Urban Marathons; Rhythms, Places, Mobilities

URBAN MARATHONS This original social science text approaches marathon running as an everyday practice and a designed event, to draw upon and contribute to the literature on practice theory, urban events, rhythmanalysis and mobility. It bridges sport studies and discussions within sociology and geography about practice, movement and the city. Inspired by theoretical debates about embodied and multi-sensuous mobilities, social and material practices, and urban rhythms, this book explores the characteristics of marathon running as a bodily practice on the one hand and, on the other, marathon training grounds and events as unique places. This account takes marathon running seriously, using sociological and geographical theory to understand the practice in and of itself. Based on original empirical research and accessible to readers, taking them to training sessions in Copenhagen and to marathons in Tokyo, Kyoto, Berlin, Frankfurt, Valencia and Copenhagen, it draws out the globalised, codified and generic nature of marathon practices and design, yet also brings out the significant local differences. The book examines in ethnographic detail how marathon practices and places are produced by various materialities, cultural scripts, experts, runners and spectators, and practiced in embodied, multi-sensuous and ‘emplaced’ ways by ordinary runners. It develops a sociological practice approach to marathon running and geographical understanding of marathon places and rhythms. It demonstrates that marathon running is of broad interest because it calls for and allows lively and expressive ways of conducting and writing research and understanding the becoming of bodies, the intertwin- ing of biological and mechanical rhythms and the eventful potential of streets. It will appeal to postgraduate students and scholars in sport studies, geography and sociology interested in running, active mobility and ethnography, as well as tourism and urban events. The book will also appeal to general readers with an interest in marathon running. Jonas Larsen is an internationally recognised professor of mobility and urban studies at Roskilde University, Denmark. He has published extensively about tourist photography, tourism, cycling, running and mobility more broadly. URBAN MARATHONS Rhythms, Places, Mobilities Jonas Larsen First published 2022 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2022 Jonas Larsen The right of Jonas Larsen to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Front cover. The start at the Valencia Marathon. Photo credit: The Valencia Marathon. DOI: 10.4324/9781003125068 British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Larsen, Jonas, author. Title: Urban marathons : rhythms, places, mobilities / Jonas Larsen. Description: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, 2022. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2021020111 (print) | LCCN 2021020112 (ebook) | ISBN 9780367642822 (hardback) | ISBN 9780367645519 (paperback) | ISBN 9781003125068 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Marathon running. | Marathon running--Training. | Running--Social aspects. | Human geography. | Sports--Anthropological aspects. Classification: LCC GV1065 .L37 2022 (print) | LCC GV1065 (ebook) | DDC 796.42/52--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021020111 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021020112 ISBN: 978-0-367-64282-2 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-367-64551-9 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-003-12506-8 (ebk) DOI: 10.4324/9781003125068 Typeset in Bembo by Taylor & Francis Books CONTENTS List of illustrations vi Preface vii 1 Introduction 1 2 Theorising running: Corporeal mobile practices and mobile places 12 3 Running methods: Lively ethnographies and energising the rhythm analyst 31 4 Innovating new aspirations: The birth of ordinary marathon practices and extraordinary marathons 49 5 Materialities of marathon running: Designing practices and places 71 6 Preparatory rhythms: Everyday running and training grounds 95 7 Dramatic race rhythms 120 8 Atmospheric sensations and places 146 Conclusion 169 References 173 Index 190 ILLUSTRATIONS Figures 5.1 The finish line at the Valencia Marathon 77 5.2 ‘Fencing off’ Karl Marx Strasse, Berlin Marathon 80 5.3 Jonas’ Strava profile 84 5.4 Interval training in Fælledparken 85 5.5 ‘Visit Japan. Run Japan’, Frankfurt Marathon 87 5.6 The Nike Vaporfly91 6.1 The NBRO week 105 6.2 The Søndermarken hill 115 6.3 ‘The loop’ 117 7.1 Anticipation, Tokyo Marathon 