Marathon of Marathons 2010 - PEI Media

Notes from the Road
In the footsteps of Pheidippides | Athens, 31 October 2010 28
My highlights were running past the burial mound of the Battle of
Marathon, being handed home-made laurel wreaths from Athenian wellwishers
and then, finally running into the 1896 Olympic Stadium. And: I was
very pleased to see the extent of the support from the infrastructure and
private equity community for this great initiative.”
Inspired by the global cause
Team Coller, Coller Capital, London
Outperforming Pheidippides
“When we heard the Marathon of Marathon was happening we needed
no encouragement to
take part. Our mixed
team of 11 people ranged
from the experienced old
stagers to “how difficult
can it be?” newcomer
types. It turned out
though that none of us
really had much idea
what we’d let ourselves
in for. We’d looked at the
Coller runners, from left to right: Lorna Kelly, Chris Boulet,
Rune Munk, Francois Aguerre
course profile obviously,
but that just goes to show
the limitations of due
diligence. By 10 kilometres
in, we all knew the reality! It’s difficult to say whether the biggest test was the
mental challenge or the Greek hills. In the end, it came down to individual
commitment and team spirit - as it always does.
And what did we get out of it? Well, the rate of return may have felt slow
on the day, but we came away with multiple memorable moments. Best of
all, all of us outperformed Paula Radcliffe and Pheidippides! The Marathon
of Marathons was quite simply unforgettable.”
Thierry Deau, Meridiam Infrastructure, Paris
Thierry alongside Meridiam
colleague Parviz Madjedi.
Parviz was the only Persian on
the MoM team – and honorably
took up the rear position of the
field!
“It would be reasonable to expect any marathon runner to be almost
entirely focused on his or her physical training, target times, and mental
preparation prior to the race. While certainly true for the runners in
Athens, we chose to participate in the Marathon of Marathons for reasons
far greater than individual triumph; rather, we ran with a communal spirit,
drawn together by a shared charitable cause.
On the morning of the race, my team looked anxiously toward the
grueling test of will ahead, though what awaited us at the finish line
had less to do with achieving our target times than it did with finishing
with a committed sense of responsibility. That our team (and the wider
group) represented our international character only highlighted the
global nature of our shared responsibility, to UNICEF and the various
participating charities, and also, importantly, to each other.
Many thanks to Campbell Lutyens, UNICEF, the organisers, charities,
sponsors and everyone that made this historic event truly inspirational.”
Meridiam Infrastructure fielded five participants, including fastest
MoMer Olivier Garnier, and was one of five teams to raise more than
€50,000.
Alternative
Insight