A Cautionary Tale

I have been reading recently about the old Perth to Dundee road race that was at some times a 22-miler and at others a full distance marathon. Having started early in the last century it became a regular fixtire after the '39 - '45 War. It was popular and well supported by top runners as well as ordinary club runners (David Bowman was a regular and Eric Paton and possibly Willie Howie ran in it) but it breathed its last in 1954. The thirteenth running was its last running. The reasons given - and I only read this today - was that it was organised by the Dundee Thistle Harriers and they had become so road-oriented that they had problems recruiting younger athletes who all went to Dundee Hawkhill Harriers who trained at Caird Park track. The moral is plain for all to see, I think! Look at local clubs (not us) who became serious road running clubs with a great deal of success and who are now in the deep doldrums.