The one with other people running

Friday 20th April 2007

OWEN - So the Flora London Marathon is just around the corner, metaphorically and literally and we need a bet.

Having studied the market for all of two minutes I’m placing a bet that the winning Men’s London Marathon time will be 2 hours 6 minutes 12 seconds and think it will be won by H Gebrselassie. For the Women’s London Marathon I think the winning time will be 2 hours 18 minutes and 24 seconds and be won by C Zhou.

I think I will be watching the marathon from a bar and cheering those I know competing in it at round about the 18^th mile. If they get too warm they can always stop for a beer.

I’m pretty sure my marathon times will be close so I gave Jack the option of over or under for both.

JACK – Owen knows nothing about any form of athletics, especially the London Marathon and I’m convinced he made those names up. He’s offered me the over/under on both of his predictions for our usual £50 a time and who am I to decline?

I have elected to take the over on the men’s marathon, and the under on the women’s marathon. I would explain my reasoning, but I used so many trends and complex formulas that nobody would understand. I will hint towards my methods using only two words. ‘Coin’, and ‘Flip’.

After my huge scoop on betting in the London Marathon, I will hopefully be taking advantage of Owen’s complete lack of sporting knowledge over the upcoming months through side bets on the Snooker World Championship, as well as the Champion’s League final, FA Cup final, and any one of the fifteen other football games which Chelsea and Manchester Utd happen to be playing around that time.