Marathon of Marathons 2010 - PEI Media

Notes from the Road
In the footsteps of Pheidippides | Athens, 31 October 2010 30
anniversary of the Battle of Marathon wasn’t going to be one of them.
He sent the email to the family at large and laid out his new vision:
“2,500 years, 250 participants, raising €2,500,000 for children”. The
email was a rallying call for us all to rise to the challenge and to help
him organise the event. Not giving any consideration to the fact that
I might actually be expected to run – the years in between had not
been unkind, but nor had they been generous - I was filled with
excited energy yet disbelief that such a seemingly huge task
could be pulled off.
How wrong I was proved to be. Today, several months on from the
MoM, I think we can all look back with pride and say that it was a
resounding success. A humdinger of epic proportions. This is thanks to
everybody that took part. To the runners and walkers, who came from all
corners of our blue marble literally to lay their bodies on the line
for all of our wonderful children’s charities. To the organisers at
Campbell Lutyens, PEI, Specialised Travel and UNICEF, without whom we
wouldn’t have made it to the start line. And to all the brilliant
sponsors, patrons and trustees, who gave their financial support and
time so generously.
However, above all, and please permit me some flagrant paternal
adulation, I’d like to heap some praise on my father, John Campbell.
When PEI asked me to scribble down a few words about my experience
and my memories of the MoM there was one that immediately jumped to
the fore. My highlight of the whole event was seeing his beaming face as
each one of the MoM team entered the stadium to run/walk/crawl up the
finishing strait. This was the moment that had made all of the
previous year and a half’s work worthwhile.
I’m certain that he would be embarrassed to read this, he is the
last person I know to look for plaudits and thanks, but he was
undoubtedly the key man without whom the MoM would never have taken
place. From that first email through to the hundreds of personal
emails and letters that he sent and the telephone calls that he made, to the
rallying speeches he gave at conferences, to the attending of umpteen
committee meetings to discuss the charities, runner recruitment,
travel arrangements etc., down to smallest of details such as the
designing of t-shirts, caps and medals, he worked tirelessly to bring
the occasion to fruition. All along his focus was on leaving no stone
unturned in the pursuit of raising enough money to make a real
difference to some truly outstanding children’s charities. I would say that
he has achieved this and much, much more, thanks to his leadership and
the combined efforts of all those that took part.
So, to my Pa, I’d like to raise a glass of something non-isotonic and
say the hugest of thank you’s. Your energy and spirit throughout was of
Pheidippidean proportions. You were the spring in my step and the wind
at our backs.
And finally to everyone else, thank you and congratulations. I’m
looking forward to dusting off the pot of Vaseline and seeing you all
in 2020 for the Ten Year Anniversary!”
Reto Kreienbuehl, Capvis, Zurich
Four under four
Swiss power: Capvis’ Andreas Simon
“Athens and the marathon will remain in our memories as a
wonderful event. Our journey started with the decision to undergo
a vigorous training to compete in such a demanding event as the
Alternative
Insight