026 RUNNERSWORLD.COM/UK SEPTEMBER 2019
PHOTOGRAPH : GETTY.LETTER OF THE MONTHDO IT FOR CHARITY
In response to Steve Crowley’s letter
(Priced Out, RW July), London Marathon
charity places can be had for a lot less
than the £2,075 he quoted. The charity I
ran for this year wanted £1,200 plus £50
registration fee. For many charities, it’s
their biggest fundraising event of the year
and costs them £330+VAT for each
golden bond place. When I joined our
club about six years ago, I was probably
the only charity runner, but now it's
common to see members in charity tops.
I’ve met many wonderful people and had
experiences I wouldn’t have had if I’d not
started fundraising. Lining up at Greenwich,
surrounded by a sea of humanity all there
to help make the world a better place, is a
life-affirming experience.
John Freeman, via emailparkjog/walk! As a by-product of
this, my heart consultant is pleased
because I have lost weight and am
now fitter than I have ever been.
Iain Yule, via emailTREAD CAREFULLY
We love running and Runner’s World,
and we also walk, hike and scramble
so we have been over Crib Goch
[Snowdonia National Park, Wales]
in our travels. However, some skills
are needed to tackle this ridge,
including navigation and mountain
safety, and people do fall from this
area of the Snowdon horseshoe.
Without being all nanny state
about it, can you make clear that
this ridge is not without risk? We
both think that including it as a
Rave Run [RW August] may be
misleading. More runner-/walker-
friendly routes are available or
guides can be found for the area
operating out of Llanberis.
Tony and Hazel Thorp, via emailPoint taken. Our Rave Run
images are designed chiefly
to inspire and excite our
readers, but Crib Goch, though
spectacular, is one that should
only be attempted by the most
experienced of mountain runners.YOUR
WORLDNext month #SockItToMe. Show us a
pic of your finest running socks.We asked you to show us a photo of
your medal rack. Proud runners that
you are, you were happy to oblige- Stephen Wroe
RW says: How about a weekend off? - Rajesh Kerai
RW says: Just Tokyo to go! - Caroline Cunnellon
RW says: Never again, eh?
‘Framed by hubby for my 50th birthday.’- Jordene Schofield
#MEDALRACKS
SNAP CHATIt can certainly be difficult to secure a ballot place for the London Marathon,
with so many people entering; letters like this one are a reminder of why it’s
so worthwhile to go via the charity route instead.Phil was delighted
by the environmental
awareness at the
Grimsthorpe GallopGREEN LIGHT AHEAD
I’m writing to highlight the increasing
good work being carried out by
runners and event organisers
to combat that scourge of the
environment: single-use plastic
and litter. Many events have begun
to seriously consider ways in which
they can reduce their environmental
impact. I recently attended the
Grimsthorpe Gallop (23 June)
and was pleased by the variety
of measures they had adopted.
These included ample recycling
bins, the encouragement of
reusable cups at the water
stations, and paper bags in lieu
of plastic bags. Ideally, I’d rather
there be no litter at all in the
countryside, with everyone
adopting the mantra ‘reduce,
reuse and recycle’.
Lieutenant Phil Boak, Cranwell
RUNNING LATE
I am 68 years old and, until recently,
had never run in my life. However,
last year our daughter started
passing on your magazine to me
and I found the articles in RW both
inspiring and encouraging. Then, last
December, our daughter suggested
my wife and I try parkruns – we have
now done 14, though in my case it is