Sunday 6 August 2006

Back Home - Checking Mail

Friday: Bike Tour, 67K, 1086m, 3:20 hrs
Saturday: Rest (travel)
Sunday: Hilly Run, 16K, 300m, 1:27 hrs

Here I am back home again but there is still a small final photo gallery of my last bike tour around Mount Piesenstein near Oberstdorf in Alpine Germany. Dramatic countryside, but a cold and wet day.

I found an exciting letter in the mail:

Being a dedicated supporter of the London Marathon I have to admit that the New York City Marathon offers a much better service for their runners. Overseas runners are allowed to qualify for the entry. As a M50 veteran I only had to finish a half marathon within 1:40 hrs or a marathon within 3:30. In London qualification is open only to British residents and a M50 veteran has to run a marathon in less than 3:15.

NY cares for overseas runners and tries hard to attract foreign runners to the race. These efforts result in a rate of 40% overseas runners. Compare the overseas rate of the London Marathon! 2006 it was exactly 7.5 %. But maybe this is just the reason why I love the London: It is a British race.

Moreover NY has a fun run with free breakfast on Saturday, a free pasta party and after race party, a free certificate and a free result list. There is online entry possible and online acceptance information availabe. On race day there is online tracking and a free email service with split times every 5K. Injured runners can postpone their start for as many years as they like. One can get the impression that runners are treated like clients in NY and like suppliants in London. I wonder that - since there is an institution like the 5 Major Marathons - a benchmark should be launched which they all will have to fulfil.

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