Material Rewards

The spoils of the Kobe Marathon. A medal. A shirt. A towel. These things are fine, but the postcard is the most precious item. Children in schools throughout Kobe wrote a message of encouragement on a postcard which was then placed in the registration package of each competitor. My postcard was written by a year five child. I thought that was a lovely thing to do so I will send a reply. That is what makes the marathon such a special event; the joyful spirit of comradeship amongst the runners and the thousands of people who spend hours cheering on the competitors. There are no losers in a marathon; everyone is a winner - even the spectators.