Can you imagine visiting pubs 30 times in the course of a marathon? I’ve tried it! More than once.
Jørn Pedersen gets a mention in the chapter about The Karen Blixen Marathon where he had his debut in the marathon distance. But it was definitely not his last run. In the years that followed he participated in an incredible number of marathons and joined the Klub 100 Marathon in as early as February 2008. And it was not just as a runner that he was involved. He was also a tireless association man.
The first 5 Tårns Marathon was run on 3rd February 2002. The man behind the race was Jørn, with Kalundborg Sports Association, Athletics and Fitness as organisers. The same club was responsible for the run the following year and in 2004, it was taken over by 5 Tårns Motion (Five Towers Fitness), although still with Jørn Pedersen as the prime mover.
The run gets its name from the Church of Our Lady in Kalundborg, which has five impressive towers. The church is the town’s symbol and became such also for the marathon, which over the years has become a regular tradition.
I ran in the marathon for the first five years when it was run on a circular course from the town centre, down along the harbour, past the stadium and then back up to the town centre. The course was 4.195 kilometres long and thus had to be run ten times. There was also a half-marathon.
Much was made of the event, and I remember Mayor Tommy Dinesen firing the starting pistol in the first year. Another year there was festive procession with a marching band to create atmosphere and the then minister of culture Brian Mikkelsen turned up to run one year.
The start and finish were both on the town’s pedestrian street, Kordilgade, and during the run we had to run through three pubs, through both the front and back doors. That was rather a different way of running a marathon. At that time, there was no anti-smoking legislation, and we passed through smoke-filled rooms that also smelt heavily of beer. At one pub they were playing billiards and another was showing Eurosport. A lot of jaunty folks were out enjoying a beer passing many a cheeky comment and cheering on the runners. The three pubs where Café Bogart, King’s Pub and Kontoret (The Office), but after a few years, one pub dropped out. We then had to make do with 20 visits to those salubrious locations.
The five marathons I run lay in the period between 3rd February to 3rd April. So it was during the cold time of year, although I don’t remember it was ever snowing. On the other hand, I was subjected to a lot of rain and blustery wind and on several occasions it was bitingly cold. I remember coming thoroughly soaked across the finishing line one year, where the wind was often harsh as we ran along the harbourfront. This could also be an advantage to us when we had the wind behind us on that section.
I was particularly impressed the first year, when a Swedish runner completed the marathon on two sticks. He managed just fine. But my own performance deteriorated over the years. During that period, I put on quite a lot of weight, which meant that I was not as fit as I had been. One year I came in last and won a bottle of wine for my effort. I won another bottle of wine in a raffle on that same day. So I took something home with me to enjoy after such a hard day.
The last time I ran the 5 Tårns Marathon was in 2006. The run was cancelled for a while, during which time the town centre was refurbished, but it is now being run again. Without pub visits, however, and without my participation.
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