|
|
NEVER
BELIEVE IT’S THE BEST |
|
This has been my
fourth attempt to put a few lines together; every time I sat down to finish
what I had started I was never happy with what I had started!
- The first
attempt was more about my attempts to get quicker.
- The second
was that I must be getting quicker as I had a good run at the
- The third
was to sing the praises of the Tour
of Horwich - a five course meal - gourmet meal for runners. If you are
going to write something then do it in one session. When you revisit it,
it looks like someone you fancied 20 years ago that has now aged badly.
On Wednesday I returned to do my second Harrock Hill race but this time it was
like a Wesham Handicap - 22 runners
and a reason to write. I had my reason as I queued to pay my £3 entry; note £3. We had helped swell the entrants to
123 and everyone was asking why we were there. I was there because I am
trying to get fit. Some were there for our Club’s
Fell Running Championship. The best reason is that we had far the best
turnout at races of any club especially considering the size of some of the
local clubs.
There has been some
discussion on whom we should be affiliated to as politics over the potential Governing bodies throw their caps into
the ring. Well, I was always confused over the differing organisations; the NEAAA, AAA, UKA or the RAC. If they have to abbreviate it,
then I have problems. Well, in a nutshell, I have never really understood where
my money goes; the chunk that they expect my club to collect for them out of my
membership? All I know is that, as a runner, I personally want to encourage
more people to take up running to keep the sport healthy and competitive. As I
understand it, they want a bigger chunk out of me for being part of their gang.
While I am not doing cartwheels about giving them more cash, I can live with
it. What I strongly object to is the fact they want race organisers to collect
£4 from unattached runners to give to them. Running is not an expensive hobby
compared to some, but, making racing more expensive will obviously deter some
from joining in.
I started digging
around to try and find out where this money is heading. Unsurprisingly this new
organisation will be “run” by more
salaried individuals. They say they will put more money back into “Athletics” (for this read track runners). Well here is my
problem: I run on the road and I want
people to join me running on the road. All I can see is runners and organisers
being deterred from road racing because of the escalating costs and red tape.
Maybe I am selfish but the track and its stars do not enter my thoughts or 
concerns. I would quite happily tell
them where to stuff their inflated monetary demands.
I never pretend I
know better but I have opinions and I am never a hypocrite. I stopped using our
Message Board because of principal;
now I have walked away from B. W. F. A.
C. Message Board again because I strongly believe in people’s right to free
speech. One thing I would not change about myself is having the strength of my
convictions. The ones who use the Message
Board anonymously, to have digs, are spineless!
Well done to Louise
Williams who has achieved a 2.1
degree and hopefully will now be getting some use from her inflated
membership fee. Also well done to Peter
Waywell who has moved up a Division and
Caroline Betmead on her superb PB 17:39 at the Masters 5K at Horwich.
On the subject of ‘well dones’ - well
done Pauline for your 5k PB which you ran while smiling!
Written by: George Kennedy
Submitted: 28th June
2007-06-29
Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor