#9: Tips on Marathon (Run|Jog|Walk)
Trials & Errors by Pierre Tarik ELIAS since 1995!
TOP 6 TIPS
- Shoe inserts (semelle orthopediques):
Buy most expensive, shape will not change
2. Shoes :
Buy most expensive, new ones every 500k
3. Strava app:
Use it for the addiction, fun and tracking of your shoes mileage.
4. Marathon is not a 42km race it is a 500 or 1,000km one depending on the training you put over the previous 100 days.
Each time you go for a run ask yourself, did I improved my skills getting me closer to my goal or did I pushed to hard and got further from my goal.....
5. Injuries or Pain:
When pain or light injuries, always recover double what your physio tells you. Your goal is to finish, qualifying for the Olympics will always be second to finishing.
6. HAVE FUN: Wellness > Fitness
don't wear a watch on race day, only a heart monitor. on mine, I got a $100 Garmin 225 and have a screen setup with just the heart rate. Best marketing in my life was a massive sign from Adidas at the 40th KM of the Paris Marathon saying "Last 2,195 METERS, savor the last steps of your amazing training" finish your race with pace, smile and huge your beautiful daughters... by now they must be sleeping full nights :)
Pain is temporary, pride is forever..
Marathon Sunday – Last Minute Tips
Put your name on your shirt, arms or legs. The spectators will call out your name and personally encourage you.
Arrive early. Plan on getting to the starting corral by 6:10 AM at the latest. If you arrive later, you’ll find it tough to “wade” thru the spectators surrounding the start.
Bring a trash bag for the 6:30 start. The bag will keep you dry in the event of rain and it will help keep you warm.
If it’s a cold marathon morning, wear a long sleeve shirt or sweatshirt that you can remove and donate. All garments left along the course are washed and taken to homeless shelters.
If you need a cheap pair of disposal gloves, try a pair of old socks.
Don’t forget to coat body areas prone to chaffing. Ladies, don’t forget to cover your skin where the bra straps contact, (including the band and the straps.) Men, don’t forget your nipples (Band-Aids, nip guards or body glide. Other areas prone to chafing include the inner thighs and underwear leg bands. If you’re singlet is tight around the arms, you may want to add body glide or Vaseline to that area also.
Bring a bottle of water to the starting line for sipping before the race starts.
Your bib number must be worn on the front of your body. Some folks pin to their shirt, some will pin to the leg on their shorts.
Make sure you eat before the start of the race. Follow your usual routine before your long runs.
Weather projections are calling for a very hot day. Many find a head band, bandana or baseball type hat helpful to keep sweat out of the eyes. The hat is also useful for keeping the sun out of your eyes.
"The challenge in running is not to aim at doing the things no one else has done, but to keep doing things everyone could do - but most never will."
Joe Henderson
"I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark."
Muhammad Ali
"Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible."
Doug Larson
"The miracle isn't that I finished . . . The miracle is that I had the courage to start."
John Bingham
“The trouble with jogging is that by the time you realize you're not in shape for it, it's too far to walk back. “
Franklin P. Jones
“Running is a mental sport, and we're all insane!”
Anon!
“There's no such thing as a bad carbohydrate.”
Don Kardong
“Run slowly, run daily, drink moderately and don't eat like a pig. “
Dr. Ernest van Aaken
“The New York Marathon: a fantastic event.”
Pope John Paul II
"If you want to win a race try the 100 meter. If you want to win an experience try the marathon."
Emil Zatopek
"...whenever you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
Sherlock Holmes
"Some people drink to impair their judgement, I run marathons to impair mine. Go get addicted to running! “
Anon
"Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must move faster than the lion or it will not survive.
.. Every morning a lion wakes up and it knows it must move faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve.
-> It doesn't matter if you are the lion or the gazelle, when the sun comes up, you better be moving."
Maurice Greene
"The hardest step for a runner to take is the first one out the door."
Ron Clarke
“The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.”
Juma Ikangaa
WHAT IT TAKES TO DO A MARATHON
Question: What conditions are required ? Who can run a marathon ?
Physical conditions:
— heart
— muscles
— ligaments (esp. knee)
— bones (esp. shin)
Psychological conditions:
— regular trainings (long and slow)
— marathon day (start should feel very slow, drink and eat)
→ Unless you have a medical issue you have the ability to finish it !
→ The Team will give you spirit to make it happen !
334,000 people completing a marathon in the USA in 2003
USA Marathoning: 2003 Overview By MarathonGuide.com Staff
3 Steps to Success in Any Endeavor:
Determine what you want
Determine the pricePay the price
Marathoning is no different!
Work life balance
- Define your “5 roles” in life and Make choices
- Use 1 schedule for your life
- On the defining moments, choose family
- Take real vacations
- Master writing
- Practice 80 to 20
- Train your people30 minutes of exercise/day
- Keep relationships well-fed
- Leverage technology – be smart!
