DFW running club mark 3!! ALL ARE WELCOME!!

RichOneday_2

Its actually refreshing to see that Dave Bedford acknowledges that there is a problem. I'm not sure that that is the same thing as realising that he's a big part of the problem....:rolleyes:

And how far the London Marathon has drifted away from its initial aim:


London Marathon Standards


Part of Brasher's hope in starting the London Marathon was to help raise the standards of British distance running.

In the early days he was successful with victories for the likes of Hugh Jones, Mike Gratton, Charlie Spedding and Steve Jones. But he could surely never have envisaged the situation the race found itself in six years ago, when Paula Radcliffe ended the day as the fastest British runner - man or woman - after setting a world record of 2 hours 15min 25sec. It was a brilliant performance, but also a graphic illustration of how far standards have fallen among British men.

David Fereday, another runner to have completed every London Marathon, has observed at close quarters this decline in standards.
"One interesting statistic," said the 67-year-old, "is how my best time of 2hr 44min from 1985 compares position-wise today. In 1985 that placed 850th in the London. These days that time would place me much higher, around 250th."

It is a puzzling phenomenon that, while more people than ever are running in Britain, the standards have never been lower. With no fresh talent on the horizon Eamonn Martin, the last British male winner in 1993, is in danger of being cast as the British athletics version of Fred Perry.

"It's my son's birthday today - he's 16," Martin said. "He was born three days before the race. He is the measure. When I think his birthday is coming, it is the perfect reminder. I have great memories but it is not good from a British point of view that I was the last male to win.

"I'm not pleased about that. It does not give me any more kudos. It is disappointing, as is David Moorcroft's 5000m record that is 27 years old. It shows the condition of male distance-running in this country."

The London Marathon has sunk hundreds of thousands of pounds into trying to solve the problem, setting up an endurance centre to help train young British runners.

"I think we have a generation problem," said Bedford. "Life is not the way it was even 25 years ago. But that is not to say things won't change in the future. Who knows, we could be sitting here in 25 years' time and seeing the current situation as a major turning point."


The solution couldnt be simpler: give the act of taking part in the London Marathon back its kudos by implementing qualifying based on performance rather than based upon how much you're prepared to brown nose a charity.:p:p

It is incredible that you still dont have to prove that you've even run a 5K before entering, when online verification of results is so easy.

RichOneday_2

Ooo, and on the same theme, this is an excellent article:

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/1133/

evab_2

I've probably said this before but when the kids are being told at school that it's not about the winning, then is it any wonder that competition is so low! I'm determined that my kids will have the opportunity to try a number of sports to find what they like and then work hard to be the best they can.

becky_rtw

Just to make you cry a bit more here's the last page of results from yesterday:
04:20:26
04:20:27
04:21:21
04:23:17
04:24:56
04:28:41
04:31:29
04:34:20
04:47:19
04:47:19
04:49:35
04:49:35
04:57:45
04:57:46
04:57:49
05:03:00
05:03:59
13:33:48

I think the final one is some kind of error obviously but :eek::eek::eek::eek:

Alias_Omega

A video of the Great North Run route in a car, takes about 2 mins to watch.

You can see the up's and downs. I took the left lane on this one, so this is the view you have of travelling up and down.

Not a very flat 10k. Wish i had seen the video before running it, i would of put more effort in on the 10-11-12th mile hill. Its not as bad as people say.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/tyne/hi/things_to_do/newsid_8192000/8192869.stm

Alias_Omega

becky_rtw wrote: »

Just to make you cry a bit more here's the last page of results from yesterday:
04:20:26
04:20:27
04:21:21
04:23:17
04:24:56
04:28:41
04:31:29
04:34:20
04:47:19
04:47:19
04:49:35
04:49:35
04:57:45
04:57:46
04:57:49
05:03:00
05:03:59
13:33:48

I think the final one is some kind of error obviously but :eek::eek::eek::eek:

I bet one of them is that walking horse...

1 guy backwards, 1 guy forwards...

& still no idea how they started in front of me as i ran past them at mile 1...

RichOneday_2

You're quite right, evab. It takes some doing to stop a human being competitive but it looks like the 'system' at the moment is actually managing to achieve it!!


I think these are the salient phrases from that article:

1. "All too often in races it is those classified as veteran runners (those over 40 years old who grew up running in the 1970s and 80s) who train hardest, run hardest and win races, not those with youth on their side. It is true than in an average race one will see many young runners, but fast and committed runners who are young are thin on the ground.

Although the government recognises there is a problem in British distance running, its analysis completely misses the target. Official strategy to improve athletic performance and to ‘develop a sport and activity culture’ rather predictably concentrates on greater inclusiveness, reducing inequalities and reducing barriers to participation (5). But vastly oversubscribed marathons and half-marathons up and down the country give the lie to this suggestion. The problem is not participation; it is that the ethos of achievement is being lost. "


2. "The inevitable message that is conveyed to a potential runner is ‘Exercise, but not too hard or you’ll damage yourself physically or psychologically’"

3. "The way in which places are allocated for events such as the London Marathon sends the message that running for one’s own achievement is of less value than completing the event as a means of raising charity money. For the vast majority of runners then, the incentive is to complete rather than achieve. This makes running slowly acceptable."

4."Instead of a show of human excellence, running has increasingly become a public show of ostentatious caring, a self-indulgent and egotistical outpouring of emotion "

tq16

Wow, taken me ages to read up on posts from weekend- went camping with kids so no internet access. Some fantastic runs from everyone again. Congratulations to GNR's Hope you all enjoyed it and are recovering well?

becky_rtw

Alias_Omega wrote: »

I bet one of them is that walking horse...

1 guy backwards, 1 guy forwards...

& still no idea how they started in front of me as i ran past them at mile 1...

That happens a lot in races...it seems to work out in the wash - loads of people start at the back and rush forward...and loads of people take the first two miles as steady as possible and speed up later in the race...

Also they didnt enforce the pens at all - I started in the wrong one, and you could move back if you wanted...it took me 1:08 to cross the start line, but I could hardly move for the first mile (I even missed the marker )

evab_2

I think I could walk 13 miles in less than 5 hours - no problem!