Weather

4pm Sunday 19 April 2009

An entirely forgettable week was saved by some memorable warmth today. Just in time for the Redcar Half Marathon, the week’s mist and low cloud separated to bathe the deserted esplanade in bright sunlight, ready to greet over a thousand runners as they pounded their way past the lifeboat station while, over the road,  the crew trained on the electronic navigation system of the inshore lifeboat.

By the time the race was due to start on Sunday morning, there were chinks of sunshine peeping through the clouds, warming the faces of the eager runners on the starting line in Kirleatham village. Weeks and months of preparation for the big day were about to be put to the test as they tackled the roads round Redcar, and at least the weather was on their side.

Running for the RNLI.

For the elite runners, it was a chance to show the others how fast they could go. For most runners, though, it was a chance to prove to themselves that they could do it – to prepare themselves both physically and mentally for the challenge of running 13 miles on the day. And, for one or two at least, it was a chance to raise money for the RNLI as a further reward for their success.

In many ways, a lifeboat volunteer goes through similar training and preparation to a marathon runner to be ready to respond to the call for help. Some rescues are the proverbial “walk in the park”. Straightforward, without the risk of real harm to the rescued or the rescuer. Others, though, are like full-blown marathons. Hours spent searching the raging North Sea for a lost soul needs stamina and dogged determination to succeed. Nothing hurts an RNLI crewmember more than coming back empty handed.

There is one big difference though. The marathon runners have the date of the big day circled on their calendars for months beforehand, and everything they do is geared round being ready on the starting line. For a crewmember, on the other hand, the day of the race can be at any time – without warning, and they must always be in top form, ready for that emergency call.

The Atlantic chart shows the winds will be from anywhere between the east, south and west for much of the week ahead. It looks like we’re in for a few more days of sunshine though.