Scottish comedians in the running for a good cause - Vladimir McTavish
Remarkably there are three feel-good stories this week. As you might have heard, Harry Styles took part in the Berlin Marathon last weekend incognito and recorded a pretty impressive finishing time.
He entered the race under the pseudonym of Sted Sarandos and completed the 26.2 mile course in just under three hours. Good to see a celebrity taking part in a marathon deliberately not blowing their own trumpet.
However, he wasn’t the only runner competing in disguise last weekend. I’m sure there were plenty of entrants in other events dressed as Spiderman or a rhinoceros or the Honey Monster. Furthermore, in last Sunday’s Men’s 10k in Edinburgh, comedian Richard Brown reached the finish line in impressive time, pretending to be me. Some achievement, given that he is six inches taller and 30 years younger than I am.
A keen runner since my mid-twenties, the Edinburgh Men’s 10k is one of my favourite events. The route is breathtaking. The start line is on the Lawnmarket and the it takes in The Mound, Princes Street Gardens, The Royal Mile and The Grassmarket. The finish line is in front of the main stand at Murrayfield. Awesome.
Richard and I were part of a team of six Scottish comedians who did the run in 2022 and we all loved every minute, set up a group chat on Messenger and vowed to do it again. So I entered in 2023 and again this year.
I was on holiday in Mallorca last week, and had thought we were travelling back on the Friday. But when I checked our flights I realised we wouldn’t be home until Sunday night.
Having paid the entry fee, I didn’t want my race number to go to waste so I got in touch with those comedians on the group chat. Richard volunteered which was good, because he was the fastest of the lot of us in 2022.
So while he was pounding the streets of Auld Reekie, I was sitting in the sunshine at a pavement cafe in Palma.
How did Richard get on? He finished in 48 minutes. Actually, officially it was me who managed to record a 20-year personal best. Not bad, considering I was lazing around in Mallorca drinking beer. If that’s not a feel-good story, nothing is.