ArLlcle by 1Cl

Sunduy nIgILs ure usuuIIy LIe cIIcIed "eurIy Lo bed und eurIy Lo rIse" Lypes
Ior me. However, Sunduy nIgIL wus dIIIerenL. L Lurned ouL Lo be my mosL
unxIous nIgIL, us gIued myseII Lo TwILLer, keepIng u Lub on cenLenurIun
muruLIoner uuju SIngI's progress.

uuju wus mukIng IIs wuy Lowurds seLLIng up u new bur Ior Iumun
endurunce by uccompIIsIIng un unIeurd oI IeuL In Iumun IIsLory. He wus
uLLempLIng u muruLIon (qz kms) In ToronLo uL LIe uge oI 1oo, wIIcI, II
compIeLed, wouId muke IIm LIe onIy mun In IIsLory Lo Iuve done IL.

As emoLIons Look u roIIer-cousLer rIde, memorIes ubouL my IIrsL meeLIng
wILI uuju IIusIed vIvIdIy In my mInd. TIe scene wus LrIggered by u LweeL
Irom ScoLIubunk WuLerIronL ToronLo MuruLIon dIrecLor, AIun Brookes.
"And Ie's sLurLed", wroLe Brookes on LIe TwILLer puge, uuju ever. WILIIn
mInuLes, LIe worId wus grIpped wILI uuju Iever.

TIe IIrsL LIme Iud meL uuju wus In zoo In u gurdwuru In
EusL ondon wIen wus workIng on my book, SIkIs UnIImILed. He wus
uLLIred In u bIue-sLrIped suIL und wore u neck-LIe wILI muruLIon runners
prInLed on IL. He wus weurIng runnIng sIoes, wIIcI Iud uuju und SIngI
wrILLen on LIe IeIL und rIgIL sIoe, respecLIveIy. " cun onIy sIeep, wuIk or
run", were IIs openIng IInes. Iud ImmedIuLeIy vIsuuIIzed wIuL wus In Ior,
us we spenL Iours LogeLIer wuIkIng on LIe sLreeLs oI IIord.

" um un IIIILeruLe", wus IIs second IIne. And Ie usked me Lo keep uskIng
quesLIons us Ie dId noL know Iow Lo IecLure.

HIs LIIrd quIp Iud come uILer we Iud cIocked ubouL IIve mIIes. ProbubIy Ied
up oI my quesLIons, Ie Iud usked me Lo Luke u respILe by ogIIng uL LIe mems
(bIondes).

My zoo mode, Iowever, wus quIckIy broken by u LweeL, wIIcI unnounced
LIuL uuju Iud compIeLed 1o km und wus goIng sLrong. knew LIuL LIe
LougI purL Iud jusL begun us uuju Iud uIwuys Iound LIe IIrsL 1o-1 km
eusy, sInce Ie enjoyed LIe uduIuLIon und IesLIve uLmospIere LIuL cume In
LIe eurIy purL.

TIe pressure wouId be now mounLIng on uuju us, durIng our meeLIng In
zo1o, wIen Iud sLurLed workIng on IIs bIogrupIy, Turbuned Tornudo,
uuju Iud cundIdIy sIured IIs desIre Lo breuk LIe goru's (wIILe mun)
record. TIe oIdesL muruLIon runnIng record wus LIII SuLurduy wus IeId by u
q8-yeur-oId Greek. uuju Iud mIssed breukIng LIe record IusL yeur uL LIe
zo1ouxembourg muruLIon sInce Ie couId onIy compIeLe u IuII muruLIon.
He Iud reILeruLed IIs wIsI wIen we Iud meL In LIe House oI ords LIIs
JuIy, Ior LIe reIeuse oI IIs bIogrupIy.

TweeLs kepL pourIng In descrIbIng uuju's posILIon, sLuLus und IeuILI
condILIon. "CoxweII und EusLern Is cIose Lo 6 kms und LIuL Is wIere uuju
SIngI Is sIgILed," reud one. "He's IookIng IuLIgued", suId unoLIer, sendIng
my IeurL beuL rucIng. BuL deep InsIde my IeurL, wus conIIdenL LIuL uuju
wouId uccompIIsI LIe IeuL us Ie wus u very deLermIned IeIIow. He Iud
uIreudy been runnIng Ior upproxImuLeIy seven Iours. ImugIned IIm
cIunLIng "WuIeguru, WuIeguru", becuuse LIuL's wIuL Ie does wIen LIe
goIng geLs LougI.

DIsLunce sLurLed sIorLenIng soon, us LweeLs ubouL LIe counLdown sLurLed
pourIng In. "Two km Lo go, One km, OnIy qoo yurds" und LIe IInuI one, `'Ie
Ius done IL uL 1oo", IIusIed on my compuLer screen. L Iud Luken uuju
eIgIL Iours, z mInuLes und 18 seconds Lo uccompIIsI wIuL Ie Iud seL IIs
eyes on.