London Marathon 2006
By Alex Ho, CUH&H Marathon Secretary 2005-2006
marathon (noun) A long-distance running race, strictly one of 26 miles and 385 yards (42.195 km).
On a wet and humid April morning, 33,000 descended on Blackheath for the culmination of months of hard training: the 26.2-mile London Marathon. Amongst them were the twenty-seven strong contingent representing Cambridge University in one of the largest and most prestigious races in the world.
The race is large enough to require simultaneous starts from three different locations; the runners don't run en masse until past the 5-kilometre point. A half loop around the Cutty Sark at approximately 10 kilometres marks the first major landmark, followed by the Tower Bridge just before the halfway mark. At 30 kilometres the runners pass beneath the shadows of Canary Wharf before finally heading west. Rounding the Embankment, the capsules of the London Eye beckon tired runners towards Westminster. Looping around St. James Park, Buckingham Palace is just a blur before the finish along The Mall.
But what sets the London Marathon apart from other races are the people. First there are the runners: both the young and old, those attempting a world record and those who just want to finish their first marathon. There's also the marathon menagerie: the giraffe, the clown and the deep-sea diver. Then there's the dedication of the crowds. Despite the rain, the crowds line virtually the entire route and provide unbelievable support as the runners struggle to place one leg ahead of the other. From Birdcage Walk to the finish, the runners see and hear nothing but encouragement pushing them the final few steps towards the finish.
Weekly training began in earnest back in January. For four months before the big day, the CUH&H marathon group added extra tempo runs and weekend long runs to their training schedule. The long runs incorporated the Silverstone and Reading Half Marathons as well as a reincarnated 25mile boundary run around the Cambridge city limits. Did pounding the streets of Cambridge in the dark and cold pay off?
Repeating his debut performance last year, Dairmuid O'Seaghdha was the first Harey home in 2:33:55, or 96th overall. Pete Leek (2:39:46) followed him in, cutting an amazing fifteen minutes from his 2005 performance. John Solly again rounded out the top three with a consistent 2:45:46. In the women's elite championship race, Dr. Silke Pichler stormed home in 2:59:50.
The London Marathon also serves multiple roles, and Cambridge's commitment to the marathon cannot be overstated. In the BUSA marathon competition, Haries formed forty percent of the entrants. London also serves as the Varsity Marathon match versus Oxford. Counting the first 6 to score, Cambridge scored a landslide victory by a margin of 3,600 to 11,307.
Just completing a 42-kilometre race is a satisfying personal achievement. Whether finishing for the first time or setting a personal best, everyone who took part is to be congratulated.