- Develop a list of “100 things to do before you die” - go for at least 2/year
- People rise to your highest expectations - or sink to your lowest.
- Trust & Delegate.
- Use the “mother” rule
- Integrate work and your life
- Give back (e.g. train others, join a charity group)
GOAL = DREAM + DEADLINE
“SET THE GOAL
SET THE PRICE
PAY THE PRICE”
Jim Lafferty
Geneva Marathon 2005
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. "
Abraham Lincoln, USA President
There are 4 dimensions to the energy each of us has.
- Physical energy – this comes from the union of glucose (what we eat) and oxygen (what we breathe). This is the fundamental requirement for survival. But physical energy also profoundly impacts other energies. If we don’t have ample physical energy, it is doubtful if we will have other dimensions of our energy working well together.
- Emotional energy is the dimension that has to do with our heart. It is the sum total of feelings that we have and exhibit. It is the connection we feel to things, issues and people. Hope filled and positive feelings are critical to peak performance. One of the abilities that top athletes and top leaders have is the ability to “summon” positive feelings in any situation, particularly stress-filled situations.
- Mental energy is the focus, the concentration, the mental ability we bring to situations. Multi-tasking, poor work habits, lack of physical energy, all contribute to a lack of mental focus. On the other hand, concentrating on accomplishing one thing at a time, organized work habits, good listening skills, all contribute to a high level of mental energy.
- Spiritual energy: Our values, beliefs, our purpose in life are the font of our spiritual energy. For any change to happen in our lives and in our behaviors, it has be to aligned with our values and purpose. This is truly the power of human spirit that enables us to accomplish extraordinary things.
Physical energy provides the foundation, supplies the raw energy needed for the other 3 to function properly. Spiritual energy keeps other energies in alignment, defines mission and purpose and directs all changes. In this way all of them are interconnected and interdependent. When hungry, mental focus is low and emotions are not fully under control. When emotionally upset, there isn’t much mental focus…..
In summary,
There 4 dimensions to your energy and all of them are interconnected and interdependent. Oscillation between spending and recovering energy is the key to sustained peak performance. Unless energy capacity is constantly expanded, growth does not occur. Finally, peak performance behaviors are not typically driven by will power – they are habitual and automatic – however you have to train for leveraging all these 4 principles. That is what we will do for the rest of the course.
Here is our suggested work out routine every day (minimum 3 times, preferably 5 times a week):
- 5 minutes of warm up, 20 minutes of aerobic activity between zones C and D; 5 minutes cool down;
- 20 minutes of resistance (body weight, dynaband, free weights or gym machines) – either upper body or lower body on alternating days; and
- 10 minutes of stretching.
You can do this in the gym; at your house, wherever you are. Machines can motivate you, but you don’t need them to do exercise.
The idea here is to link any change that we want to make to a deeper purpose. Change starts by engaging the spiritual energy – this allows people to direct their energy investments in the right direction, in right proportions. Spirit, purpose, mission – these are things that are uniquely human and help us accomplish whatever we wish to accomplish.
l MARATHON & BEYOND l MAY/JUNE 2007
Marathoning as a Corporate Training Program
It Is Becoming Increasingly Common for Corporations to Create Incentives for Employees to Strive for Better Health.
A small subset of the “finishers” group crossed Geneva’s Mont Blanc Bridge, the highest peak in the Alps (and the namesake for the bridge) glistened with its snowcapped crown nearly 70 miles in the distance. As the crowds cheered the members of the group, all adorned in their red uniforms, with the shouts of “Allez les rouges” (“Go red!” in French), the group rounded the right-hand turn onto Rue de Lausanne in the heart of this quaint Swiss city and could see the 39K sign ahead. The end of the marathon for these beginners, these finishers, was coming closer. But it was a culmination of more than just 42.2 kilometers. It was a culmination of an 18-week journey of a team unified under the banner of working for the Procter & Gamble Company in Geneva, the European headquarters. It was the culmination of 57 separate nationalities making up the team. It was the culmination of 306 individuals finding out who they are, how deep their commitment lies, and whether they could realize the dream of doing what only a fraction of a percent of the world will ever do—complete a marathon.
The marathon is often referred to as a “singular” event: one person, one distance, the time, the person versus the distance and the clock. But for as much as the marathon means for many in the world today, could it mean even more?
Could the power of the marathon be corralled by organizations, even for-profit companies, as a means to invest in their most important asset—their people—and to help them improve performance in the workplace? Could the marathon actually improve a company’s bottom line?
Procter & Gamble is a household name in the United States and in many other countries around the world. The 169-year-old company, which has more than 135,000 employees in over 80 countries, is the largest consumer-products company in the world, with one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Tide, Pampers, Folgers Coffee, Bounty, Gillette, and Pantene. As supported by Fortune andForbes rankings, 22 of P&G’s brands sell in excess of $1 billion annually. P&G is renowned as the premier brand-building company in the world.
Yet P&G is also known for much more. The company has long held to the philosophy of “build from within,” meaning that nearly all new hires start at the bottom and work their way up as they grow. For young talent with a desire to grow, this system has been a powerful magnet to attract the finest applicants from all over the world. For the company itself, this system places a huge, yet positive, burden on the development, training, and retention of employees. Like a baseball team that relies primarily on farm teams, P&G seeks to home grow much of its executive talent. This means training, training, and more training!
About the Geneva Marathon
A truly international city, Geneva sits on the western edge of Switzerland, at the base of the Alps in the French-speaking region of the country. Geneva serves as the European or global base for over 120 multinationals and is the reputed unofficial capital of watches, jewelry, and gastronomy. Geneva had not enjoyed a local marathon since the mid-1980s.
Starting in 2005, two local leaders, Gregoire Pennone and Veronique Fellay, decided, with the help of over 700 volunteers and the organizing committee, to “Rock Geneva with a new event, the trendy new thing of all the major European cities: a marathon!”
This was done under the patronage of the Geneva-based United Nations, which declared 2005 “The international year of sports and physical education as a means to promote education, health, and the development of peace.”
The course is relatively flat and quite picturesque as it traces its way along the beautiful shoreline of Lake Leman (Geneva) and into the various neighborhoods of the greater Geneva area, culminating with a finish in the center of the city, right on the shoreline. En route, runners pass many of the landmark sights of the city, including the United Nations, the famous Jet d’Eau fountain, the Mont Blanc Bridge, and the shopping district of Rue du Rhone.
The marathon is scheduled annually on a Sunday during the first two weeks in May. For runners seeking an intimate marathon in a romantic and picturesque city, it is hard to match Geneva. And since Geneva is in the heart of Europe, the travel opportunities after the race are endless, with destinations such as Paris only a short ride away!
To register for the race or to learn more about the Geneva Marathon, visit www.Genevemarathon.com
Like many other companies, P&G offers the gamut of training programs in such core areas as leadership, communication, and team effectiveness, to name just a few. However, in recognizing that each individual is unique, often the training needs of an individual go beyond the core curriculum into other areas.
Valerie Robert is a French national and senior human resources executive for P&G in Geneva. Valerie is also a marathoner. Valerie has worked all over the world, across cultures and borders, and has learned firsthand that often the training needs of an individual go far beyond the basics. “One area I have noticed that often we need to help an individual develop is self-confidence,” she said. “This can be actually the foundation area to improve that we see impacting leadership, project management, and other facets of the business. Yet it is difficult to coach because the essence of self-confidence comes from within.” This is where out-of-the-box ideas like the marathon come into play. Could the marathon be used to develop individuals in areas such as self-confidence?
The 39K point featured the last aid station before the finish line. As members of the finishers group looked to their right, they could see the finish line on the lakefront, and they could see some of their teammates crossing the line with arms raised in triumph. Only a little over 3K to go!
After a brief minute of walking and drinking, the group rolled back into its steady pace and approached the final hill before making the final turn through the United Nations Park and heading down to the finish line on the shores of Lake Geneva. While the group was close, with the combination of the upcoming hill and still running in the opposite direction from the finish line, nobody was yet willing to hazard the words, “We got it made!” So like a swarm of bees, all in red, they continued to plod on as a coordinated unit under the heat of the midday sun.
The idea of turning the Geneva Marathon into a corporate event was the brainchild of a diverse mix of individuals, reflecting the organization itself: Pierre Elias, a Frenchman (Egyptian/Australian) and information-technology expert; Chris Pearson, British and a marketer in the away-from-home business; Susana Mendes, from Cape Verde in Africa and a marketing and human-resources assistant; Lissette Zorilla, from Venezuela and in marketing feminine care products; Axel Schmid, Swiss and in finance; Imre Orban, a Hungarian and in finance; and Endre Frankl, also Hungarian and in finance; and I, Jim Lafferty, an American and the vice president of the paper business. Eight individuals, seven nationalities, and six different functions, all with one dream: to create a company marathon team and to leverage this event to make the people and the company better for it.
“To make this work, we had to have both a plan to drive an unprecedented level of participation as well as a payout proposition for the company,” said Pierre Elias.
The payout was based on three simple premises, some “soft” and some “hard” but all passing the commonsense test.
• The marathon would be a voluntary part of a training program to build self-confidence and perseverance among individual employees. Though it is difficult to measure progress, we had enough anecdotal evidence, and the company and HR leadership bought into the plan to field a company team and have the company underwrite a full program.
• The marathon would be positive public relations for the company within the Geneva community. As Chris Pearson explains, “Geneva is very centrally located within Europe and is a highly desirable location to live in and to base the HQ for a broad range of multinationals. We wanted to ensure P&G stands out as the company that embraces community spirit and events such as the Geneva Marathon with unprecedented support.”
The marathon team would help unify an incredibly diverse site, which spans responsibility for 103 countries and employs nearly 2,000 people representing 66 separate nationalities.
“I can say firsthand coming from Latin America that entering into this diverse operation, with all of the businesses, countries, and people, is daunting. Anything we can and indeed do to create cross-cultural and cross-business bonding is a positive thing,” said Lissette Zorilla.
With this as the foundation, P&G wholeheartedly threw its corporate support behind the marathon team. P&G’s Pringles brand sponsored the team, funding uniforms and the entire marathon training program, including guest speakers.
The “Vague Rouge” (Red Wave) in front of P&G European Headquarters. Bree Bovay/Procter & Gamble
The company paid part of the registration fees for all P&G runners. Ten different brands anted up with samples for all the Geneva marathon participants, amassing a giveaway pack of products ranging from Hugo Boss to Pantene to Gillette razors worth nearly $120 in retail value. Just by signing up for the Geneva Marathon and paying the $70 entry fee, the participants got it back with interest in free products.
As the “finishers” group climbed the 200-meter hill alongside the United Nations Park, the members could see the 40K marker coming up in the distance.
Finally, crossing into the 40s! They let out a cheer, as much as they could muster at this point. As the 40K sign grew closer and closer, they knew they would loop around, enter the park, and make the return to the finish line. Glory was not that far away. What had started in that kickoff meeting at lunchtime on that cold early January day, fresh back from Christmas holidays, was now approaching the moment they had all been training for in the snow, in the rain, and now in the heat of May—the finish line.
While the organizers had the support and the financing, they now needed a plan to make this experiment a success. Within the group, they had a wide range of marathoning experience and talents. Pierre Elias was a superb marathoner, who in fact had run 2:45 and had qualified for the French Nationals. Chris Pearson was also a strong sub-3:30 runner well on his way to his target of breaking 3:00. Imre had already clocked his first sub-3:00 marathon. Lissette, Endre, and Axel were all midpackers with several marathons under their belts and bursting with passion to share the experience with their peers. My role was unique. Though a vice president, I had a modest start within P&G as a fitness instructor in the early 1980s when the company first gained experience with corporate fitness programs in the global headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio. I was 21 years old, had started my own fitness consulting company with several doctors in town, and was teaching a couple of classes to P&G employees when I was recruited to apply for marketing.
After trying several times, I was hired in marketing in the United States, moved internationally in 1991, and have loved it ever since. I am also a former track and field coach and have run 15 marathons, all “slow,” so I was the right person to appeal to first-timers who would be the heart of making the team as broad based as possible. Because I run marathons in the 4:45 to 4:50 range, I was a good match for the team to de-mystify the marathon distance for beginners. If I could do it, well, anyone could.
The organizers kicked off the program with an informational luncheon in early January, catered to ensure maximum attendance. The focus of the meeting was to sell the dream—to do something special, to join the club that only a fraction of 1 percent of people ever do—run a marathon.
Myriam Mosca, in P&G external relations and a first-time marathoner: “I always thought people who ran marathons were crazy. But I got sold on the idea of doing something special, to challenge myself. So I surprised myself and signed up right after the kickoff meeting.” Adds Lieven Tijtgat, a Belgian purchasing manager, “I saw this as a unique opportunity. The support given by the team was amazing, and if ever I was going to do a marathon, now was the time.”
Knowing that motivation can flag after the initial excitement, the organizers scheduled a steady dose of motivational meetings and sessions, not only to keep spirits up, but also to answer questions.
Says Chris Pearson, “We tried to have an external speaker or in-house event every two weeks and to cover the key topics of knowledge to safely and comfortably run a marathon.”
This included a shoe expert, a dietician, a physician, runner panels for open Q&A sessions, and three weeks before the marathon, a special guest—Dick Beardsley!
“Having Dick Beardsley speak and being able to meet and run with him were simply amazing! He is such a dynamic individual, so forthright and honest, with a great story to tell. I was definitely pumped up for those final weeks of training,” says Tanja Benser, a German marketing manager.
Programs were developed for the half-marathon, sub-3:30, sub-4:00, sub- 5:00, and “finishers” (under 6:00) and were based on programs with a proven pedigree.
As Axel Schmid explains, “We used the Galloway program for the finishers group and Hal Higdon’s programs for the balance of the teams. Both of these programs have stood the test of time, and we felt comfortable proposing these programs to our employees.”
In addition, group runs were organized every day at lunchtime and led by a monitor; group weekend long runs were also organized.
“I found myself really looking forward to the lunchtime runs. It was a highlight of the day and gave me energy for the balance of the afternoon,” says new employee Verena Kuhn, a finance manager from Austria.
Between 40K and 41K, finally somebody broached the topic, “How do we want to finish?” They were going to make it! They could even hear the sounds from the finish line, and the cheers from the spectators was the consistent, “Bravo, only a little farther to go.” Gradually the faces of effort and grimaces of determination were replaced by smiles. Their legs felt lighter. Some clearly were ready to bound ahead and finish strong. Some were still able to muster up only a steady shuffle.
