What are the things that motivate you?

Competing in the Tollymore Trail Marathon races (from 10k to Ultra) last weekend was an absolute joy.  The run was along leafy trails, up hills that seemed to go on forever, had cake (and water) stops, more hills, and incredible support from others who were competing and from the 20-strong team who were staying down for the weekend.  I can’t get enough of trail running at the moment, and realize that it is the competing that motivates me more so that the finish time, in comparison to road races where finish times are all important.

As with all the events run by 26Extreme.co.uk, TTM was professionally organized and managed from start to finish.  They also have a great video on their website of this year’s event!

Other sights and sounds were out in force on Wednesday evening at the Mark Pollock Trust run in the dark Belfast event at Stormont.  The footsteps and chatter from upwards of 3,000 runners added to the collective BEATnDRUM drummers, the music from the QRadio Superbus and the general hum sheer excitement, trepidation, and later the joy to be finished.  I was fortunate enough to be able to part of the marshalling team this year, and could perhaps take in and appreciate some more of the spectacle whilst offering my own support from the sidelines.  What a great night, and what a great cause.  markpollocktrust.org 

This event like all running events needs volunteer marshals or it must pay for them.  One of my friends marshalled at around 130 races last year.  That’s a lot, and is an incredible motivation for marshalling, to put something back into running, this great sport, this low-cost sport, so that it can stay a great, amateur low cost sport.

Motivation comes in all shapes and sizes.  I also have a small number of focused motivations that drive my business, mostly customer and commercial based.  What are your motivations?

Photo Credit BradleyQuinnPhoto.