UPDATE - Issue 12 - September 2002
Roger Kirby thanks and congratulates the fit fourteen marathon runners who raised £169,000
There are some new faces this year at Wimbledon station where my London Marathon journey traditionally begins and where I'm meeting some of this years fit fourteen team. Diane Carter and her friend Julie are there, looking keen but nervous. Both are first-time marathon runners and are facing the thought of a 26.2 mile jog with some trepidation. My urologist colleague from St George's Nick Watkins looks relaxed; he's run several marathons before - usually in under 4 hrs - but he's low on training this year. And of course we have our veteran campaigner Andrew Etherington, one of the three men - one prostate team who helped us raise £97,000 in the London Marathon 2000, who is running his 25th marathon today!
We clamber on the train to Waterloo and call Peter Amoroso on his mobile to make sure that his new-style, mean, lean frame has eased itself out of bed (remember, only six months ago Peter was weighing in at over 18 stone!). No problem, he's up and raring to go and already on his way to the red start at Greenwich. At the start we meet up with Dler Besserani, Urology Fellow at the London Clinic and Elizabeth Usher from Amersham Healthcare. Dler's also a novice and has had a hip problem during training in Richmond Park, but is still determined to run. Elizabeth is a seasoned marathon runner, but only had her first baby a few months ago so is not expecting her fastest time ever!
This year the weather is perfect for running and at the start the atmosphere is superb, 35,000 runners applying lashings of Vaseline to all moving parts! Everyone's cheery now, but how will they feel as they come up Horse Guards Parade towards the finish? Peter Amoroso (an expert in pain relief) is handing out Vioxx anti-inflammatory tablets like Smarties. Our other runners, Chris Nunn, Debbie Field (both from the London Clinic), Steve Watts, Dan Wood and Richard Killick's daughter, Sue Howson, are assembling at the other start. Soon we enter our allocated pens and await the starter's gun at 9.30 precisely. The race begins and our experienced runners are away speedily, the novices, especially Peter Amoroso, move off more cautiously, aware of the dangers of burning off too much energy in the first stages of the marathon. |
By the half way stage just beyond Tower Bridge everyone's legs are beginning to hurt, but our new recruits are going well and soaking up the atmosphere (as well as the bottled water and Lucozade energy drink). Then comes the seemingly endless circuit that takes us round Docklands and finishes along the (painful) cobbles beside the Tower of London. Under Tower Bridge and the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben come into sight. Only 4 miles to go; but after the 22 preceding ones that seems a very long way! Chris Nunn stumbles over a discarded water bottle and falls into the arms of an elderly spectator, who instead of admonishing him, says "come on, you can do it!". Peter Amoroso, bathed in sweat, but wreathed in smiles, surges down the Embankment like a conquering hero gratefully accepting sweeties from cheering onlookers only five hours after setting off (accompanied by two men dressed as trees and a pantomime horse!). |
At last, the Finish Line. One by one (except for Julia and Diane who come in hand in hand ) we cross to receive our medals and space blanket and the standard issue of cheese sandwich and banana. Gratefully we accept these and change to all meet up with relatives and supporters in Tutton's Restaurant in Covent Garden, where we have celebrated after the two previous marathons; Peter joining us on both those occasions for the food rather than the race. This time he's wearing a medal as he arrives to a hero's welcome and a well-earned meal. This year efforts made in the London Marathon have raised more than £169,000 and donations continue to come in - any others of course welcome. Included in the total are, for example, a most welcome sum from Mrs Dill Harris of Winterbourne, near Bristol whose friend's father had prostate cancer and Mr B.W. Bartlett of Shepton Mallett a patient determined to show he is made of stern stuff who was very strongly sponsored by his admirers. |
Rex Willoughby, who was one of the first to run the marathon for us in 1999 did not do so this year. However, he managed to run in the Stockholm marathon and sent us a welcome contribution from his sponsorship in that event which was run in a blistering 28 degree heatwave. He has now displayed the Prostate Research Campaign UK logo in Prague and New York as well as various half marathon venues. Now he has bought a house in Auckland we are hopeful of having our first runner in the southern hemisphere shortly. We will be announcing the final amount at this year's Annual Luncheon at the Savoy Hotel on Wednesday 16th October. Do plan to be there. And next year? The London Marathon for an appetizer and Kilimanjaro for the main course is what we have in mind at present. All will be revealed at the Savoy Luncheon in October. |