"I'd run 5.75 miles & still beat Dad when he did one lap"

Today's title quote comes from James after he'd completed the six hour sponsored relay yesterday morning.  It's impressive when teenagers are willing to get out of bed and leave the house at 6am on a Saturday morning to spend six hours running miles in a relay to raise money for a refuge/discipleship centre for MBBs who can lose everything when they decide to follow Jesus. 

Waiting for his turn

People of all ages formed teams of 6-8 and took it in turns to run four laps of the school track (one mile).  Ruth was in "Double Trouble" where team-mates partnered with the same colour top; James' team was "Anonymous" where the team cape was ceremonially handed over as one member took over from another.  Most people were there to have fun (though to me running miles and fun are not words that really go together) and raise money but it was interesting to see the competition between one team of men and another of boys from the school.  By the end the older men were bringing in pacesetters to help them achieve most miles run in the time allowed.  Another team of older people were wearing tye-dye tops and doing pirouttes or hopscotch as they passed the posts - there was room for everyone.

In the heat (over 30C) I couldn't help imagining what a six hour relay would've been like in Scotland.  For a start we wouldn't have needed to hope for rain to cool things down and I doubt there would've been the almost carnival atmosphere under blue skies as everyone would've been wrapped up against the cold and the runners covered in mud in the dismal grey.  That's my memory of school sporting events anyway.  Yesterday they ran to a background of cheerful music, ate snowcones and danced in and out of the water sprinkler across the track.

Fraser and I did do a little. I struck a blow for English individuality by going round with Ruth for a couple of laps in my dress and almost high heeled sandals.  We ran most of the way though I had to beg to walk after a while. Not to be outdone, Fraser went round with James for a lap and kept up fairly well until the final straight when willingness collided with ability as he suggested they sprinted the last little bit.  James took off but Fraser's body decided that was a silly suggestion and he had to walk to the post.  He had recovered sufficiently to take part in the final lap before the end at 1pm when everyone was invited to go round together.  It was quite moving to see a crowd of old, young and everything in between setting off to the stirring notes of the Chariots of Fire theme and endiing by going through a tunnel of the linked arms of those who'd finished before.
Needless to say there are some stiff people in our house today but it was all worth it.