Breaking two hours for a marathon will be a moment of history, pushing beyond what most thought the human body was capable of. People remember where they were when Mt Everest was climbed, or when the mile was first run in under four minutes by Sir Roger Bannister. It will be the same for the first sub-two-hour marathon.
On Sunday, 23rd August, at the Meadows in Edinburgh, a terrific charity event will offer people the chance to run at two-hour marathon pace for a few hundred yards (or to watch others try) and to hear from the expert who has researched what it would take for an athlete to smash through the two-hour barrier. The two-hour marathon event is part of the Medic 1 Summer Fair, which will offer a range of fun filled activities and will help raise money to support the Medic 1 Trust - saving lives, and providing better emergency healthcare in South East Scotland.
Ed Caesar, author of Two Hours:The Quest To Run The Impossible Marathon said:
“Two hours is running’s Everest- a feat once seen as impossible for the human body. Now we can glimpse that mountain top. On the 23rd, I’ll talk about how this could be potentially achieved, and about my years of researching the world's greatest runners. It's also going to be great fun watching people try to run at two-hour marathon pace on the treadmills at Footworks."
Dr Andrew Murray, a Sport and Exercise doctor at Edinburgh University and Scottish International distance runner, said:
“This will be an outstanding day. I’ll look forward to trying to run at World Record marathon pace if only for a few minutes at most, and hearing from Ed. Both Ed and myself have spent time with top British athletes, but also in Kenya, which is home to the single most concentrated production line of world class talent on earth. His insights into the culture, and how you can run faster yourself, will be fascinating. And every penny raised will go towards helping support emergency medical care in Scotland. The team locally already do a tremendous job. If you have a cardiac arrest in Edinburgh, you are more likely to survive than if you had one practically anywhere else in the world”
Dr Dave Caesar, Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh added:
“The Medic 1 Trust has been supporting the provision of specialist pre-hospital care to the people of South East Scotland since 1988, and funds equipment and training to the team based in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh Emergency Department.
This summer fair will raise vital funds for this charity, and should be a great family afternoon out in the meadows, with lots of activities for all ages and abilities, cake stalls, ice cream, and a chance to hear from award-winning writer Ed Caesar about his book "Two Hours, The Quest to Run the Impossible Marathon. He will also be signing copies. The event is kindly supported by Footworks Edinburgh, Penguin Random House UK, Di Rollo's Ice Cream & Merrell UK. It is also a way of promoting regular physical activity- we know regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health, a message we strongly believe in as doctors and health professionals.”
You can also purchase them on the day on the gate at the marquee or in the Footworks shop.