Jerry Hawthorne lets us know what it is like to run 26.2 miles with a Womble or two
Alan Fernandes from the Jesuit Missions Office had as the aim of our Millennium Marathon “A team effort aiming to provide a better future for those not so well off as ourselves”. Jesuit Missions HQ therefore identified key projects in five continents for which sponsorship from the race in London would be vital. These ranged from the Jesuit Refugee Service, to the Warmth Project in Cape Town, South Africa; a safe modern orphanage in Makumbi, Zimbabwe; parish enterprises in El Salvador; aid to the Scavenger children of the Philippines and self help works in Guyana, South America. Alan, who some five years ago started running in the London Marathon to raise money for Jesuit Missions, mustered a motley ream of 30 victims for the race this year. Pride of Place in the team went to Fr Kevin Donovan SJ who, at the age of 68, was running his sixth marathon despite having asthma. His image rightfully graces the cover of this edition. One of his day jobs is as assistant priest of the Sacred Heart Parish, Wimbledon and he inspired many of the parishioners to support us. Also, keeping the team in trim, was the group of behind the scenes workers at Jesuit Missions. They drive minibuses, provided encouragement, took photographs, cleaned-up the Womble costumes, shifted equipment and so on. Most of these support people are young students both men and women - an answer to those who like to say that the Church will have died out in 40 years time through lack of involvement by young people. Jesuit Missions laid down a gruelling team training schedule to prepare for the 26.2miles. Runs in nearby Richmond Park at the crack of dawn on wintry Sunday mornings we did not look forward to! However, they gradually accustomed us to long-distance running. In previous years the team ~~as provided with inexpensive, but smart, tee shirts discretely labelled “Jesuit Missions”. You could wear these - even in church -without comment. This year the team was issued with the most hideous luminous lime-green running tee shirts I have ever seen, boldly emblazoned with ‘Jesuit Missions' on the front. On the back was the motto ‘World-Wide Wombles on a Jesuit Mission' Perhaps, I thought, there is some psychological thinking at work - the loud colour repelling other runners so much that they would move aside as we overtook them! In fact during the race itself the lime green stood out so ~~ell that we could easily pick out Jesuit Team runners from the crowd of over 32,000. This enabled us to recognise and support each other easily on the way. Team members, who courageously or even madly, Wore huge Womble suits for the whole race were of course never difficult to spot. The day before the raceday was free:ing cold and pouring with rain. However, on the day itself the rain stopped, the sun shone, and conditions were almost perfect - one of the benefits of having Fr Kevin Donovan on the team perhaps? Many of the 32,000 runners were running for charities. Maybe this benevolent spirit affects the crowd of onlookers in London, because even after people had cheered themselves hoarse for the world's elite runners, they continued for hours, to support the amateurs like us. The support was very vocal, but handshakes,sweets, slices of orange and even lollies were freely given to all along the way. Many musical instruments were played along the route to give us encouragement. On one occasion a flautist in the crowd had his high notes answered in identical form by a runner carrying his own flute. It took four hours twenty five minutes for me to finish. However, who could forget the picture that evening on BBC2 TV of three Wombles dancing together as they crossed the finishing line. Alan's parents, along with Dominic Kilbane's, hosted a party for the team at the Jesuit Missions Office that evening which was much appreciated by all. Fr Kevin finally arrived to great applause from both the party-goers and the congregation from the nearby 5pm Mass. |
Jesuit Missions UK
