People

Marathon efforts

Months of lonely training came to a rewarding end for the brave band of hopefuls from the University who lined up with nearly 30,000 other runners to tackle the world-renowned London Marathon.

Despite the cold, wet weather, their Herculean efforts helped to raise money for worthwhile causes while achieving personal goals.

Kira Larsen, of the Careers Advisory Service, achieved her goal of a sub-four hour time in her first marathon. Despite a lengthy toilet queue stop, Kira completed the course in 3:54:24, and raised £600 for Homerton Hospital Art Fund.

Kira said: 'I was very cold waiting at the start. As soon as I got over the start-line I needed the loo and waited in a long queue whilst the clock was ticking.

'During most of the race I was concentrating on catching up on lost time and was just enjoying the incredible atmosphere. Lots of people were out supporting despite the bad weather, which was great as you didn't have time to think of aching legs.

'I had a great race until the 24th mile when fatigue set in and the last two miles were a real test, but because I was wearing my club vest from the Serpentine Running Club in London I had quite a few of my club mates cheer me on and that was a real help.

'It's interesting how social the running scene is for a sport that is seemingly very self-absorbed. Most of your long training runs are done in solitude, but races are always great social occasions.'

With her first marathion safely under her belt, Kira's thoughts have turned to her next run, in Dublin 2005.

PhD student Anne Peacock of the Department of Law completed the course in 5:30:57. Anne said: 'This marathon - my first - was about self discovery. The marathon was the greatest combined physical and mental challenge I have yet to experience.

'However after months and months of emotional and physical ups and downs, finishing the London Marathon makes you realize that nothing is impossible and your only obstacle is your own self doubt.'

Department of Government PhD student Guillermo Luevano-Martinez was also competing in his first marathon, and crossed the line in 5:30:37.

The University's Occupational Physician, and Colchester GP, Dr Vivian Fox, completed his first marathon in 4 hours and 10 minutes to raise more than £1000 for the British Heart Foundation.

Occupational physician Dr Viv Fox celebrates completing the marathon with explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who ran seven marathons in seven consecutive days in different continents

Former Professor wins Skytte award

The founding professor of the Department of Government has been awarded the Johan Skytte prize in honour of his outstanding contribution to political science.

Professor Jean Blondel, who was also the driving force behind the establishment of the European Consortium of Political Research (ECPR), spent 20 years at Essex from 1964 and currently holds positions at the European University Institute, Florence, and the University of Siena.

The Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science was established in 1994 and is one of the most prestigious political science awards in the world. It is named after Johan Skytte who was council of the realm and a leading politician in seventeenth century Sweden. The prize is awarded annually by the Skytte Foundation at Uppsala University.

After an international nomination, the prize committee, chaired by Professor Leif Lewin of Uppsala University, chose Professor Blondel 'for his oustanding contribution to the professionalisation of European political science, both as a pioneering comparativist and an institution builder.'

Student's play returns to Pentameters Theatre

A play written by a PhD student which first opened at the Pentameters Theatre in London almost twenty years ago returned to its theatrical roots in April.

Written by Mick Stephens, a Literature PhD student at Essex, Our Father returned to the Pentameters Theatre at the request of its Artistic Director Leonie Scott-Matthews.

The Theatre, which is one of London's oldest fringe theatres, celebrated its long history by producing the return of one of its seminal works.

Our Father is part of a disjointed trilogy also comprising Mick's novel The Brooklyn Book of the Dead and the memoir Where the Sky Ends. It previously played for five years on Theatre Row in New York and received critical acclaim when it ran at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Following performances at Gorky's Russian Brewery on Sunset Strip it was chosen as 'Notable Play of the Year' by the Los Angeles Times.

Mick, who has taught in creative writing programmes at Princeton University, Columbia University, and New York University among others, is currently researching the Saint Mark's in the Bowery Poetry Project and its influence for his PhD. The Poetry Project was a radical arts movement on the Lower East Side of Manhattan which started in 1966 and continues today.

Also in the printed June edition of Wyvern:

• Portrait award for Psychology student
• Plane sailing