Canberra Marathon 2006 - some thoughts

I posted earlier but am still on my post-marathon high and the inspiring, wonderful stories of other cool runners have prompted me to share some more thoughts. I've got a lovely chardonnay in front of me, Chicago's "Please don't go" is playing on iTunes...I've got to get something off my chest....and here it goes...

It struck me reading all the stories that there was a lot of special things happening out on the road. Each of us faced our own challenges and demons; each of us had to stare down the nightmares and phobias that confront us humans as we seek to challenge .....what?....nothing less than our own limitations.

From the magnificance of Lucky Legs to Crabby's (Anne) tears; from Horrie's generosity to Clairie's fantastic debut, to Tesso's great sense and restraint to pull out when it must have been so tempting to go just a little bit further. Then there was Colin McLeod with his 3.04 at the age of 70+ and Trevor Jacobs at 54 with his incredible 2.47 (how do they do it!). There are just so many stories here, everyone of them worthy additions to the running Hall of Fame.

And to top it all there were all those magnificant supporters, so postive and encouraging that you just wanted to wrap your arms around them - most of them you had never met and were never likely to. Yet, on the day, they were our best friends. Courage, guts, glory, pain, fear, fatigue, passion, sorrow, excellence, disappointment, euphoria - all made an appearance. I think only Shakespeare could have invented better drama.

But were was the media? Where was Sixty Minutes, always so keen on its human interest story full of overwrought pathos? Where was the great novelist or poet to put down in print the emotions, the tensions, the soaring spirit so evident on the day? The Canberra Times to its credit did have some coverage of the event in its Monday edition. But why are the papers and electronic media so full of absolute twaddle concerning the mind numbing trivia of some footballer here, a footballer there, and so on.

We can all be so proud of what we did on Sunday. Isn't it bloody time the rest of the world noticed? Why weren't they there at Telopea Park on a beautiful autumn morning in April to see the best of humanity on show; to see ordinary people - you and I - do extroadinary things?

Thank God that we at least have Coolrunning.com.au to listen to us.