The National Stadium

---

I walked around the Bird's Nest stadium - it really is an impressive structure. I peered in. I thought of that moment when the first marathon runner enters the tunnel then comes out onto the track, and my scalp began to tingle. I remembered the drumming at the opening ceremony and tingled some more.

I walked around again at a lower level, looking for the tunnel. There were a couple to choose from and I looked through, letting my imagination play. Then I went and bought a ticket to go inside - I couldn't resist it. So I ran the last lap and a bit of the marathon. The sandals and daypack, dodging-the-tourists marathon. It felt fabulous. Well worth 50 yuan (about five pounds). I got some funny looks, but frankly the only thing that seemed funny to me was that no-one else was running. In fact, most people didn't even walk far from the entrance and I had the back straight almost to myself. I wandered round again, until on the brink of being overcome by that flood of familiar knowledge that I will never do, or be, anything great, I hoiked myself off to sit in the stand with an ice-cream and watch some olympic highlights on the big screen.

Walking round Olympic Green, I saw that the torch hadn't been removed as I'd thought from inside, but has been folded down onto the roof of the stand. The green itself is wide and pleasant and generously scattered with interesting sculptures adorned with children posing for photographs. And of course there are enough tacky bird's nest souvenirs being offered to have you running the other 26 miles.

---

Photos

At the finish line
Having just completed the final 500m of the sandals and daypack marathon in the Bird's Nest Stadium

The National Stadium
With a few people to give a sense of scale

Comments

[mark]

Bird's nest
And you don't even look tired after your race - what an athlete!