Tuesday 28 February 2012

How I spent last Sunday morning

Early start for a Sunday.  At 8.50AM  I was outside The Imperial pub in Southborough along with colleagues from Tunbridge Wells Mental Health.  Our purpose: to act as marshals for the Tunbridge Wells Half-Marathon.  On with the bright yellow garment and then a walk to my first position, outside Tesco's in Southborough. 

Positioned not far from the start the runners hove into view just after 10.00AM.  What sight.  Runners of all shapes, sizes and degrees of fitness.  Hundreds of them - in fact over 2,000 in all. Bringing up the rear was a  pantomime horse, a good five minutes behind the first athlete.

Then it was a stroll to our next location.  Our group was stationed between the finishing post at Tunbridge Wells Boys' Grammar School and the junction of St. John's Road and Newcomen Road.  We had been told that the leading runners would come into view at around 11.10AM, but the winner shaved about eight minutes off this time and was well ahead of the rest of the field.  The elite runners came through, including the first female who was in fifth position.  Over the next fifty minutes the main body of the field came home, most looked comfortable, a few in some minor distress.

At noon I headed home and my walk along Mount Ephraim and Langton Road took me along the route of the race.  Runners coming towards me were bravely carrying on and I am sure some would have stories of personal triumph to tell.  I take my hat off to every single runner.

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