Today’s blog post was supposed to have been about non-league day. It’s a tradition I always intend to follow, but weather and other circumstances have kept me to only three previous attendances, firstly a 3-3 draw between Team Solent and Cadbury Heath in 2014, followed by two more which I blogged on main site before setting up this one: a 1-0 win for Maidenhead at Blackfield & Langley in 2015 https://jasonwhittleblogs.wordpress.com/2015/10/11/non-league-day-2015/ and after missing 2016, finally a 4-1 win for Fawley at Totton & Eling in 2017 https://jasonwhittleblogs.wordpress.com/2017/10/12/non-league-day-2017/.
Having missed 2018, I can’t remember why, but probably the weather, I had the whole day planned out. 7.45 train to Swanwick, picked up for short ride to my dad’s place, have a big fried breakfast, watch the England v France rugby (with some ambivalence, because everyone I’ve spoken to agrees that England would have been better off losing), few hours of relaxation, before heading to Cams Alders to watch the match between Fareham Town and, revisiting the first time, Solent University (formerly known as Team Solent), where I am now a PhD student, before getting the train home in time for Strictly Come Dancing. How’s that for a slice of fried gold?
But sadly, as with some previous years, the weather intervened. Only this time it wasn’t (just) the local weather causing the problems, but that of over 6000 miles away, with England v France lost to Typhoon Hagibis. It blew a big hole in the day, that couldn’t be denied. But I could still travel, an hour later, more leisurely, and watch the football match. It was the main point of the excursion after all. But a look at the local weather revealed that, whilst not as dramatic or dangerous as the typhoon, it was going to be none too pleasant here either. So, with some reluctance, I called off the trip. I’d have braved the rain at Fareham Town if it was part of an epic sporting day, and I would have travelled for the game alone with a better weather forecast. But the two instances together created – dare I say it? – a perfect storm which led to me missing yet another non-league day.
So here’s where the story ends, right? Well, no actually. Because by being home instead of out and about on Saturday morning, I was able to take a look at Eliud Kipchoge’s attempt to run the first ever sub two-hour marathon. Wow! There’s something I thought would never happen, not within my lifetime anyway. The billed 1:59 was my half-marathon PB ambition. My target for the full marathon – I didn’t really get the trip, in racing parlance – was a modest four hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds better. Had my knees not given out on me, I am quite sure I would have achieved the latter, and quite possibly the former. As it is my biggest taste of long distance running glory came from finishing the 2015 London Marathon, albeit in a state of delirium and fearing I was close to death by the end – although I managed to find a smile for the cameras at the 20 mile marker, 4.22 to 4.26 in this clip.
Kipchoge had slightly loftier ambitions of course, but also everything in place to help him get there: world class pacemakers, a course specially laid out to be as fast as possible, and even a (hopefully electric) car marking sending out laser beams for him to follow. Clearly the host venue of Vienna was worried about being beaten into second place by a rival attempt from Shaddap You Face. I was also impressed by the Viennese public, ever so happy to give it a whirl by running alongside him for as long as possible, one or two, sprinting short distances, even had the temerity to run past him, however briefly. It reminded me of a cheeky trick my son pulled in 2015. Local runner Alice Burch was completing a then world record 60th marathon in 60 days, and on her final lap, basically the lap of honour. I’d gloryhunted in for the last couple of miles, but he only joined in for the last couple of laps. Fresh as a daisy, he cruised up to the shoulder of the record breaker in waiting, and seeing what he had in mind, I sped up to catch him.
“Don’t go past her.”
“Why not?”
“This is her race!”
“But she’s so slow!”
“Because she’s tired.”
“Yeah, but I’m not, I’m going past!”
And he did. He pulled out wide, accelerated and left the exhausted pack in his wake as he sprinted to line. But his haste cost him an appearance on telly, because Meridian News only showed the video from when she crossed the line. So he ended up on the cutting room floor, whereas I was broadcast to the nation, or at least the southern part thereof. I couldn’t get the video to work on the link, but I hope it will for you. https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/update/2015-11-29/mother-breaks-marathon-world-record/
Anyway, what an effort by Kipchoge, first making the impossible seem possible, and then turning it into a reality. Mile after mile, on an on, never letting up, never slowing down. It was the ultimate achievement in endurance, but tellingly, it never looked like endurance. He made it look like the easiest, most leisurely training jog. The only time you could appreciate the sheer speed he was moving at was when the switched to the moving side-on camera, and the spectators in the background seemed to whizz by in a blur. My only fear was that, with Filip Ingebrigtsen amongst his running buddies, Kipchoge might end up on the wrong end of a stray fist and get knocked out of the race.
But nothing could have stopped Kipchoge, He went along with commendable consistency, retaining a ten second buffer over the target time throughout, before stretching out in the latter stages to pull away from the pacemakers, and the target time, and eventually come in a whopping 20 seconds inside the supposedly unreachable target. Incredible! One of the all-time great achievements, not just in sport, but in human history, and I don’t mind admitting I had a lump in my throat and two misty eyes at the end of it. You couldn’t fail to be inspired by it. It’s the sort of moment that makes you think, yes!, I can realise my dreams. I can get that job, I can pass that exam, I can do anything I want to. It’s the sort of moment that restores your faith in the human race. Shows exactly what we’re capable of, how focused we can be, how brave we can be, how brilliant we can be. Of how we can cooperate selflessly to help someone else fulfil their dreams, and how we can occasionally manage not to punch the people we’re running with.
And I think I have chosen wisely too, by being around to see this piece of history being made as it happened. Official world record or not, Kipchoge has to be a shoo-in for International Sports Personality of the Year, ahead of my previous favourite Steve Smith. Third place less certain – Megan Rapinoe? Oh we’re back to football again aren’t we? And maybe my choice wasn’t quite so wise, because I missed a cracker at Cams Alders. In a remarkable call back to that first non-league day I went to, once again Team Solent/Solent University served up a six goal thriller, and other 3-3 draw. Which just goes to show, even on this most unique of days, there’s always just a little bit of history repeating. And it’s happening all over again.
ADDENDUM! 
The very next day Brigid Kosgei became the first female athlete to run a sub two and a quarter marathon, another tremendous achievement! Well done to her too, and what an incredible, inspirational weekend for long distance running, and anyone who dares to dream.
Jason Whittle Sports 