They talked as they ran and expressed different views on how they might finish.
After the 18-week program unfolded, 306 employees signed up and paid their money to participate. The number surpassed even the wildest expectations of the organizers, who expected “maybe 200.” The local press dubbed the P&G team the “Vague Rouge” (red wave). In fact, the P&G team represented 10 percent of total registrants for the Geneva Marathon/Half-Marathon (slightly over 3,000 registered), and 15 percent of the employees of the site in Geneva enrolled!
Valerie Robert of HR: “Before we knew it, suddenly the Geneva Marathon had become one of the largest organizational events for our Geneva site.
With such a diverse organization, any event that draws over 10 percent of employees is a large endeavor. So for the marathon to sign up over 300 people was simply amazing.”
The starting line on Sunday, May 7, was an intimate affair. The start in front of the United Nations was picturesque, befitting this international city. With only 3,000 entrants, runners found it easy to move freely within the starting area and seek out all of the Vague Rouge teammates simply by looking for the red shirts with the “Mr. Pringles” design. The team would be spread over finishing times of three hours, from the fastest coming in around 2:45 and the finishers group targeting sub-6:00. But nobody cared. We were a team, and we were in this together.
The course made a three-leaf clover route, going out and back along both sides of the lake, into the central business district, and each time coming back to the heart of central Geneva. This gave plenty of chances for everyone to see each other and to cheer each other on.
Patrick Nelson, an IT manager from the United States, says, “It was incredibly motivating to be able to see all our teammates pass by on the out-and-back loops and to cheer each other on. Each time this occurred, I could feel the wings on my feet give me an extra lift.”
Axel Riemann, who ended up being the overall top P&G runner, coming in at 2:47, gave the same perspective from the front of the pack. “Each time I would pass the finishers group, they would cheer me on. I have never felt such a sense of teamwork and bonding in a marathon as I did in this race.”
The record books will show that the overall winner of the 2006 Geneva Marathon was Tesfaye Eticha with a time of 2:15 over the relatively fast course. The women’s champion was Joanna Chmiel, coming in with a time of 2:45. From the P&G team side, while Axel Riemann was the overall male leader, in a neat twist his significant other, Tanja Benser, was the overall P&G female leader with a time of 3:46.
With 500 meters to go, the “finishers” unanimously decided to finish their first marathon as they had started it—together as one team, linked together emotionally, spiritually, and physically. They joined hands and entered the chute as one unit, moving in perfect synchronization. They soaked up the cheers of the crowd, of their fellow teammates who had finished, and basked in the glory of the last 200 meters. The journey of the marathon was complete in 5:49. The journey of being better people, better business people, and of personal growth would continue forever.
Personal Reflections of One “Finisher”
by Michelle Crossan, marketer from Scotland
The Time Is Now
Overcome with emotion, I gently weep.
Embarrassed by my tears, exhausted by my effort, I close my eyes and let myself fall into an abyss of awe, and I whisper to myself,
“I did it; I actually did it; I have just run a marathon!”
As a child watching the Glasgow Marathon, I often wondered what it would be like to cross that magical finish line, but somehow my imagination didn’t quite capture the intensity of the moment nor the immense sense of belonging.
The wise often talk of moments in our lives that we will remember forever; well, this was one of them for me. Approaching the final kilometers, quiet in our own thoughts, we came off the Mont Blanc Bridge into the biggest uproar of support fever ever. All of a sudden, we have P&G friends riding on bikes, children screaming through portable speakers, loved ones egging us on. Goose bumps rise, hair on the back of my neck prickles, and I suddenly feel a teardrop swelling. I take a deep breath and will myself not to shed this tear and to enjoy the moment.
How often will I have the chance to experience this again in my life? I’m guessing this is it, a once-in-a-lifetime moment of hundreds of red T-shirts running with P&G friends lining the streets cheering us on. It is at this point that I feel like I am a part of something, a family of some sort. They are only people from work, right? But here I was, feeling love and gratitude, knowing that we shared something special together; we had shared a point in my life where I was about to overcome one of the largest challenges I had faced in my 20s, and they were there to help me through it. Wow.
This moment, I guess, is the reward for the hard training during winter months, running in the snow, hail, or running alone for more than three hours at a time. It is a moment worthy of only those who train in the belief that once they cross that line, they will be better for it.
Now that I have crossed that magical line, I like my lifestyle better. I made some decisions during that run, one of which is looking at me as I type. His name is Toby, and he is a big bear of a golden retriever. I decided I would not put off owning a pet for a minute longer when I was at the 10K mark; I decided that I would live for the day and not be paralyzed with what might happen in the future. Well, I got my dog, and you know what, a few simple changes in my life and voilà: I am happier now than I was before I started the marathon. I made a decision during the marathon, one that makes me smile every day.
