Bedford Hospitals Charity
Marathon 2007 by Ben Raza
Wow! What an experience. What an amazing experience. For the benefit of those of you who weren't glued to your television sets on April 22, or else in the crowds on the streets of London, a team of runners took part in this year's London Marathon in aid of Bedford Hospitals Charity. The money is still coming in, but so far it looks like we raised more than £12,000 to buy ErbotomICC 200 machines to treat bowel cancer at the hospital. The day itself was amazing. For a first-timer like me, it was difficult to take in just how massive an event the marathon really is. Tens of thousands of runners, all of us with just one thing on our minds. Yes, that's right. Each and everyone of us was thinking: "A bit hot this, isn't it?"
2007 was apparently the hottest marathon ever. Our team of supporters all felt pretty proud of themselves just for standing on the sidelines and cheering us on in the heat. So we runners felt well and truly proud of ourselves by the time we got to the finishing line. Times achieved by the team ranged from over the five-hour mark, to a finish in just 2 hours 54 minutes by the team’s answer to Speedy Gonzales, GP Morgan Walters.
Of course, Morgan managed to escape most of the mickey-taking and singing on our training runs because, well, because he was just too darned fast for our insults and ribbing to reach him. But there was no way I could have got fit enough to achieve a decent time without Chris Cottam training us all for the big day. And those breakfast runs wouldn't have been half as fun without having such a great bunch to run with, or without Chris' wife (and hospital nurse) Jude Cottam having a slap-up cooked breakfast waiting for us at the end of our monthly Saturday morning training runs. Yes, you can forget about the race for a moment (my weary legs still haven't, but you can!). The race itself was a great experience. But the weeks and months beforehand were something else again.
The team of runners crossed all different ages and backgrounds. Joe Nellis and I fought like cat and dog to get to the front of the pack as we trained, and then again to clamber to the back to chat to the women. Lynni Gingell - 'Lovely Lynni, the fog-horn filly' - kept us all safe by announcing whenever any vehicle approached we runners. Richard Watson was my guru for how to approach my first marathon - keeping a steady pace, mixing my training, pushing on until the end. Josie Tomkins regaled my with tales of her youngsters...
I could go on, but it really would be impossible to get across what a good bunch we had, and how much fun the training really was. What I have to add is that Chris and Jude are the finest host and hostess I have ever come across. Two more committed, welcoming people it is hard to imagine. And of course, when we had our post-race reception two weeks later, it was at their lovely home.
I also have to tip my cap to all the other people who helped our efforts. That includes Jordans Cereals, who helped pay for the t-shirts and provided us with cereal bars to keep our energy levels up; No Limitz sports shop in Harpur Street who created the shirts for us at a good price; Chris and Jude's son Christopher who paid for a hotel room for the male runners to get changed in after the race; runner Bruna Ruaro who looked after us all on the day at the Wheatsheaf pub in south London; and former runners Nick and Rebecca Keir who provided the bubbly for our celebration drinks. Last but not least I must thank every person who sponsored us, encouraged us, or just called out our names and fed us with drinks, oranges, and jelly babies during the race.
What an experience. What an amazing experience. Thank you all very much.
Ben Raza