130 7.2 The blurry speed of the front runners, Tokyo Marathon 131 7.3 ‘Slower’ runners, Tokyo Marathon 131 7.4 The optimal blue line, Berlin Marathon 132 7.5 Raining and plastic ponchos, Kyoto Marathon 136 7.6 Cramps 1, Tokyo Marathon 140 7.7 Cramps 2, Kyoto Marathon 141 8.1 Raining, Kyoto Marathon 159 8.2 Cheering 1, Kyoto Marathon 160 8.3 Cheering 2, Kyoto Marathon 161 8.4 Dronning Louises Bro – the megaphone 164 8.5 Dronning Louises Bro – the first NBRO runner 165 8.6 Dronning Louises Bro – spectators 165 PREFACE This book has finally made it to the finish line. A number of good people helped me along. This book draws on some of the ideas that I have developed with Tim Edensor, Jørgen Ole Bærenholdt and Ole B. Jensen in three different publications. It has been rewarding and a pleasure to work with each of you. I’m very grateful to David Pinder, Mikkel Bille, Tim Edensor and Ole B. Jensen for giving excellent feedback on various chapters. It was much appreciated. I would also like to thank Professor Hideki Endo for generously inviting me to Ritsumeikan University, Japan, on three occasions. These visits have made it pos- sible to do research at the Kyoto Marathon and the Tokyo Marathon. A huge thank you to Henrik Thorn, Sofie Riisgaard and the Valencia Marathon for giving me permission to print their photographs in this book. A special thank you to the Valencia Marathon for allowing me to use their super cool photograph of their amazing marathon as the front cover of this book. A big kudo goes to the NBRO community and all the people that I have been running with over the years. This book would not have happened without you. Lastly, thanks to all the runners who participated in the interviews. I hope my interpretations of your words make sense and that you will enjoy this book. And many thanks to my production editor Megan Hiatt at Routledge for the amazing and kind support. This book is dedicated to Pernille, Wilson and Elliot. I might run too much. But I will never run away from you. Parts of this book draw on and extend the following publications: Edensor, T. & Larsen, J. (2018). Rhythmanalysing marathon running: ‘A drama of rhythms’. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, 50(3), 730–746. Larsen, J. (2018b). Autoetnografi: kropslig mobilitet og sport. In M. Jacobsen & H. L. Jensen (eds), Etnografier. København: Hans Rietzels, pp. 151–170. viii Preface Larsen, J. (2019a). Running and tourism: A practice approach. In L. James, C. Ren & H. Halkier (eds), Theories of Practice in Tourism. London: Routledge, pp. 41–57. Larsen, J. (2019b). ‘Running on sandcastles’: energising the rhythmanalyst through non- representational ethnography of a running event. Mobilities, 14(5), 561–577. Larsen, J. (2021). Marathon mobilities. In H. Endo (ed.). Understanding Tourism Mobilities in Japan. London: Routledge, pp. 124–137. Larsen, J. & Jensen, O. B. (2021). Marathon running in the ‘weather’. In K. Barry, M. Borovnik &T.Edensor(eds),Weather: Spaces, Mobilities and Affect. London: Routledge, pp. 67–80. 1 INTRODUCTION I was soaking wet and freezing, and my legs were cramping. ‘Never again, no way!’ I said to my partner. I’d hit the ‘marathon wall’ really badly during my marathon debut – and to make things worse, ice-cold rain began to pour down. Throughout the last 14 kilometres, I experienced arrhythmical torture, where my speed gradually dropped and every straight felt harder than the last. While I managed the run in under four hours, I could not mobilise much joy as I passed the finishing line. I felt that I had cheated somehow because my body was not ‘marathon ready’. I had not trained enough and the marathon had punished me for taking it too lightly. I have changed my mind. I will train hard for a marathon later in the year; I need to experience what it feels like to run a good and well-prepared-for race. I raised my glass and said, ‘Next time’. Endorphins and beer had lifted my mood. (Field notes) As a complete novice, I did not know that thousands of other runners were having the same experience, or that I was in the process of developing a practical and intellectual obsession with marathons: At the finish of every London Marathon, one of the great ritual statements is: ‘Never again’! The runners say it, but it’s not true. They come back because this time they think they won’t end up hitting the wall. You always believe that next time you can beat it. You can run around it, over it, past it, somehow. You’ll get fitter, you’ll drink more, you’ll get the pace right, the shoes right.

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