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Bag Lady!!

Yesterday was the Ashby 20, a Gold Standard 20m road race run by my club (Ivanhoe Runners). Ok so I may not have actually have been to club for a year but I am still a member and still wear my vest with pride! It's like a badge of honour ... I'm a Club Runner (even if I am slow, I mean very slow!)

Well anyway. The Ashby 20.

I was chief bag lady at the start so I sorted the bags into number order and handed them out as the runners came back. Not a very exciting job I have to admit but it was lovely to see the fast people run in and then to recieve loads of thanks from exhausted runners delighted with the race!

The RW folks have given comments like these:
  • Really friendly marshalls and fantastic goody bag. Thank you!
  • A great introduction to the distance... and I hardly noticed the hills! It was all very friendly. Thanks also to the organisers for doing a great job.
  • A real London warm up, graet to run with people you will be mixing with in five weeks time.Excellent organisation from start to finish, Really enjoyed the massage at the the end, a bargin at a fiver.And a real plus for this event other a lot of others you could really hear what the starter was saying.Will be back next year.
  • Organization was the most impressive I've seen in a race.
  • Marshals were great, really supportive even though they were stood about in biting cold winds! Sweatshirt and food goody bag great (and tasty!)- was good to be able to replenshish fuel so quickly at the end as this really aids a faster recovery
  • I think some of the bigger events should take a look at this event and take some learning from it. Once again well done to everyone involved
  • Challenging pre-London workout. Plenty of hills to test you, brilliantly organised with excellent marshalls.
  • My second time here at ashby, and on both occasions its been great.Started on time, loads of drinks, what seemed like hundreds of marshalls and helpers all of which added up to clockwork organisation.one for 2007 I think.

{removes smug grin}

What is so nice is to be able to return the favour. As runners we all expect to have good support, marshalls and organisation for our entry fees when we race so being able to be the other side as such is nice. Without the clubs and the club members running races we would have fewer races and the fees would be higher as it would be the big races that would survive. I think every runner should marshall at least once!

I cycled to and from the event as Ashby is only 4m away. It was my 1st exercise for a week! My legs protested at the hills and my butt protested at being on a bike! I arrived at about 9:30 and left at about 2:30-3Pm and between those times I was out in the cold and on my feet. It was still a great day, and although my heel was tender by the time I got home today it has been fine.

My cough is finally reducing and the snots are almost gone (but still have slight sinus pain!) and all the nose blowing had brought on my nose bleeds again :-( Still I hope to try a short swim and trot tomorrow as I have the swimathon this week and Reading is getting closer!!

Comments

beanz said…
I love marshalling - you get to be with nice friendly runners without having to run!

pleased you are on the mend.
Evil Pixie said…
It's great isn't it! And so many people thanking YOU!
Hope I'm on the mend!
b-z said…
wishi could have done this rae pix-I bet it was even better this year than last
womble said…
Just don't EVER get involved in organising a race. Just DON'T!!!!

Well done. It would be a good idea if more runners did turn up to marshal the odd race, but they don't. Some people take and others give. Not a lot do both.

Glad you enjoyed the experience. Now, if you're free on 11 February 2007 there's a 10k in Chessington that'll need some marshals......

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