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Infidel 4:51 Fri Oct 9
Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

Has got to be one of the best Half Ms in the world - through the royal parks, past Big Ben and Nelson's Column, along the Thames...

The only downside is that the charities lobby has grabbed essentially all the race places (a small number are issued in an online ballot but you have no chance).

Knowing there is no other way for people to get a place they sell them off at a whopping £400 a time. They call it a 'minimum fundraising contribution' but it is in fact just a fee.

£400! Jesus wept. I can remember when you just turned up on the day at these things and paid a tenner for a race number at the admin tent to cover the cost of the St John's Ambulance and the water stop at 10km.

Maybe first time runners can tap their mates for a few quid of sponsorship but if you run them reasonably regularly you can't possibly ask your friends to fund what is essentially a bit of entertainment for your own gratification.

I'm fine with charities using these things as fund raisers but it should be entirely voluntary - ie. you do it only if you want to. It's completely wrong to give them a monopoly over the race places and then allow them to exploit everyone with a £400 charge.

Anyway, rant over. Weather forecast is perfect so I'll be hoping for 1h 50m or thereabouts.

Anyone else doing it?

Bungo 2:11 Sat Oct 10
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

Infidel 2:08 Sat Oct 10

That's the spirit!

Infidel 2:08 Sat Oct 10
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

Cycling is in a class of its own for wrist-slittingly dull conversation.

Most runners recognise their activity is of no interest to anybody else and keep quiet.

Cyclists are swivel-eyed lunatics obsessed with the latest piece of carbon graphite wheel nut that you can only buy on an Argentine website on the dark web but will cut at least 0.2 seconds off their Tour de France time.

That and their ludicrous and offensive lycra shorts, which no middle aged man should ever be seen in, marks them out as people who should be used for target practice at the next Royal Artillery howitzer testing session.

Bungo 2:07 Sat Oct 10
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

Nurse Ratched 2:05 Sat Oct 10

Ah, worthy of much suspicion then..

Finnish Ironing 2:06 Sat Oct 10
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

http://f.tqn.com/y/webclipart/1/S/c/K/5/Witch-taking-a-bath.png

Nurse Ratched 2:05 Sat Oct 10
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

*fist-bumps fellow INTJ, Bungo*



Inf is an extrovert, Bungo...

REALGSA 2:05 Sat Oct 10
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

I'm in, running for charity I-CAN

Nurse Ratched 2:03 Sat Oct 10
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

You run screaming like a girl from spiders.

By the way, in the twenty-odd hours since I last spoke to you, I have spent about twelve in my WARM BATH.

Bungo 2:02 Sat Oct 10
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

Infidel

You're missing out.

Larking about on threads about the frivolous and the mind-numbingly tedious is generally a lot more fun than earnest participation on subjects you do care about. I find this makes it much easier to lightly dip in and out with what (in a previous era), could be known as gay abandon.

I particularly look forward to the cycling threads, an activity of unmitigated awfulness that really puts running in the shade.

Monk~koknee 2:00 Sat Oct 10
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

Imagine having to run for 2 hours alongside Infidel running through his extensive CV and world view.

Infidel 1:58 Sat Oct 10
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

I don't strangle puppies any more.

I stamp on spiders as I know how much you like them.

Nurse Ratched 1:52 Sat Oct 10
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

Inf's pre-half-marathon preparation day schedule:

1) remind everyone he's a runner

2) carb-load

3) strangle a puppy for fun

Infidel 1:33 Sat Oct 10
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

Bungo

It's a fair point.

If you're not a runner.

If you are a runner you have to cope with the monotony. Running can be pretty boring. You spend hours pounding the pavements after work, doing the same loops over and over again.

The point about these big events is that you get a day out, there's usually a great atmosphere, there are crowds along the route cheering you on and generally you sign up for a distance that's a bit more than you're used to so you get something of a personal challenge in the process.

But I recognise that that is all extremely tedious for people who don't run.

I generally don't open threads on here about stuff I don't give a toss about (the Rugby World Cup being a current example) but I can also appreciate the temptation (and comedy potential) of acidic comments aimed at WHOers who engage in pursuits you find mind-numbingly dull.

In fact I'm surprised and somewhat disappointed that the Queen of Sarcasm hasn't posted more on this thread. It's manna from heaven for her.

Bungo 11:55 Sat Oct 10
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

Here's an idea.

Measure out a route of your choice of the required length either along public roads or around a large park, and then run it without giving anybody any money at all.

You could always wear a T-shirt with 'Look at me, I'm doing a long run' or similar printed on it if the lack of hoopla made the participant feel as if he or she wasn't receiving enough attention for moving their legs repeatedly.

Coffee 11:49 Sat Oct 10
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

I've just sponsored someone who's running it for a very good cause, and I wish him much luck.

My favourite marathons are those with peanuts in them.

Northern Sold 11:48 Sat Oct 10
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

Just found out the missus is running a half marathon over Marsh farm... told you I don't take any notice...

Infidel 11:40 Sat Oct 10
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

Buster

That is nonsense I'm afraid.

The big charities all charge £400 (they like an exploitative price fixing cartel in the charity sector).

But the small charities - there are dozens of them - get very few takers so they charge a lot less. If you dig around you can find one or two charging only £100 or so.

Which tells you that there is at least £300 profit for the big charities in that £400 charge.

normannomates 4:52 Sat Oct 10
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

Ive ran on the odd occasion in the past..but usually on a saturday up some northern shithole .
Running on a sunday morning i cant even begin to imagine.

Best of luck anyhow

, 1:13 Sat Oct 10
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

Well that flake Frankie would not run it would he?

Whatever happened to him.

On The Ball 11:16 Fri Oct 9
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

I will be DRINKING in MINSK on Sunday.

Buster 11:16 Fri Oct 9
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

It's not a 'small admin fee' at all. Some of the smaller charities can't afford the amount that the London Marathon organisers charge per bond. It's why the minimum sponsorship amount is always four figures, they barely break even with a lot of runners and rely on them to raise a lot more than the minimum amount to actually make anything out of it.

Mr Polite 11:16 Fri Oct 9
Re: Anybody else running the Royal Parks Half Marathon Sunday?

You could always get people to donate and then not run it

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