Still Running (weakly). Issue 100

PAST – inspiration – “By labelling himself mediocre, the champion runner allows room for growth and in turn acknowledges that his claim to the throne is anything but permanent.  He is the culmination of hard work and determination, the accumulation of hundreds of speed workouts and tens of thousands of miles.  Quite simply, he is not an anomaly.  He is the outcome of a very elaborate equation that he wrote himself and that so many others have the ability to complete, if they are just willing to stand before the chalkboard for that long.” 

On the occasion of this, the 100th Still Running (weakly), allow me to pontificate in praise of large numbers!  Large numbers are not just large for their own sake.  They speak of dedication, determination, consistency, loyalty, perseverance and resilience.

It is easy enough to do something once.  As Emil Zatopek (four Olympic golds 1948-52) said, “When a person trains once, nothing happens.  When a person forces himself to do a thing 100 or 1,000 times, then he certainly has developed in more ways than physical.  Is it raining?  That doesn't matter.  Am I tired?  That doesn't matter, either.  Then willpower will be no problem.”

Paul Sinton-Hewitt deliberately made parkrun a celebration of large numbers.  The t-shirts go to those who have done the most – no matter the speed or the method of perambulation – not to the “first finishers.”

I certainly reserve my deepest respect for those who have persevered.  Standing at the side of the road in London on Sunday, I tried to spot the distinctive vest of the 100 Marathon Club members to give them a special shout. 

I have talked before about perhaps the greatest compiler of large numbers ever – Ron Hill.  Among many other accomplishments, he ran every day for over 52 years.  So, of course, he ran the day after cracking his sternum in an accident that wrote off his car.  He “ran” on crutches after bunion surgery.  He ran after a knee operation, despite his surgeon telling him not to walk on it for two weeks.  “He never said anything about not running on it.”

In early 2015, coming back from injury and poor fitness, I decided to set myself the target of completing 100 consecutive sub-30-minute parkruns.  This was something that was certainly not easy on the second parkrun of the two New Year’s Days that this streak spanned!  I remember coming up the last hill at Alice Holt – with Rushmoor parkrun already in my legs – struggling to get under 30 – and my quads were in a different world. 

As my friend Thommo remarked, “That’s such a Steve Till thing to do!”

EVER-PRESENT – perspiration – Last year, Steve Edwards completed his 1,000 marathons, managing the fastest average time – 3:21:47!  Also last year, a member of my club, Surrey Walking Club, Sandra Brown, carried on piling up 100-mile finishes.  She has completed more than 210! 

And people make a song and dance about doing 100 marathons!

Steve Spence won the World Championship marathon bronze in 1991 and ran a sub-5-minute mile every year for 43 years!  Steve Smythe has completed a marathon every year for 50 years, running a sub-3-hour marathon every year for 41 years!

Steve Moneghetti won Commonwealth Marathon bronze, silver and gold in 1986, 1990 and 1994 respectively, but he lacked a global medal.  He persevered and eventually won World Championship bronze in 1997.  And he is still competing, setting a world 60-65 5km record of 15:52.9 at the end of 2022.

What is it about Steves?!

FUTURE – suggestion – So, what could you do 100 times that would enhance your running and your life?  100 runs will certainly make a difference.  100 races.  100 races in a year!  100 parkruns will get you a lovely black t-shirt.  100 marathons will get you into the 100 Marathon Club.  Race walking 100 miles in 24 hours will get you into the Centurions: we all have a unique number (I am 768) and, when we meet, the member with the lowest number takes the chair.

If you have completed a marathon, then why not consider 100 miles?  It is certainly a different order of challenge.  You WILL have to train in a different way.  You WILL be out there for a very long time (unless you’re Lithuanian world record holder for the distance, Aleksandr Sorokin – 10:51:39!)  You WILL have to battle the cut-off times.  You WILL convince yourself, probably more than once during the race, that you just cannot do it.  You WILL therefore have to keep the faith.  You WILL learn quite a bit about yourself.

On 20th October 2002, two Russians came over to compete in the Crystal Palace track 100 miles, hoping to break Don Ritchie’s world record of 11:30:51.  Denis Jalybin led from Oleg Kharitanov, and was 4 laps up with just 10km to go.  But Jalybin was visibly struggling, and Kharitanov unleashed some 6-minute miles, eventually passing him with just 135 metres to go, clocking 11:28:03!

At the Humberside 24 hours in 1994, with half an hour to go, I was just going to miss my personal best, when my wife shouted, “Come on, Steve, you can do this!”  Lacking Kharitanov’s speed, I nevertheless did run 8-minute-miles to claim the PB as well as the win.

Don’t worry: you probably won’t have to find a kick at the end of your 100 miles!