I've recently helped my Dad self publish his running memoirs, Shoelaces. It follows his running career from 1980 to 2009, including the amazing feat of running thirty marathons in under three hours and all the achievements in between - including the year that he gained silver in the European Veteran Athletic Championships. I found it very interesting seeing his perspective looking back over his life, both in terms of the ups and downs of his running and, more poignantly perhaps, those of his personal, non-running, experiences.
Saturday 5th June 1993 Stockholm Marathon
This was a long way to go on my own. A beautiful setting with most of the race run through parkland and along the water's edge. But the city was expensive and a bit too clean for my liking. A little like I found Norway some years later. For some reason I always much preferred Denmark and Finland to the other two - which I felt should be run by happier, more fun-loving people like the Australians or the Kiwis or the Brazilians. I did stay at a great hotel, the Globo Arena, a very modern edifice where major sporting and music events are held. I also met Hugh Jones, previous winner of London and some other major marathons and still quite close to his peak at that time. I tried to inveigle my way onto the bus for the elite runners by attaching myself to Hugh's coat-tails but they were having none of it. A far cry from being in the elite area with Frank Flowers in Miami all those years ago.
This was a Saturday afternoon race run in very hot conditions. I liked neither as there was a long time waiting around and getting hotter. I was going well until 30k but then I hit the wall big time and just struggled home in under three hours. Stockholm itself seemed dull after all this and I am not sure I made the most of it - though I did recall the Gamla Stan underground railway station in a quiz recently.
Finishing Time: 2 hours 59 minutes 22 seconds
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