A lovely invitation
Jamie wanted Karin and me to come on a cruise with the Crown of Scandinavia while she was working on the boat, and I found out that it left Copenhagen on Saturday 21st September and would be in Oslo on 22nd September, the day of the Oslo Marathon. To me it was obvious to kill two birds with one stone. I wanted to visit Jamie on board the boat and run the Oslo Marathon on the same weekend. Karin couldn’t fit the trip in, so I went on my own, which was not unusual.
Like a glove
It looked as though everything was falling perfectly into place. The boat would dock at 9.45 a.m., and the run started at 10.30 a.m. The start was only a short walk from the harbour. Because the boat didn’t leave again until 4.30 p.m. it ought to be possible for me to finish the marathon before departure.
Running numbers could be picked up on Sunday morning, but also on the days before that. So to avoid stress and standing in line, we agreed that Jamie would pick up my running number at the secretariat on City Hall Square on the Friday while the boat was in Oslo.
Jamie didn’t want to run. At the time I signed up, she had never run a marathon before, so two runs of that distance in the week would have been a bit much, to say the least. In addition, she didn’t think there would be enough time, because she had to change and be ready to receive passengers immediately after departure, whereas I could do what I had to do after we had sailed.
Dizziness a spanner in the works
But I didn’t run the Oslo Marathon in 2010. Dizziness a few days beforehand had put me out of the running. I was just about to write to Jamie and tell her that I couldn’t come, but this was not easy. I really wanted to experience the voyage with her and knew that she was looking forward to it. It probably also made no difference whether I was lying dizzy in my own bed or on board ship, and I ended up going.
Jamie as stand-in
On the Saturday, Karin drove me to the ferry terminal in Copenhagen, where I was met by Jamie. She showed me that she had been wearing her medal from Odense under her blouse for the last six days. When I told her that I was unable to run, she immediately said she would do it for me and that I should have the medal. I would under no circumstances want to receive the medal I had not deserved. It would never be given a place on my wall, but for Jamie it was the most natural thing in the world that she would run and I would have the medal.
I enjoyed my voyage with Jamie despite the dizziness. She had a good deal of work to do, which suited me just fine. I was able to relax in my cabin. Fairly late that evening, Jamie and I had a good meal in one of the restaurants on board and enjoyed each other’s company.
Spectator at the start
When we arrived in Oslo on the Sunday morning, Jamie had changed and was ready to run her life’s second marathon just one week after the first. We walked together to the start on Festningsplassen. It was a bit chilly, but Jamie was happy and smiling, ready for another race. That year’s event was the 30th anniversary of the Norwegian capital’s marathon.
The starting pistol went off for group no. 2, of which Jamie was part, at 10.03 a.m. I waved goodbye and had a look around the square. I was a bit dizzy but didn’t want to spend a day on board the boat.
Now an official runner
At one stage, I caught sight of a van with Danish number plates from Ultimate Sport Service. I went over to have a look into the van and there, right enough, sat Claus, managing the timekeeping just as he does year after year on Yin and Yang Square. Claus was very surprised to see me standing there instead of running. I explained the situation to him and asked if he could get my name on the running number changed to Jamie’s. That would be no problem. I gave him her name, date of birth and nationality and Bob’s your uncle, Jamie was suddenly professionally running her own marathon.
I soon found my way back to the boat, where I relaxed with a book and had lunch in the staff canteen to which Jamie had secured me access.
A surprisingly good time
During the afternoon, I went back to Festningsplassen to be there when Jamie crossed the line. I was there in good time and thought I would have to wait quite some while. I was rather worried as to whether Jamie could get back and be ready to start work. This marathon was obviously more up and down hill than Odense, where she had been exhausted towards the end. I also thought that running again so soon afterwards would be tough going.
But I was very gladly surprised when Jamie came running across the finishing line well before I had expected her and with a time of 4:33:28 – 18 minutes faster than a week earlier. I was speechless, and Jamie was very glad, particularly when I told her that she had run the marathon in her own name. She said that had she known that, she probably would have dropped out, but couldn’t permit herself to do it in my name.
Nightclub visit
At boarding time, Jamie stood newly washed and uniformed ready to receive her passengers. Now she had two medals hidden under her blouse. We enjoyed another nice meal that evening at a restaurant, and then went for a couple of drinks in a nightclub, where a Hungarian band was playing pop music of several decades.
Assistance to the specialist
On the Monday morning, I took a taxi to the ear, nose and throat specialist in Hvidovre, where I had an appointment. Jamie insisted on accompanying me, as though she were my mother. We said goodbye to each other afterwards, this time on Valby Station, where we took a train in each our own direction.
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