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Phar lap
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Joined: 20 Jun 2003
Posts: 1006
Location: A flawed Utopia
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 Posted: 03/29/06 - 02:55 Post subject: Inspiring a few dreams
As an 11 year-old in 1956, I was fortunate to be able to attend the Olympic Games and see great performances by athletes from all over the world.
I was attracted to the track events on the hallowed turf of the "G", (Melbourne Cricket Ground) this was my introduction to running.
I was well and truly hooked, no fun runs in those days, it was left up to the local kids to organised our own races, once around "Old man Hinton's" paddock equaled 400 metres or 440 yards as it was in those days, timed with my Dad's alarm clock strategically placed on an old tree stump which also served as the finish post.
Little did I know then that athletics would consume my sporting life as a competitor ('C' grade sometimes 'B' grade) coach/trainer and manager.
I attended the Los Angeles and Sydney Games but as I sat in the wonderful re-built "G" 50 years on to watch the Commonwealth Games and watch the 100 metres and 5,000 metres final - I was overcome with the realisation that the Games in '56 had somehow left an indelible imprint on my mind and were the catalyst for many wonderful years of my life.
In the 3 or so years I have been haunting these forums I don't think I have ever read a report from any of you attending a large athletic meeting, I find that a little sad.
My hope for all of you is by attending a 'big event' it will inspire/motivate you, young or old, whatever your ability, to follow your dreams so that one day you may sit in a stadium somewhere and be able to have this same marvellous feeling I'm experiencing at the moment.
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JACKED UP
PRESIDENT
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Joined: 06 Jun 2003
Posts: 21238
Location: www.johnnydu.com
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Posted: 03/29/06 - 08:09 Post subject:
Thanks Phar. Your words always inspire me and get me thinking.
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gretriever
Hipster Doofus
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Joined: 16 Jul 2003
Posts: 19385
Location: A moving target in a firing range.
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Posted: 03/29/06 - 11:32 Post subject:
We've (LC and I) gotten brief glimpses of what that would be like. Been to several host cities, and got a good look-around at one (Lake Placid). Closest we've been to actual competition at an Olympic level is watching the '04 Women's Marathon trial. And a part of the St. Louis half-marathon I ran was on the course of the marathon for the 1904 Games there.
As far as seeing an Olympics/Commonwealth/other international competition, no such luck there. But it's on our to do list. No two ways around it.
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airehead
Oompa Loofah
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Joined: 12 Nov 2002
Posts: 18788
Location: Between here and eternity...
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Posted: 03/29/06 - 12:00 Post subject: Re: Inspiring a few dreams
| Phar lap wrote: | As an 11 year-old in 1956, I was fortunate to be able to attend the Olympic Games and see great performances by athletes from all over the world.
I was attracted to the track events on the hallowed turf of the "G", (Melbourne Cricket Ground) this was my introduction to running.
I was well and truly hooked, no fun runs in those days, it was left up to the local kids to organised our own races, once around "Old man Hinton's" paddock equaled 400 metres or 440 yards as it was in those days, timed with my Dad's alarm clock strategically placed on an old tree stump which also served as the finish post.
Little did I know then that athletics would consume my sporting life as a competitor ('C' grade sometimes 'B' grade) coach/trainer and manager.
I attended the Los Angeles and Sydney Games but as I sat in the wonderful re-built "G" 50 years on to watch the Commonwealth Games and watch the 100 metres and 5,000 metres final - I was overcome with the realisation that the Games in '56 had somehow left an indelible imprint on my mind and were the catalyst for many wonderful years of my life.
In the 3 or so years I have been haunting these forums I don't think I have ever read a report from any of you attending a large athletic meeting, I find that a little sad.
My hope for all of you is by attending a 'big event' it will inspire/motivate you, young or old, whatever your ability, to follow your dreams so that one day you may sit in a stadium somewhere and be able to have this same marvellous feeling I'm experiencing at the moment. |
For many of us, these large athletic meetings have become about the almighty dollar and it is simply out of our reach to attend these types of events.
Sad, that.
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copteacher
Adjunct
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Joined: 08 Jun 2002
Posts: 20588
Location: Teaching in the Halls of Justice
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Posted: 03/29/06 - 13:16 Post subject:
I went to the Penn Relays in High School. A very historic meet, felt like I was in one of the great places of running history.
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rolling rock
The Pinball
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Joined: 15 May 2002
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Location: unknown zone
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Posted: 03/29/06 - 13:43 Post subject:
i actually drove my daughter to pittsburgh (when they still had a marathon) to sit in the finish stadium and watch the runners come over the line..it was a freebie and it was very inspiring. i mean, it inspired the best intention in me  which hasn't and may not ever be realized, but i respected the distance that day and they were just ordinary schmoes like me; that's what made it really cool. i think she liked it too.
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Cappy
Excelent
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Joined: 16 May 2002
Posts: 27368
Location: Spreadsheetylvania
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Posted: 03/29/06 - 13:45 Post subject:
| copteacher wrote: | | I went to the Penn Relays in High School. A very historic meet, felt like I was in one of the great places of running history. |
Great memories
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TimRuns
Member
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Joined: 11 May 2003
Posts: 10062
Location: Coquitlam, British Columbia
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Posted: 03/31/06 - 03:17 Post subject:
Well, it was last year, after finishing the Vancouver 1/2 marathon that I went to watch the leaders of the marathon event break the tape. A new course record was set during that year by an Ethiopian (2:15-it's not an extremely fast course). Also a new world record time was set for females aged 76-80 (4:10:46)... so I guess it was a privilege to be part of it. Very impressive to watch the top male and female marathoners coming in.
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