The 17th Harrow Marathon will be run on Sunday, November 1. The annual event was the brainchild of Cyril Harrison, this year's borough mayor, and his wife Marjorie. Here he remembers how they were inspired to launch it by being rejected by the London Marathon

The beginning was born of frustration.

My wife had watched the first London Marathon on TV in the spring of 1981 and announced that she was going to run in the event the following year. I foolishly said I would join her.

Training was immediately started, new trainers and books advising how and where to train were bought. We followed all the advice and by Christmas had gone to Australia with our running gear. We ran all over Australia, but on our return received a letter advising us that we were among the 48,000 people rejected by the London Marathon.

All that training was not going to be wasted, according to my wife, who told me: "You had better organise a marathon in Harrow".

I booked and paid for a room at the Civic Centre and wrote to the local papers inviting anyone interested to attend the inaugural meeting of the Harrow Charity Marathon Run Association.

Just before the meeting I received a letter from the local chief of police who asked me not to proceed with the idea. He and the Commissioner did not want more than one marathon in London.

I went to the meeting and read out the letter, expecting the 25 people present to declare that was the end of a good idea. In fact they were quite rebellious and insisted that the roads of Harrow should be available to everyone to travel on, on foot as well by car. At around that time police in another part of London had given protection to a fascist march and the feeling was if they could be protected why not runners?

A constitution was agreed and a committee of eight, including three officers, was appointed. Efforts were made to obtain sponsorship as a result of which Avon International, the cosmetics company, gave a grant of £300 but did not want it publicised because we had not got police approval. Avon can now be publicly thanked for its generosity.

On October 24, 1982, the first Harrow Marathon and 10-mile run were staged. The marathon circuit comprised two laps of 10 miles and a final one of 6 miles 365 yards, starting at Harrow Leisure Centre and finishing in Byron recreation ground in Wealdstone. There were 170 male runners and 21 women. In the 10 mile run there were 54 men and 20 women. The men's marathon winner was Patrick Collins, in 2 hrs. 27.58, and the ladies' winner was Rosemary Evison in 2hrs. 58.55.

Five members of the committee competed.

It was agreed that this should be an annual event and during 1983, Kodak asked if they could sponsor it. Dr Roy Jeffreys, then Kodak's director of research, was in the field wearing number 292.

The 1983 event attracted 1,557 runners and this was topped in 1984 when the number taking part rose to 2,379. After that, the committee agreed a limit of 2,500.

Kodak provided two magnificent silver cups as the main trophies and provided back-up support in many ways, computer facilities, T-shirts etc. Other local organisations also rallied round.

The event became a big community occasion with the British Red Cross and St John Ambulance providing essential medical services, scouts manning drinking stations and many athletic clubs and others providing marshals around the course.

Thousands of pounds have been raised for local charities. One year, the runners were asked how much they anticipated raising for their favourite charities: it came to the remarkable total of over £300,000.

Road running is not so popular 16 years after the first Harrow Marathon, but it still attracts thousands of people who wish to keep fit at minimal cost.

Long may Harrow have a marathon.

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