THE RUNNING BOOM Mark Perryman

36 October 1984 Marxism Today THE RUNNING BOOM Mark Perryman In 1984, the boom is still with us and showing signs of a growing maturity. The London Marathon has entered the public's sporting consciousness, and in four short As our memories of the sun-struck and years has come to rival the Cup Final and programme over the increasingly popular star-spangled Olympics recede into the the Derby as a truly 'national' event. 10 km distance. A new range of glossy distance, the annual clamour for places in Practically every town has a fun run of monthlies have appeared specialising in the London Marathon begins. Computer some description; informal jogging clubs Jogging/Keep Fit. The latest and most selection supposedly now guarantees a are springing up everywhere. Books, films self-consciously identified with the boom scientifically-based cross-section of en and even plays, are being produced which in keep-fit is Fitness, with its imaginative trants chosen on the grounds of sex, age, revolve around running. Sport is fashion mix of fashion and sport being aimed occupation, geography and experience. able and the trendiest man/woman-about- primarily at young(ish) women. The more The enduring popularity of the event is town is resplendent in the brand names of specialised Running now has a steadily perhaps best illustrated by the abuse the sporting fraternity - Nike, Adidas, Le rising monthly sale of 42,000 and is avail heaped on the organisers by those unfor Coq Sportif and so on . able at newsagents across the country. tunate enough not to be chosen to join that So, what has caused the boom? The The London Marathon, which, aided by happy throng of 20,000 plus. The next six coverage of fun-running and the marathon TV coverage, dwarfs in time and scale any months for the chosen masses will be a by those two highlights of the Sunday other event, is the key to the boom and has time of ever-lengthening runs in an effort breakfast table, the Observer and the Sun offered a chance to thousands to run to be fit enough to make the finish on day Times, has certainly helped. So has the through the streets of the capital in front of Westminster Bridge and enjoy that special never-ending fascination of the tabloids cheering crowds, who line the way as if moment of achievement. with anything and everything connected Prince Charles, Princess Di and Prince It seems so long ago now, but it was just with Daley Thompson, Seb Coe, Steve William were jogging by. It is a combina five years back that this UK running boom Cram and of course the Daily Mail's tion of living out a fantasy, achievement really began with the 1978 Sunday Times authorised heroine and incomparable and harmless (for once) machismo. National Fun Run. Following a summer publicist (knowing or otherwise) Zola The key to the marathon's appeal is that season of articles full of the virtues of Budd. The often crass and invariably not everyone who wants to run is jet- physical fitness for the middle-aged mid ill-informed sports coverage of the popular propelled. Thus that age-old Olympic vir dle classes, an amazing 12,000 runners press has nevertheless spurred on the tue comes to life - the point is the taking turned up. The 'fun-runner' was born. enthusiasm of the nation's runners. The part not the winning. In a marathon, This event was a catalyst for the popularity Daily Mirror has made a constructive input everyone wins, merely by starting. The of running, providing an opportunity for by sponsoring and publicising 'Mirror- London Marathon, with an entry of 20,000 people to take part in a running event thon' runners for charity. Women's Own plus, has provided the impetus for more without feeling that they would be shown has joined the sports firm Nike in sponsor than 140 other marathons, ranging from up or ridiculed. ing a women's only training and racing the entry of 30 in the Isles of Scilly race to October 1984 Marxism Today 37 the big five of Glasgow, Manchester, Not Olympic marathon medal since 1964. brand of sportswear cleaned up on the tingham, Mersey and Bolton. At present, apart from the runners fashion-front. In wine-bars across the But the marathon alone would have themselves, charities are the chief benefi country it was off with La Coste, Fila, been unable to sustain this level of sporting ciaries of the running boom. Over one- Pierre Cardin and on with the latest Kappa activity. After all, it does take a lot of time third of running events are linked directly product. and effort to train to run 26 miles. Emerg to charities, but it is not just any charities. Commercial interest in running isn't ing in the last year or so, has been a massive In 1983, the Muscular Dystrophy Group however limited to fashion. Mars Bar, the increase in the number of half-marathons, raised a staggering £121,770 from spon sponsors of the 1984 London Marathon, in 10-mile road races, and, most popular of sored runners, and they were not alone; particular have used the running image to all, 10 kilometre races. These can be run MENCAP, Multiple Sclerosis, Cancer Re spearhead their 'staying power' advertis far more regularly than a marathon, pro search and the British Heart Foundation ing campaign. The profile of sponsors viding a sense of competitive continuity all raised similar amounts. The charities thankfully remains fairly low-key, with requiring less training and less effort on then tend to be British, people-orientated Mars' pushiness in sending out training the part of both runners and organisers. (especially children) and concerned with advice to all London entrants backfiring Instead of the boom dying out, whole new disease and disability. However, in the last on the company. Their 'advice' included groups of enthusiasts are being created, year, more traditional left issues have the tip of eating a Mars Bar as you run - as who might never have considered running entered this sponsorship arena. The Crane most runners knew or would soon find out, whilst the emphasis was so heavily on the brothers Himalayan run, which took on the only result would be nausea and sick daunting traditional marathon. the mantle of another Great British ness, hardly 'staying power'! Over the last six years, running has achievement, raised money for Intermedi Clearly, for many hundreds of become a much more socially-acceptable ate Technology destined for Third World thousands of people running is an impor activity; it's no longer just the odd nutter countries. Greenpeace has spent a lot of tant part of their lives, and support for plodding around the park. The appeal lies money on advertising in the running press their sport from local government is warm in the simplicity of the exercise with the seeking active support. CND launched ly appreciated. But as the abolition of the minimum of requirements as regards faci their 'Million Miles for Peace' campaign metropolitan county councils and the GLC lities and kit. The running fixation of that with specific appeals to runners. Whether looms, and rate-capping begins to bite, few infamous dole-queue hustler, Brookside's the British sporting public's parochialism authorities will be in a position to offer Mattie, is, as is always the case with soap can be broken remains to be seen, but it is much help. The sports editor of the Daily operas, based on fact. Running is by no just possible that the emphasis in running Mail, of all people, has already stated means a middle-class preserve. The on participation as opposed to competi 'Sport has no firmer friends than the GLC media's approval is significant. The early tion, may open up some new avenues for and the county councils'. Chris Brasher 80s were full of TV' programmes linking intervention. has publicly expressed his fears for the health and fitness -'Looking Good, Feel Probably the most interesting develop future of the London Marathon should the ing Fit', 'Medical Express'- and Jimmy ments have taken place in women's run GLC go. Saville has been in the forefront of con ning. Over recent years health and fitness, Meanwhile the Government didn't even vincing older people that being a veteran for women, have become inextricably link mention sport in its consultative document runner is an achievement in itself. ed. The popularity of dance led on to on the arts and recreation. If the county Our own sense of achievement in being aerobics via the Jane Fonda style workouts councils are abolished it is clear that the able to run without collapsing in a heap and the obligatory jogging suit and leg Government will be unwilling to make up and media interest in that experience is warmers, and most recently weight- for their ambitious, wide-ranging and closely linked to international, and in this training has acquired new-found popular largely non-elitist backing of sport. year Olympic, success. Coe, Cram and ity. All of these developments have main Ovett feed the public's imagination and fill tained sports' popularity and steered it a vacuum which is unlikely to be filled by well clear of its ill-deserved 'jolly hockey our sorry apology of a cricket team ... or sticks' image. For me, the greatest per football teams... or rugby teams . and formance of all at the Olympics was in fact so on. It is Coe's comeback after injury, the achieved by a product of the women's heart-rending scenes of Ovett's collapse in running boom.

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