Some people think we are crazy; some ask, “Why did you put yourself through this?” Ultimately, I wanted to know whether I had it in me. Now that I know I do, I want to know how much more I have in me. With that, I leave you with one of my favorite quotes: “Sometimes there is no next time, no second chance, no time out; sometimes it’s now or never.”—Anonymous. This is exactly what went through my head when I decided to sign up for the Geneva Marathon and my next marathon. That’s right, I am going to do another one, the marathon of all marathons—Chicago.
2005: Geneva Marathon — A High-Spirited event for all runners and supporters
May 8th 2005 — After embarking on a mission of more than 18weeks of intense training, most of the 110 members of the P&G team made it to the finish line (and 50+ made the semi-marathon) — they are now part of an elite group, the 1/10th of 1% of the world who ever completed a 42.2KM distance!
HOW DID IT START
It all started on December 10th 2004, when Pierre Elias, along with Chris Pearson decided to go to talk to Jim Lafferty to see if he would be interested in creating a P&G team for the upcoming marathon. At that point, about 10 runners were enrolled…. Since then, a lot happened:
- A training program was put into place by the core marathon team. Intensive training and more importantly, intensive moral support. Coaching tips were sent to the team mates every week at first, and every day in the last 15 days.
- The core organizing team: Pierre Elias, Jim Lafferty, Chris Pearson and Imre Orban trained every week with different groups at lunch time, encouraging all level runners to run with them.
- Dr. Golay, doctor of the Swiss Davis Cup came to P&G Geneva to give more insights/tips to the runners.
- Bob Weiland “Expect to win”, a highly inspirational speaker (who ran the Los Angeles marathon on his hands in 173 hours) speaker came to motivate the team.
- An expert panel was held 2 weeks prior to the race with Q&A’s for the runners — just some of the outstanding examples of the core team’s commitment to make the P&G runners trust their capabilities and stretch themselves to the maximum!
56 P&G teams were created (3 people to make a team). As benchmark, the next company with highest number of teams was Serono, with a total of…. 6 teams.
Concerning the organizing team, Daniel Salvador said: ’They were fabulous. It was tough and we could not have done it without them. A big thanks to ALL of them; I’m definitely running the marathon again next year!’
SOME COMPELLING STORIES
‘This marathon was a real achievement for the human spirit and P&G’ Jim Lafferty said after talking about the whole event and organization. Both runners and supporters were fully engaged prior and during the event, creating an atmosphere of high emotionality and pride!
Patrick Nelson, one of the P&G runners, actually made it to the local newspapers! Arriving at the finishing line, Patrick was recognized for his courage and endurance (see document attached). Previously, it had taken him about 5h to run 30km… at the marathon; Patrick ran all the 42km in just 6h!! He also managed to loose about 20kilos throughout the 18 week training program.
Pierre Elias and Francois Cormoreche qualified for the French championships (you need to finish in 2h45 max to be qualified. Pierre actually arrived at #7 of the total race with 2h40 and Francois at # 10 with 2h42. Irina Smolina, who ran her first marathon that day, ranked 3rd in her category with 3h29.
Axel Riemann broke his prior personal record by a whopping 20+ minutes, in running a 2:45 marathon. This time ranks him in the top 65 German national marathoners and puts him in an excellent position for the 2006 German national championships.
Over 50 P&G supporters were there to hand out water, Pringles, and more importantly to encourage their team to do their best… at which they exceeded expectations!
Following the marathon, runners sent thank you notes to the core organizing, emphasizing the importance of the great training program put in place, and mostly on what it brought to them on an emotional level. Clearly, this was an event like no other, which all will remember with joy and price.
Hello My Friends
by Patrick C. Nelson “The last FINISHER, the legend!”
I decided to take some time now that the Big Run is physically over (I am still living in the moment spiritually) and attempt to capture my thoughts. The first thing I MUST DO is thank Jim Lafferty and Pierre Elias. They were both my guides and role models throughout this experience. Jim, as always, with his big vision and Pierre with his knowledge of running and his caring attentiveness. The entire P&G preparation team is also to be commended and thanked because without them this would have been a much more difficult experience if we would have shared in it at all.
My day began with prayer and the nervous stomach that Jim predicted would be there at the start of the big day. My wife, who was a fabulous supporter and source of strength thought out the entire experience, dropped me off at Place des Nations for the start of the race. For a country boy from Mississippi that is cool all by itself. The air was cool as the P&G team slowly began to gather. That was another point when I truly appreciated being a part of the team. It felt good to have others that I knew be there. I think it helped us all get past the nervousness and get into the spirit of the race. Then the line up and the first gun for the half marathoners went off. Now the nervousness was replaced with the excitement of getting going. The gun finally went off for our start and it was great! We were off on this great experience.
Jim was there as always, to offer the sage advice to the 6 hour group to stay calm and start slow. “This is a game of patience and we have a long way to go”.
