Running with the baton

These blessings don’t come along that often, so when they do, you grab them with both hands. 

Literally!

Anytime you get to do something that Kurt Fearnley is part of has to be cool. 

The process began seemingly ages ago, with nominations and multiple round of selection. Once I acknowledged my application was in the system it was best just to forget about it and wait and see. 

So imagine my surprise when I received the email that said “you’re in”.  I remember the moment and even exactly where I was. I was in Chicago and it was the day before the Chicago Marathon.  

I was sworn to secrecy.  We weren’t allowed to tell anyone – family, friends, no one- until the official announcement. When it was finally public it was surreal.  But it kept going up in layers of surrealness! 

One day the uniform arrived.  OK, that’s getting real now. 

Then one day the information package with actual times and places arrived.  Oh wow.

It's really happening!  'Surrealness' might not be a real word, but its what I felt!

Now to complicate things my  work dates meant I was due to be away out of the country on the day, but with the kind permission of my boss I was able to skip home for a couple of days so I could participate.  I'm used to marathons, but not this type:  it meant leaving Europe on Wednesday evening, arriving Friday, running Saturday and then straight back to Europe again.  More time in planes than anywhere else – and kept me on edge for any potential missed flights.  But it was worth it.  I've flown around the world to run marathons, but never flown half way across the globe to run a leisurely 200 metres before!  Oh, the things we do!

That’s how special I considered this to be.  Not even being across the globe was going to stop me from missing out. 

The day arrived and excitement and adrenaline overcame me.  Its a great cure for jet lag! 

I arrived early morning at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre for the briefing.

Here I was surrounded by instant best friends!  Some legends – like Olympian Steve Hooker -  and , more impressively, some real community champions. Here I was rubbing shoulders with people who were literally saving others lives.  Everyone had a chance to share their story. I felt pretty humbled. I was representing the YMCA and here were some of the most impressive people I could ever want to meet. Sure there was some television celebrities as well, but who cares when you're in this esteemed company. 

Wearing the uniform meant instant BFF!

I say best friends because we immediately bonded. We were all high on adrenaline and eager to share the experience with each other,  We laughed and giggled and everyone commented on their desire to avoid the ultimate embarrassment … dropping the baton!

Soon we were on the bus and dropped at our point. Briefings of what to do and expect seemed to go in a constant swirl. A special mention of the volunteers who were guiding us, helping us and driving the buses. Exceptional.  Delightful. Quite amazing ambassadors. 

"Pass the baton"

The actual run with the baton was short and seemingly over in seconds. Just 200m. I took the advice of the briefing team and made sure I walked some of it .. so I could soak it in.’

The baton itself was spectacular. Beautiful.  Made with many unique elements and worthy of studying.

So with a hug and a thanks I was waved goodbye by the person who passed me the baton and then, with family and friends on the sidelines and cheering (thanks so much), off I went.

Special family time!

My venue for running my relay leg was special too. It was Albert Park, a course I have been lucky to run many times in events and especially the Melbourne Marathon and where I have watched so many Australian Formula One Grand Prix.

Its amazing what can go through your mind in such a short space of time.  Id been preparing for this (on all those long haul flights to get there). I wanted to think of all those who helped me, and who I had been able to hopefully help. I wanted this to be an intentional time and it was. 

Then it was over.  It seemed like the fastest 200m I've ever run!

My 200m was a small part of a very long journey ... but I was a part of it!

We returned to the pick up point and shared stories in the bus and followed the others. It was such a  joyous event. Total happiness. No sadness here at all.  The sense of national pride was like how I remember being in Sydney for the 2000 Olympics.  It was really “up”.

I was proud, I was humbled and I was thankful.  I felt very special to have this opportunity. 

I got back to the airport and flew back with much time to think about it.  I tried to soak it in.  It was unique and special. 

I'd do it again tomorrow.

Thanks Your Majesty for a rare privilege bestowed upon me!

10th February 2018

https://www.gc2018.com/qbr