Happily Ever After
Life in The Rural Retreat with a beautiful wife, three cats, garden wildlife, a camera, a computer – and increasing amounts about running
Earlier posts can be found on Adventures of a Lone Bass Player, where this blog began life. Recent entries can be found here.
Planning Ahead
by Russell Turner - 10:29 on 24 June 2025
Unsurprisingly, I was not one of the lucky few who were successful in the London Marathon ballot. I’ve not followed the moaning and gurning on social media, but there’s certain to have been lots of the I’ve-been-entering-for-20-years-and-still-not-got-a-place variety. Instead, I treat it as an annual opportunity to buy a quality training top; a marathon place would be an unexpected bonus.
That’s not to say I wasn’t disappointed. Which may explain why, a day later, Squirrel James and I both signed up for the Manchester Marathon, doubtless caught up in the post-results frenzy of searching for alternative races. It’s an event I’ve considered in the past, mainly because it’s claimed to be one of the flattest in the country, then rejected because of logistics (London seems a much easier city to reach and negotiate) and its outrageous cost – something we ignored in the sign-up frenzy: £90, because this was the final tranche of tickets to be offered. The six-hour cut-off is also a worry…
Now we’re committed (and maybe I should be after the Edinburgh debacle), accommodation must be found, and quickly, before all the hotel rooms are snapped up. As for travel, Loganair flies direct from Inverness (at a price) but currently shows no flights beyond March; train runs the risk of delays, cancellations and the rail equivalent of The Nutter on the Bus (see Jasper Carrott). The best option is car to maybe Carlisle, then train down on the Saturday: only a couple of hours and no changes.
Decisions, decisions.
One consequence of my sub-60min Leeds 10k triumph was that I’ve signed up for another race I’d been swithering about: the Durham City 10k on July 17 – a Wednesday – which sets off at 7.30pm. Preparing for an evening race will be a new experience, and the route should be much more scenic than Leeds. I might even notice the castle and cathedral.
The race also gives me the opportunity to break travel the night before in Glasgow and see The Last Laugh. It should be a hoot. I might as well make the most of race trips, which is why I’m also booked for A Man For All Seasons with Martin Shaw at the Grand Opera House the day before the York 10k in August. What a culture vulture.
Despite all this athletic endeavour, I’m still undecided about Yorkshire in October: will it be the marathon or the 10 Mile? I’ll decide when I see how well – or not – the long runs go. The three big ones are in September, following the Dales HM. At least I’m well organised for October: accommodation is booked, plus another travel break in Glasgow on the way down so I can enjoy yet another night with Rick Wakeman. York entertainment is less certain. The Opera House has nothing yet scheduled; the Theatre Royal offers Military Wives: The Musical. Maybe I’ll just have a quiet night in.
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