Road to Beijing

This is interesting (if you like running). Alexander Vero was a reasonable amateur marathon runner, but has set himself the target of qualifying for the next Olympics. He is a documentary maker, so his aim is to show just how tough it is. He knows he probably won't achieve it, but wants to document the effort it takes to get close. As a not very good runner, I find it inspiring, but what has been interesting is the criticism he has received from elite athletes. Far from underestimating the challenge or thinking anyone can do it, what he is illustrating is how hard you have to train and also the limits of natural ability. I don't know why elite athletes would find this insulting. He has even suffered the worse term of abuse for a runner and been called a 'jogger.' Ouch. Anyway, worth tracking his progress, he is aiming for 2hrs 30mins in the Paris marathon.