A Right Royal Marathon Day

Parent Category: News

Sunday 27th May 2012 will go down in history. For this was the day that Penn & Tylers Green made a unique connection between the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the London Olympics and the Fun Run.

After many months of planning and no lack of creativity, organisation and determination; a lead team of runners representing the Fun Run departed the village at the start of a day that will be remembered for years to come. As the sun rose over the London skyline, the first runner held the lighted torch aloft at the Olympic Stadium and set out on the start of a 60 mile route back to the village. As the day unfolded, the torch was passed to and from many more willing volunteers representing the fun-run, football and cricket clubs as it passed iconic London landmarks such as Canary Warf, Tower Bridge, Big Ben and Buckingham Palace and not-so-glamerous locations such as Brentford, Hounslow and Staines - eventually arriving at the outskirts of Windsor a little after Noon.

After a short lunch stop, the torch made a triumphal appearance at the top of the Long Walk at Windsor in the hands of Jim Hawes, shimmering in the scorching sunlight barely minutes after the Queen herself had driven past the excited crowd. As it made its way down the hill, a team of 60 children from local schools took it in turns to carry the torch to the gates of Windsor Castle creating a sea of red, white and blue in their matching t-shirts. Watched by hundreds of family, friends and village residents, they proudly posed for photos as the torch was passed to a representative of the tennis club to begin the 2nd half of the journey.

In the hottest part of the day, the torch passed via Dorney, Maidenhead, Marlow and High Wycombe carried by a team from St Margaret's church and the girls football team (who deserve special credit for coping with two long up-hill stretches in sweltering heat) and eventually into the hands of the final team, the 1950's babies. This team followed the last part of the fun-run route; swelling in number until the torch was handed to Elaine Cullip for the last leg of its marathon journey.

Some 12½ hours after leaving the Olympic Stadium, the torch was passed into the hands of Bill Sadler at the doors of the Village Hall, where it will be safely stored until it is used to light the jubilee beacon on Monday evening.

Congratulations to everyone who took part and special recognition to Bill and Chris Sadler for conceiving and organising the whole day. Amazing!