Mens sana in corpore sano

I was very lucky to have seen the London Marathon’s race today.

I remind myself that in 1908 the first ‘marathon’ to take place in London was actually part of that year’s Olympic Games. Whilst initially set at the solid 26 miles, organisers extended the run by an extra 386 yards so the runners would reach the finish line in front of the royal box.

In 1981, the current London Marathon was founded by former Olympic champion and journalist Chris Brasher, inspired by the New York Marathon, along with Welsh athlete John Disley.

In 1983The first wheelchair marathon race was held and the race was completed by 17 people, being won by Britain’s Gordon Perry in a time of 3:20:07.

In 2008, Buster Martin, at 101, became the oldest runner to complete the race, crossing the line with the words of, “where’s my beer?” The Guinness World Records later disputed his age.

A marathon is a charismatic event. It has everything. It has drama.  It has competition. It has camaraderie. It has heroism. Did you love to run? I like the run. It’s not many things I proud however  I so proud of myself that I complied London marathon 4 years ago. What are your favourite activities? Well, what is your favourite sport? April is usually a dry month, but not completely rain-free and it is quite a good time of year to start activities outside.  Need some help? If you could not figures what you.

What are your favourite activities? Well, what is your favourite sport? April is usually a dry month, but not completely rain-free and it is quite a good time of year to start activities outside.  Need some help? If you could not figures what you.

Please get the idea from the image below.

Today it’s a perfect day for us to remember the story about Sir Roger Bannister and his shoe. A few weeks ago, I found the information that Christie’s to auction the shoes worn by Sir Roger Bannister. The running shoes are worn by Sir Roger Bannister CBE when he became the first man in history to run a sub-four-minute mile. Roger Bannister, a 25-year-old British medical student, has become the first man to run a mile in less than four minutes. Bannister completed the distance in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds on May 6, 1954, during a meet between the British Amateur Athletics Association and Oxford University and the feat was labelled as the greatest athletic achievement of the 20th century.

These shoes on the photo above, Bannister wore for his record-breaking run were made by Charles Law of GT Law and Son, Wimbledon Park, London. They were weighed four and a half ounces, much lighter than any existing shoes. Incredible.

‘I could see there was an advantage in having the shoe as light as possible,’ says Bannister, who started his running career whilst he was a medical student at Oxford in 1946 and soon showed great promise as a ‘miler’.  ‘The leather is extremely thin and the spikes are unusually thin, as I used a grindstone to make them even thinner. These shoes are the last tangible link I have with the four-minute mile. All my trophies are now on display at Pembroke College Oxford, where I was Master.’

I am not fast, runner; I’ve become runner a few years ago and by finding this story about the first human to run a mile under four minutes did so while studying at Oxford and working at a hospital. I took a deep breath and promised myself I’d never say I am too tired to run after work. 

Whether you’re one: poet, parents, artist,

I hope, one morning you’ll wake up,

put the coffee on and start a run.

It is not age,

it is no diet,

it is the will to succeed.

Ella