The group listened and we made the first turn around the Jardin Park and headed into the cold wind towards Colony. We were sticking to the plan and all of a sudden the race leaders were in front of us and heading our way. They had completed the first leg that we were just half way down. It was great to see those guys burning the course up. We also for the first time were able to see the rest of the oncoming runners that were at 2, 3 4 and 5 hour pace. It was again great to be a part of the team. Jim was his usually wildman self and screaming encouragement to every P&G team member that passed us. He was to repeat this encouragement every time we passed along the course and it was contagious as they yielded encouragement back to him and all of us in the 6 hour group. It was on this loop back that I saw the faces of other runners. Especially the ones running in pairs pushing and pulling children who couldn’t run for themselves! All I had to carry was me. It was truly inspiring.
When we reached 15K my knees especially my right one started to really give me pain. The doctor had warned me not to run but in the same breath he chuckled and said that “I know you are one of those P&Gers and you will run anyway.” His words rang in my head. No matter, now that I had started I was not about to give up the experience.
We crossed 25K and my knees were truly hurting now and severely slowing my pace. For the first time I lost the connection with the team of 6 hour runners. All of a sudden I realized just how important seeing Jim in front of me within touching distance was. It was like the story of how Geese fly in a V shape. The leader creates a draft when they flap their wings that each successive goose gains lift from it. I was getting inspiration and a big lift just from seeing and hearing him encourage all of us on.
I was approaching the Mont Blanc Bridge for the last time and I was met by my sons and my wife all with smiles and words of encouragement. Pierre Elias was also there. He again took the time to give me his heart monitor and checked my heart rate. He told me as long as my heart was fine and the body was not in serious pain to keep going and believing I could do it. Thanks again Pierre!
Well, by the time we crossed the Mont Blanc Bridge for the last time I had dropped way back and I could see Jim and the team in the distance up ahead. I still could see them start and stop running per the system and I tried to keep the same rhythm even though It was me and the course now. By 35K my knees were hurting so bad that I was reduced to walking but Again I was inspired. This time it was the fact that 3 of my sons had joined me and were skating along side constantly telling me “you can do this Dad” Don’t give up, remember your goal is to finish.
Then I realized that the finish car was just behind me. I realized that others who were still behind me must have chosen not to finish. I wondered what more I could have said or done to encourage them to just stay in it. Pain in my knees quickly brought me back to the reality that I was not done yet myself. And I had 5K to go.
My spirits jumped again when I saw the 6 hour group with Jim make the turn up ahead and then pass me and shout out “You can do it just keep coming”
As I made the final turn I felt a little bad as the pace car returned and two safety personal jumped out to walk & run the final 3K with me. Needless to say I picked up the pace as best I could. Running as much as I could stand and walking as fast as I could. 3K then 2K then 1 K. As I made it to the final stretch there was Pierre again with Susan Lafferty coming out to get me the final K to the finish. It was great to have a team again to encourage me. Pierre pointed out that the last 400 meters the air tasted different. You are almost home and one should breathe deeply and enjoy every breath. Believe me I did. As I reached the final 200 meter mark they both told me that the last dash to the finish was all mine and that it was time for me to cross the line and become a marathoner!
The feeling crossing the line was fantastic. I had made it and best of all my wife and friends were there waiting for me. Her first words were I am so proud of you because you did it!!
As I remember this experience in my life I will always be thankful to Jim and Pierre. They don’t know it but I believe God worked through them to put me on the road to saving my life.
I say that because one of the reasons I was running was for Black Men’s Health. I originally adopted that theme over the Christmas holidays after my Mother in law told me that she wanted to see me around to see my sons become Men. You see, I was very overweight, so much so that she was really worried. It was immediately relevant to me as I thought of the fact that in the last 3 years I have lost 2 uncles under the age of 50. More recently I also lost one of my best friends in this world. Mr Lonnie Jackson Jr. Lonnie is special to me because he was a true friend. He was the kind of family you chose to be a part of vs. being born as family. We were all brought to Cincinnati as young new hires from the south and the shared southern connection and sense of “community” helped us connect on a personal level. Well my friend Lonnie passed away last week at the age of 38. He was in my mind the entire day. As I said my prayers before the race started, as I ran with the pain, and as I crossed the finish line. I ended my day as it began, in prayer for Uncle Ernest, Uncle Eugene and My friend Lonnie.
2006: P&G Employees Marathoning to Help Build Business in Western Europe!
By Bree Bovay and Myriam Mosca, GBU & Corporate External Relations (Geneva Marathon, May 7th 2006)
Once again; P&G employees used marathoning to build the business in Western Europe — via teamwork and engagement, as well as building the corporate connection and our reputation in the Geneva community, where P&G is so predominant. Most of the 303 employees who signed up to run the exhausting 42.2 kilometers actually made it to the finish line! Last year, about 150 P&G’ers signed up to the exploit; this year participation broke all records with over double the P&Ger’s engaged into challenge, totaling to an amazing 14% of the Geneva site participating!! Knowing that only 0.1% of the world’s population ever runs a marathon, P&G can feel pretty proud of its employees.
