Don’t be a pain in the grass over run
Champion blasts criticism
Two-time Stirling Marathon champ Michael Wright says damaged grass is a price worth paying for the Stirling Run after volunteers complained about the state Kings Park was left in after the event.
In last Wednesday’s Observer Friends of Kings Park, who help with its upkeep, said they were “generally supportive” of activities in the historic park, but called for lessons to be learned after a combination of rain and hundreds of Stirling Run competitors left it churned up earlier this month.
This week, however, the Stirling Marathon champion in 2018 and 2019, accused the Friends of dwelling on the one negative aspect of the day.
Mr Wright added: “It is important to put things into context. This cross-country event, together with the Great Castle Run, was run by over 1000 people between the ages of 11 and 65 from across the UK and Ireland, encouraging fitness and competition.
“Local hero and Team GB Olympian Andrew Butchart competed admirably in the event as he begins his preparations for this vitally important Olympic year (Tokyo 2020). The event was shown live on BBC iplayer to the public across the UK, and was also streamed live on a website, thereby showcasing Kings Park and the City of Stirling to anyone in the world with a computer and internet access.
“For the Friends of Kings Park to go public in their criticism of damaged grass beggars belief.”
Suggestions by the Friends that the event could have been rescheduled were similarly rubbished by Mr Wright, himself a Kings Park area resident.
“They perhaps don’t recognise the magnitude of the event. GB Olympians took time away from their training bases to be there to compete for their country; teams from Wales, Ireland, and England block booked hotels to be there to race; the BBC showed live coverage of the event; thousands of people descended on the city; Scottish Athletics and Stirling Council planned the event for over six months etc.
“To inconvenience thousands of people to avoid some damaged grass sends the wrong message about our attitude to sport in our community.
“On the day, athletes and volunteers alike had no problem getting out of their beds for some cross-country competition. As a volunteer for the event for the day, and despite persistent wind and rain, I did not hear of any negative sentiments expressed; everyone seemed happy to be out there competing.
“My thanks and appreciation for the efforts of the hundreds of people working through Stirling Council, Scottish Athletics, British Athletics, Central Athletics Club, Event Scotland and Active Stirling in coming together to secure and deliver this major cross-country event for the benefit of the people of Stirling.”
However, another local John Ryan told the Observer: “The organisers need to change the route in light of the marathon to come. The park is ruined so the people who made money should all contribute to the repair.”
Friends spokesperson Hector Currie had said: “No event in achieving its objective should damage, far less destroy, any part of the fabric of the park. Given the awful conditions, unwittingly, through no fault of any single runner but by the impact of more than 1000 runners’ feet, the consequence has been the destruction of elements of the park’s grassland.”
Stirling Council has said most of the damage was “superficial” and would improve naturally, but that any necessary works would be funded by the council’s event budget.