Friday, January 4, 2008

Non-elitism Sports for All

I had dinner with the girls. It was a good catch up session as we updated one another on our latest adventures. Averill managed to rotate herself out of her army vocation into a shooting-related one so that she can be on the unit's shooting team and continue training with the national squad. Joanne's all ready for her Everest attempt in a few months, and Linda's on track getting expedition details too. I was so proud of them. Everyone of them is so strong and awesome. As for me, I was still figuring out what events and expeditions I should partake in this year. Too many options, too little time.

A few days ago, I heard a comment that our Stanchart Singapore Marathon should have a 6h-cutoff time. The person was a competitive racer who believed that if you wanted to participate in a race, you should aim to win something. Why else to take part? He felt that people who did not train and/or completed in 9h by walking 42km to earn the finisher's medal made a mockery of the marathon and serious training by faster runners. I was aghast by that high-browed attitude.

Sports should be enjoyed by everyone. In particular, running has such a low-cost entry barrier and little technicalities that almost anyone - young, old, rich, poor, rich - can take up the sport. There is a place and time for elite competitors, and another for the rest of us mere beings. The elites have their Kona, Boston, New York, London, Tour de France and the likes. The rest of us simply enjoy a good workout and a personal challenge in the company of like-minded people. In anycase, a typical marathon is large-scaled enough to accomodate both groups.

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