Falklands : Hugh Marsden Wins Stanley Marathon
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 19.03.2006 (Article Archived on 02.04.2006)

For the second year, Mr. Hugh Marsden has won the Stanley Marathon

Photos (c) J. Brock (FINN) Hugh Marsden receives a cheque from H. E. the Governor Mr. Pearce.

HUGH MARSDEN WINS STANLEY MARATHON

By J. Brock (FINN)

H.E. and Hugh Marsden and the winner's cheque.

For the second year running Hugh Marsden has won the Stanley Marathon – this year with three seconds shaved off his time.  This year he did the race in 3 hours, four minutes and sixteen seconds. The “Seeing is Believing” has benefited from this year’s marathon, with tee-shirts being sold to benefit the charity, as well as a bank account opened to collect money for it.  Sixty-five runners took part in the most southerly marathon.

His Excellency the Governor Mr. Howard Pearce handed out the prizes.

MENS’ OPEN:

1^st  Man,                       Hugh Marsden                                3.04.16

2^nd Man,                      David Adam                                   3.10.35

3^rd Man,                       Alfo Lazzo                                       3.20.55

LADIES’ OPEN:

1^st  Lady,                    Catherine Badam - Thornhill              3.28.32

2^nd Lady,                    Carol Peck                                      4.19.42

3^rd Lady,                     Ali Liddle                                         4.49.30

RELAY TEAMS:

1^st                             Falkland Islands Football Team          3.14.35

2^nd                            Craigiehill Old Boys                          3.15.16

3^rd                             Tigers                                              3.18.27

1^ST FALKLAND ISLANDER:

                                 Richard Short                                   4.11.21

H. E. the Governor Mr. Howard Pearce took the opportunity to make light-hearted remarks and a sincere thank-you.

“Quite why you engage in this act of collective masochism remains a complete mystery to me but I would like to congratulate everybody who took part in today’s marathon.  I think it’s absolutely fantastic!  You must be feeling absolutely dreadful but I am absolutely sure you have a great sense of achievement. 

I would like to say a word of congratulation to the masochist extraordinaire who not only organised it but has run in it, too.  Nick, it’s been a tremendous initiative and it’s fantastic to see the second annual marathon having been such a success. 

And, I would like to thank you once again for this initiative and for everybody who has taken part in organising it.  An event like this does take a tremendous amount of organising.  The organising is extremely efficient so thank you to everybody who may not have run but who has been here to ensure that the event takes place. 

Not only is this the second Stanley Marathon, it’s the first one to take place under international accreditation.  That, too, is a tremendous achievement.  In February this year the international body, that regulates these events provided accreditation for the Stanley Marathon.  And, not only is this small group of masochists here in the Falkland Islands, or even those who travelled all the way down here to do this – the world is full of people like you, so I gather – many of whom go around the world collecting marathons.  And, now that this one has international accreditation as the Southern Most Marathon in the World – it must be one of the most remote as well – I am confident that we will attract very many more of these extremely odd people who come to spend a week – or maybe longer- in the Falkland Island sand experience acute pain as part of that process.

Unfortunately, I won’t be here to welcome them but I hope that next year, you will be welcoming many people of like minds to come and participate in this event.  But seriously, that is a fantastic achievement and it is really an excellent way of giving greater coverage and greater focus in the Falkland Islands in the world at large.  And I am sure there are many people, who want to come down and take part.  It’s through your colleagues that that has been achieved.”

Nick Hutton, Manager of the Stanley Branch of Standard Chartered Bank, ran in the marathon and had enough energy to act as MC for the prize giving.  He had several thank-you messages to give to the approximately 80 people present in the banking hall. 

In his remarks Mr Hutton said: “As a runner near the back, as I have been both years, it is really quite something for the rest of you that are ahead of me in your own personal misery and in your own personal race to still find time to give that little word of encouragement to the people trailing at the back.  There was one guy – I had my head down, so I couldn’t see  his number or what he looks like but the third time we crossed,  he actually called out ‘keep going old man.’”

In return, H. E. the Governor Mr. Pearce said: “that’s just a term of endearment!”

Mr. Hutton thanked all who came back to run again.  Also on the thank – you list were the Marshals – Bank Staff who gave up their Sunday, Falklands Conservation Watch Group for the drinks stations, the Design Office of PWD for the maps, Stanley Garden Centre for the apples, Hillside Camp for the coffee and biscuits, Falkland Islands Defence Force for the mile markers, Tim and Sally Blake and Steve and Jeanette Vincent for relay hand-over points, Wing Commander Steve Hand and the Photographic Section of MPA for the photos, and the media for publicity and coverage.  A special mention was given to Ian Prickett from British Antarctic Survey, who raised £840.00 from his colleagues in Antarctica for the “Seeing is Believing” charity.  He was presented with a photograph of the Bank by H. E. the Governor Mr. Pearce.

Special mention was also given to the Craigiehill Old Boys, who travelled 8,000 miles from Edinburgh Scotland to take part in the event.

This article is the Property and Copyright of Falkland Islands News Network.