“David - in my posting I expressed two opinions, both favourable to the participants in the Bath Half, and asked one question. On what basis therefore do you condemn me as a fool, without even giving an explanation?”

“Where Will the Bath Half Start, and at What Time?
I¿m a keen and confident web user, but for news and local information I like a newspaper. You don¿t have to switch it on and wait for it to connect, you can read it in the bath and after you¿ve finished you can use it to line the cat¿s tray. None of these options is available as far as I¿m aware with a laptop.
I have friends running in the Bath Half Marathon, and I¿d like to see them set off. I¿ve got a vague idea where and when that will be, but I thought I¿d check. Encouragingly, the front page of the Chronicle directs me to two pages where I expect to find the information clearly set out.
If it is there, it¿s very well hidden.
I can guess the course from the route shown on the map as closed for the day, but I¿ve no idea where it starts. I infer from the accompanying article that it will begin some time not long after 10.30am, because the special buses stop running then: but you¿d be forgiven for assuming the race had no more significance than as a massive transport inconvenience. There¿s no mention at all of the Marathon in the Classifieds under Events for Sunday Mar 7.
So what have I learned? I have found out about the health, medical and spiritual aspects of long distance running, and about two Chronicle employees who will be taking part. I also know about road closures and where I can¿t park my car - I don¿t drive, by the way. And if I decide to give it up as a bad job, I know that I can go rambling, or to a car boot sale or a Quakers¿ meeting instead.
Come on Chronic. If you want people to carry on buying your sadly diminished paper, you can¿t just assume that they know.”

“I want to add my good wishes to all the runners on Sunday. They have been training for months and their efforts mean lots of help for people and animals. I have heard the moaning and groaning of the few grumpy people in Bath about some roads being closed for five or six hours. If they can spare the time, they should get out and support the runners. It is quite emotional when you see the effort that goes in to the race and the feelings of achievement of all the runners. It is fantastic that people do see the bigger picture in life.”

“Janus, Maybe if you one day have to call on the support of the one of the 100's of charities who rely on the millions of pounds raised at events like the Bath Half you'd understand its true value.

It's half of one day a year. I'm sure that come Monday morning the world will still be spinning, some people may have had slightly longer journeys on Sunday and the message board will be full of Bathonians doing what they do best, moaning.

Get over it! It's a great event, good luck to all of those running!”

“Oh shut up!! What a fool!!”

“If people want to have a race and have fun - fine. If they want to raise money for good causes - fine. But why should they expect to be able to do it in a manner which will interfere with the majority of Bath residents who simply want to be able to go about their daily life unhindered?”

“Bubba, if you're still there when I get in then you're a very patient man.”

“Because running round an athletics track 52 times would attract a dozen participants and an audience of about three people.

Good luck to everyone running!”

“WHY do they have to run on the roads?
What's wrong with a 'race track'? Go to Landsdown track and run there. Bath 'NEED'S' it's traffic jams!”

“I can't believe this, honestly!?

So a few people want to go and drag their lumbering carcasses around Bath and the whole place shuts down!?!


Only kidding - Good Luck everyone and well done on raising so much money for charity!”