Irene Gabriëlle Ergün & the privilege of being healthy
“it’s the subtle things that I get from my runs. I never come back without feeling different from at the beginning of my run. It makes me on one level physically satisfied for the rest of the day.” ** Running is so full of numbers. There is a proliferation of digits. Athletes are categorised by […]
Dominic Bersee
It’s a strangely warm Wednesday evening at Leiden Atletiek. The warm up consists of a gentle run through the Leidse Hout which neighbours the track. Running through the little woods of the Leidse Hout, I somehow fall into stride with Dominic and somehow we get talking about Sweat Elite – a running YouTube channel and […]
Maikel of Leiden
He’s probably one of the most famous folks in Leiden. If you bump into Maikel on a street in Leiden and start talking with him, within moments someone else he knows will walk by. And then a few moments later, someone else. And, then a little while later, another person. Sooner or later, if someone […]
Rotterdam Marathon Review
There are many ways to skin the marathon cat. Since joining the Richmond Harriers in 2018, I have been exposed to a training plan which values high weekly mileage. The main coach is Neil Ryan who ran a 2:17 marathon in 1974, which for the era, was a cracking time (and is still not to […]
Profile – Marco van Erp
The watery landscape of the Low Lands means that its cities are engineered to live with water: to accommodate it, rather than to combat it. Leiden is one such watery city and although it is part of the greater Randstad, it upholds its own proud identity: marked by the Siege of Leiden, its university, a […]
Running, always
There is a joke about amateur runners who are training for a marathon, it goes something like this: “How do you know if a friend of yours is doing a marathon?” The answer: “Don’t worry, they’ll tell you.” It is as if the mere act of signing up for such an event is worthy of […]
Sportized Landscapes
How are the tensions between cultural heritage and sportized landscapes negotiated? What are the implications of the sportization (sportification) upon the landscape?
Of Tracks and Shoes
There is a book, Swimming Studies, by a Canadian author Leanne Shapton, which documents her notes on swimming and the shapes of pools she swims in. The book also contains photographs of the swim-suits she has collected over time as a swimmer – both serious and recreational. She writes of the smells of pools and […]
Numbers and Running
Running is obsessed with numbers: distance run, elevation climbed or descended; minutes and seconds used up to complete X-event, age of runner, position finished – according to age-group, gender and whether one is or isn’t a professional or serious competitor. Chris, a friend who I run with, endorsed our coach for being ‘a numbers guy’. […]
Group Running
“The track is home”, says Amy at the end of training. Paul quickly adds, “Yeah it is, isn’t it? I love the track. It is all I used to do as a kid.” The two of them have just finished an intervals session of 10 times 400 meters at the Holden Centre under the guidance […]