6th AIMS Marathon Symposium in MARATHON and the ceremonies at the Tomb of the Marathon Warriors

Awaiting them there were Patrick Makau and Rosa Mota (along with Makau's young daughter who had earlier borne the rain with marathon-like fortitude).

They received the torch along with the great-grandson of the inaugural Olympic Marathon Champion Spyros Louis, and together lit the cauldron positioned on a rostrum by Marathon Bridge, next to the starting line used for the 2004 Olympic Marathon.

In the afternoon the Symposium addressed the question how to deliver quality in a Marathon and add value to a runner's experience. Fernando Jamarne, of Santiago Marathon, showed how basic requirements could be met simply by observing published rules and advice.

Mark Milde addressed the registration process, which for the 40th Berlin Marathon to be run on 29 September 2013 had taken place only two weeks' earlier. Milde had helped to guide successful registration of 32,000 runners in 3.5 hours – but the first 10,000 registrations had come within two minutes. He revealed that advice had been received that 4000 people were electronically queuing up to register in the very first second after opening.

That this volume of traffic was successfully fielded was down to Milde thinking himself into the position of the runners, and asking for minimum inputs at such a peak time.

A second stage followed in which runners who had 'logged interest' were contacted to supply further details and a payment to secure their "pre-booked" place.

High-resolution-photo (right-click to save)

Inna Chernoblavskaya, from the Siberian International Marathon followed the theme of putting herself in the shoes of her client runners – almost literally, but in reverse. The Siberian Ice Half Marathon on 7 January each year has been held in temperatures as low a -42C (2001) but the organisation knows what is necessary to meet such adverse conditons: accessorising runners with appropriate thermal clothing and keeping them closely watched at all times during the race (on a 3.5km circuit).

Underlying all these contributions was the advice to listen to how runners experienced the race and absorb the implications of such feed back to add value to future events.

Gary Boshoff argued that the running experience is broader than the runner's experience, because it encompasses spectators and supporters, who in an event like the (89km) Comrades Marathon have lived through months of race preparation along with the runner.

Measures to integrate all parties may be orientated to either of them: on-course entertainment for supporters rubs off onto runners as much as public recognition of regular repeat runners (a "green jersey" for runners who have completed 10 times) rubs off on their supporters.

To conclude, Dimitris Gargalianos, Professor of Physical Education at the Democritos University of Thrace, delivered a challenging address on the principles of "Total Quality Management". None of the 50 race directors in the audience was prepared to claim that they applied "total quality management" – although Gargalianos at the outset had reversed the order of importance to management, quality and "total".

He went on to suggest that just by appointing one suitable person to apply the concept, and taking the appointment seriously, much could be achieved. He advocated closer co-operation between race organisations and academic institutions, who both stand to gain from a closer association, if they can develop an effective way to engage.

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