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT LEADS TO SUCCESS FOR P&G
This year’s organization was all about employee engagement, which led to great results:
· Thanks to these tenacious employees, the local newspapers wrote one the most positive stories about P&G we ever had! Major newspaper coverage, as well as TV coverage (on the #1 TV channel in Switzerland) featuring a P&G’er explaining the company’s engagement to its employees, to the race, but also its active engagement to the Geneva community.
“This is just outstanding positive coverage! It obviously will increase the image of P&G as an open an in touch Company… This will stay in the mind of people — for sure — and it will also help in our contacts with the local media” says Irene Kaempfen from ER.
· Collaboration was a key theme:
“The marathon reflected the best of P&G. Competing together against a common goal, supporting each other, coaching, never giving up, and sharing the joy of winning” said CMKer Omar Mahmoud.
Rick Dravenstott, in PBC and a veteran of over 50 marathons, tells us how P&G’s involvement in this race was very unique and inspirational. Training and diet advice, guest speakers, support network and last but not least, the great crowd support during the race, including “my first ever race encouragement shouts of ‘go P&G’, ‘go Pringles’, which I heard quite often during the race!!”
· 1 out of 10 runners subscribed to the marathon was a P&G employee — making it the most important external employee event we have, participation level being extremely high.
“Running a marathon is an incredible human experience that you need to live through to understand it — it has changed my views on life and work. I would have never done it without P&G” says Myriam Mosca from ER, of her first marathon.
· Over 64 nationalities collaborate at the Geneva Headquarters — and bringing them together via sports has been proven successful — now for the 2nd year in a row! This event is a great means to unify our people as employees from every single GBU on-site have participated.
“What felt like thousands of red Pringles shirts cheered me up whenever we met on those long stretches along the lake, and the (P&G) supporters along the way was amazing” says Axel Rieman in Finance, who came in first among male P&G employees.
· Many were also running to raise money for a local charity. To date, over CHF 5000 has been raised, and we are still collecting more donations!
“On top of the personal challenge I have also run to raise money for the Theodora foundation, which aims to help ease the suffering of children in hospital by making them laugh. It was an additional motivation factor especially after the 13th kilometer when the real marathon starts” says Mario Giorgio from Finance.
· Hundreds of P&G supporters and their families were there to cheer their fellow employees. The P&G ‘S2B’ band performed live during the race, motivating the crowds to keep cheering until the end! Many GBU’s leveraged P&G’s support to sample our brands, which were then handed out to all the marathoners. Last but not least, Pringles was an active sponsor of the P&G team, offering team shirts for the race as well as sampling during the big day!
“It was really a P&G day.. Our Pringles uniforms, our products, it was everywhere you turned!” said Jim Lafferty.
The core organizing team worked hard to make Geneva’s 2nd marathon a memorable event for P&G’ers: Jim Lafferty, Chris Pearson, Susana Mendes, Axel Schmidt, Endre Frankl and Lisset Zorrilla continuously motivated the runners to do their best:
· Several training programs were put into place, based on the different goals and level of performance of employees running. The core team ran at lunch times with the different groups, encouraging all level runners to go with them.
· The program was intensive, but more importantly, the moral support was intensive. Coaching tips were sent to the team regularly.
· Dick Beardsley, a highly inspirational speaker (who broke numerous marathon records and still holds the records for Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth and the Napa Valley Marathon) shared his compelling and positive personal experiences with marathons throughout his running career.
· Dr. David Lewis, osteopath, came weekly to P&G offices to help out runners for 3mths prior to the race.
· Dr. Michel Golay, consultant to the Swiss “Athletica” team, came to present his nutrition and toning tips.
· Michael Bown, P&G employee and experienced marathon and triathlon runner, presented the importance of choosing the right kind of shoes and discounts at local shoe store were offered.
As per last year, runners sent thank you notes to the core organizing team following the marathon. They emphasized the importance of the great training program put in place; but mainly, they wrote about the experience — what it brought to them on an emotional level. Clearly, this was an event like no other, which builds employee collaboration, but also P&G’s corporate reputation in Geneva!
2024 — 20th anniversary celebration!
In May, I did half-marathon together with 572 P&G’ers participating in Generali Geneva Marathon — from 5K to the full 42K, our runners gave it their all, embodying the spirit of perseverance and unity.
Just like at work, our runners set goals, worked hard, and pushed their limits to achieve their targets.
Regardless the distance or the time, I am proud of all colleagues at work and in sports — their journey towards the finish line mirrors our commitment to continuous improvement and personal development.
Watch this video to see our incredible P&G family in action, sharing their motivations, experiences, and the joy of running together!
Helene Graffner Ana Richi Perez de Villegas Marie Olive Miguel Angel Mozo Willi Michels Sabrina Lakner Francois Cormoreche Dario Cristiano Oya Öngör Benjamin Binot Julien Nassi Federica Pompei Enric Jimenez Prat Judit McGregor
You can do it, too. Just realize that the time is now.
