Martin Parnell

The highlight of Marathon Quest 250 was running at schools with the kids.

Over the year of 2010, I ran at 60 schools with over 12,000 children.

The schools were located in Cochrane, Calgary, Airdrie, Canmore, Exshaw and I even flew to Yellowknife to run at a couple of schools there.

I would arrive at a school and usually there would be an assembly where I would explain what I was doing and why. The kids were always interested in my bike trip across Africa and how Right To Play helps children around the world.

I would then head outside and start running around their soccer or baseball field 100 times.

The marathon would take between five to six hours and the kids would come out and join me for a few loops at first recess, lunch recess and at the end of the day. Some schools even scheduled their gym classes so that the kids could run during school time.

It is amazing, the topics that crop up when you run and chat with kids.

Try getting them to talk in a classroom and some of them are as quiet as church mice. Get them running around a soccer field and they can’t stop talking. Over the 60 school marathons I completed, three topics came up time and again: food, pets and favourite TV shows. I would stress the importance of a good breakfast; however, pizza seemed to be the food of choice.

The variety of animals these children have in their homes blew me away. In some cases, I’m hesitant to use the term “pet.”

Are lizards and tarantula’s classed as pets or do some children have mini zoos?

Two TV shows that kept coming up were Heartland and Mantracker.

I told the kids I knew about Heartland, because my wife Sue and I had done some extra work on several episodes.

I asked them if they recognized me and they said no. I hadn’t heard of Mantracker so the kids told me that it was a man — entitled the mantracker — on a horse, who hunts two human “prey” across really tough terrain.

They said I could beat mantracker. So, I told them I would check into it, once I’d finished my marathons.

In early February of this year, I started running on the treadmill and needed something to watch. I found Mantracker on the schedule and decided to check it out. It is brilliant.

Roy (The Rabbit) Ellis and Martin (Marathon Man) Parnell have applied to participate in the TV show Mantracker. Photo courtesy Martin Parnell

I recorded 27 episodes.

The content is a bit repetitive, but the scenery is amazing. It’s a Canadian production and they’ve done shows right across the country. In each segment mantracker Terry Grant, on his faithful steed, attempts to catch the “prey” within 36 hours before they reach the finish line, which is 39 kilometres away.

Last week I talked to my running buddy, Roy Ellis. He is an ultramarathoner and, like me, enjoys a challenge. He didn’t take much convincing, when I suggested we take on mantracker, although Grant, who is from High River, is no longer part of the program. Our application is in the mail. We also had to send in a video, so check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zycispNqfss.

If you think Roy and I should be on the show then send Mantracker an e-mail at contact@bonterraproductions.com and tell them why.

Happy hunting!

© 2011 Martin Parnell

mjparnell@shaw.ca

www.marathonquest250.com

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One Response to “Running mates eager to become human ‘prey’”

1. Albert Martens says:

   May 24, 2011 at 9:03 am

   Go for Mantracker – Roy and Martin – you can do it!
   I vote for Roy and Martin to be on Mantracker.
   Albert