I have a top speed of about 15mph. A horse has a top speed of about 40mph. I have two legs. A horse has four. Why am I telling you this? Because, dear reader, on Saturday 14 June I’ll be taking part in the Man vs Horse Marathon.
Unsurprisingly, the race started as a drunken bet. In 1980, Gordon Green, the landlord of the Neuadd Arms Hotel, overheard two punters discussing the merits of men and horses running over mountainous terrain. One suggested men are better; the other backed horses to win. Keen to put it to the test, Green organised a race: 22 miles of quad-smashing runnning over the Brecon Beacons.
That year, the horse easily won. But it hasn’t been all one-way traffic. In 2004, Huw Lobb beat the first horse home, bagging £25,000 for his troubles.
I am unlikely to follow Mr Lobb into the record books, although I do have my own modest aim: to beat any horse over the distance. Shetland Ponies; three-legged beasts; old mares – these will become my rivals on the day. If I can cover 22 miles quicker than any of them, I’ll look at it as a small victory for humankind.
As for training, I’m heading to Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park. Not only are both these locations picturesque and hilly – like a Baby-gro Brecon Beacons – they’re also home to many horses. Here, I’ll be staging a series of unofficial races, zooming past the trotting brigade shouting “beat you!” Listen, it’s all in the name of training.
I’ll be reporting on the race in an upcoming issue of Men’s Running. Wish me luck. But remember: it’s not the whinnying, it’s the taking part.
