Running the marathon - with bells on!
27 February 2012
He’s not a typical marathon runner, nor is he a typical Morris dancer, but London student, twenty-year-old Ben Moss, will be combining the two this April when he Morris dances the entire Virgin London Marathon.
Ben, a second year university student, who has been Morris dancing since he was 11, will be aiming for a new world record this April.
As well as furthering the appeal of Morris dancing, he’s stepping all 26.2 miles to raise funds for Sense.
Ben said:
"Morris dancing is a centuries old tradition that’s open to everyone – young, old, male and female. It’s a great way to stay fit and socialise.
"It’s also very sensory, based around music and rhythm so I wanted to set my own challenge to support people whose sensory loss means they have to overcome huge challenges everyday of their lives."
Ben, who studies Maths and Philosophy at Kings College, London, shares his parents’ passion for the traditional dance and was a member of a number of teams based around his home town near Exeter before moving to London.
Ben will be dancing the marathon in the kit of his current Morris team, the Hammersmith Morris Men, and is likely to stand out from other runners in a top hat and breeches adorned with blue and gold ribbons and rosettes as well as those famous ankle bells.
He will be double-stepping his way along the race course along with the occasional spin, or ‘galley’ to give it its proper name:
"One of my housemates is also running the marathon but he’s ruled out training with me while I’m dancing as I can attract some strange looks!
"I’m hoping I’ll find the energy and space to perform a ‘going off’ dance along the final straight of the race – this will involve lots of jumps and spins- it should be a fitting way to end the marathon!"
Morris dancing goes back a long way and Ben is not the first to have attempted a long-distance dance. In 1600 the famous Shakesperean actor, William Kempe, Morris danced over 100 miles between London and Norwich.
However, if Ben completes the 26.2 miles of the iconic Virgin London Marathon his efforts could win him a place in the record books.
"People have been really generous – I’ve received donations and well-wishes from different Morris teams across the country. I’m not sure how long it will take me to complete the race but I’ll be happy just to finish it."