The Centenary of Britain’s First Marathon
With the centenary of the staging of Britain’s first marathon, it would be invidious of any race organiser to arrange a celebratory race over the classic distance three weeks after the ‘London’ a week after the ‘Stratford’ besides going head to head with Belfast. To do so would be a recipe for disaster?
But such an important event in the annals of distance running in general and marathon running in particular deserves recognition.
To organise an event at that time of year in the very city that saw the start of the momentous race, would appear to be the height of folly; but history demands to be revered. The worst that could happen might be the sight of an embarrassingly smaller field toeing the line than the one which faced the starter one hundred years ago.
So what might an enterprising promoter do in such circumstances?
A marathon is a marathon; those last 385 yards can be bloody torture. An easy marathon for a small field which allowed for an appropriate celebration without setting the world on fire offered a tempting scenario. With very limited finance and fierce competition from other races, something innovative was clearly called for. Having experienced a variety of stage races (cf article ‘A Tour of the Country’ at www.coventry-godiva-harriers.org.uk), a local ‘Tour’ seemed to be the answer to a maiden’s prayer.
And so the ‘ Marathon Tour of Coventry and Warwickshire’ was conceived. The place of the ‘Tour’ was fixed a century ago for it was from the city of Coventry that Britain’s first Marathon started on May 9th 1908. Likewise, the time of year used a hundred years ago coincided nicely with the May Day bank holiday; well almost. But what is ninety six hours between friends?
It is ironic that, in a city which has produced so many marathon Olympians, no member of the local club toed the line. Birchfield and Small Heath had branches in the city, but Godiva did not have a single starter. A miner from the local pit at Binley was the ‘Godivas’ beat distance runner. However, Charlie Davenport had recently run a distance race ‘in the south’ (event, distance, time all unknown). Cross country international, Arthur Ashby, had recently defected to ‘the stags’ and was in dispute as to his eligibility. Similarly, fellow international from Godiva, Hickman (not ‘flyer', but his cousin) had ‘gone' up the road. Indeed, the evidence suggests that it was his influence that caused Ashby to ‘defect’.
The race was organised by Birchfield Harriers. They must also have added a little salt into the wounds of the older local officials, because the selected start line was outside the Black Horse Pub; the very hostelry chosen as headquarters for the then newly formed Coventry Harriers when all but one athlete and three officials defected from Godiva fourteen years before.
The race departed ‘in delightful weather’ as ‘some thousands of people’ saw the 24 runners ‘sent on their long test’. Bovril sponsored the race to the city of Birmingham with 14 prizes on offer from the firms passed along the route, which traced Telford’s turnpike road. It climbed out of Allesley to pass through Meriden with its monument denoting the village’s claim to fame as being the centre of England. The descent down to England’s second city took the Olympic trialists through the Arden countryside to the city grime, finishing with a lap of the West Bromwich Football Ground, which had been used earlier in the afternoon for a sports meeting.
The 2008 celebration with its five stages is more mundane; the first two stages, including a time trial, take place on the tarmac paths of city parks; the time trial in Allesley park less than fifty yards from where the 1908 event passed by. The third stage is a similar distance away from the Olympic Trial route, taking place in the country estate of Lord Guernsey. Speed of a higher order for the second 10km of the ‘Tour’ is required, for the backdrop of the penultimate stage, racing as it does around the Prodrive (Aston Martin Co.) motor testing circuit. To complete the 42.2 kilometres, the final stage of the Centenary Anniversary Marathon Tour moves to the Warwick University campus; a BBQ awaiting the athletes as part of the after race relaxations.
Colin Kirkham