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Ever since distance running became popular in the 1970s,
and certainly during the years preceding the "running boom",
long distance runners have received a bad press. The impression given is that all runners were thin and wiry looking, foregoing
friends, family and probably work, just to spend their hours flogging themselves around and around the neighbourhood track
or dodging traffic wearing grey sweats. Your typical "loner" in fact.
In the 1970s, this impression was crystallised by an author
who wrote a book of short stories. His name was Alan Sillitoe,
and one of those stories was titled "The Loneliness of the
Long-Distance Runner". Ever since then the impression has
stuck, whether it is warranted or not......
When I started running, in the early 1980s, I was living in
England. I started running one November. I can't remember
my reason for starting, other than a vague interest in getting
out in the fresh air and trying to get fit and stay healthy.
As you may be aware; England in November is very fresh. It's
also very dark after about 4pm.
I ran every night and never saw another runner. I ran religiously
for a long time, but would never dare call myself a "runner".
I seemed to have endured so much rain, wind and sleet in the dark, all by myself, that, yes, I could identify with the Loneliness of
the long-distance runner.
It was only a long time after that I saw a magazine in newsagents that was just about running. Intrigued, I bought a copy, and
entered a strange new world. I found that there were shops which only sold running shoes and running kit. I must (surely) have
been aware of the concept of races - not just those on an athletic track, but road races like the big marathons and the City to Surf
and the like.
However, it had never occurred to me to go along to a race, let
alone run in one. However, I eventually became committed enough to upgrade from my football trainers to a pair of real running
shoes and went to the local running store.
The salespeople were all runners! It was the first time I had
been to a shop where the staff were more interested in talking
to you about your running than in selling you something. I liked
the ambience so much that I would go there just to browse and
chat with the staff.
Eventually, I became seduced enough by the idea that I might,
just might, actually be turning into a runner myself. The proof
came when I entered a local race, 10 kilometres.
Once you go along to a race, the myth of the scrawny under-fed over-trained loner is squashed for good. I found that in my first
race in England, but you need only go along to the City to Surf, held in Sydney every year, to see for yourself. If you don't live
near Sydney, there are races all over the country, all over of the world, every weekend. You'll find that there are short runners,
plump runners, tall ones, men, women and children. You might point out that they are a normal cross-section of the population. Of
course, you'd be right.
The atmosphere at a race, especially a big race, is more like a
holiday than a focussed sporting event. You see, its just like
a community coming together for a celebration. I am sure that I
could offer to give you a dollar for every lonely person you
could find at a running race, and I wouldn't be paying out much
money. Its not many sports that allow people dressed as pink
elephants line up in the same race at the same time as our
country's Olympic representatives.
As an aside, it occurred to me that "long distance" is in itself
an extremely ambiguous term. To a mile runner, the 5km or 10km is "long distance". To the 10km runner, a marathon is long distance.
And of course, Australia has more than its fair share of really
long-distance runners. Gary Parsons, would be a prime example of that. He has just run over 17,000km around Australia, and is still
going even as you read this !
In fact, being in Australia and being a runner, is such a great
combination. We don't have the seemingly never-ending darkness of a European or North American winters. The weather is positively
perfect for our sport. Sure, it feels cold in the winter, but it's not many regions of our country that have snow.
Although we have a relatively small population, there are races
nationwide every weekend. We have the same network of specialist running stores and magazines. There are many Australian running
clubs that have, literally, hundreds of members. You might have heard of, or seen the members of, the Sydney Striders, come
sweeping down Sydney's streets and beaches. If you are in Canberra, you will have heard about the ACT Cross Country Club. Finding out
about these groups is easy - just go to your local running store - or just click on the many pages on the internet.
Two things are for certain : Anyone can become a distance runner and there is certainly no need to be lonely about it.
"It's a treat, being a long-distance runner .... " (Alan Sillitoe)
Oh well, he got that part right at least ...
Kevin Tiller
co-owner CoolRunning Australia
Sydney, Australia
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