Olympic 2012 Park Run – 31/03/2012
If you are offered the chance-in-a-lifetime to run in the Olympic Park Stadium and be among the first to do so, would you run and leap at the chance?
Yes of course you would and that is what happened to Guy, who entered the National Lottery Olympic Park Run draw.
43,000 people entered the draw for 5,000 runners. We had to write a winning entry saying why we deserved to take part in the 5-mile run round the Velodrome, Aquatic Centre, Olympic Village and finishing in the Olympic Stadium after a lap of the running track.
So, I wrote some poetry and was rewarded with a rare entry and given the chance to take two guests which amounted to a 10,000 crowd to cheer us across the finishing line.
The most emotionally charged moment was at the end. As we entered the outer service vehicle route under the stadium seating we could hear Chariots of Fire getting louder and louder and the cheer of the crowd.
Of course that is a stirring tune at the best of times and when you are being cheered on by friends and family in an historic moment it is very easy to get carried away.
It therefore did not take much for me to become Usain Bolt for a moment and sprint the final 100-metres over the finishing line with arms raised. OK the time was not even close to my fastest, but then it was a crowded route and I was taking my time seeing the sights and I also had the Taunton Marathon the next day. Sound good excuses?
We were all wearing our red tech shirts and made an impressive sight as a sea of red. But also made it difficult for stadium spectators to spot their loved ones and the same for settee viewers on TV news.
It was definitely my Olympic moment – my Olympic dream!
We were the first to cross the line as the first to take part in an event in the Olympic Stadium. The whole idea was allow ordinary people the chance to experience the London 2012 atmosphere and for the organisers to rehearse staging an event for the first time in the stadium, complete with security, baggage and crowd control, catering, sound system, transport and all the operations essential for a smooth running Olympics. It all went smoothly for me and gave me a high for a long time.
By Guy