FEUD FOR THOUGHT

As the Paris Olympics approaches, bringing healthy rivalries and lofty ideals to the fore, we shine a light on running's dark side.

- DUNCAN CRAIG

HE IMPORTANT THING is not so much winning as taking part.' A mantra that's come to symbolise not just the Olympics, but every branch of athletic endeavour. Few will know that the high-minded expression's origins lie in one of the darkest chapters of sport: the viciously rancorous 1908 Games in London.

The gathering - just the fourth by the new Olympic movement was less a coming together in the spirit of collective aspiration, more a festival of petty nationalistic animosity. And tensions between Britain and America lay at the heart of the acrimony.

There was an ugly cocktail of contributing factors, but the most explosive incident was the men's 400m. It was won by American John Carpenter, but only after he was alleged to have run British favourite Wyndham Halswelle off the track. The 25 000-strong crowd let out "a howl of execration", whatever that is, and British officials rushed to void the race. The rerun was a farce. With Carpenter disqualified and the other two US athletes dropping out in solidarity, Halswelle ran to a sheepish solo triumph.

It was against this backdrop that American Bishop Ethelbert Talbot invited to give the sermon at St Paul's - exhorted listeners to prioritise participation over victory, with a line that was subsequently commandeered by Pierre Coubertin, father of the modern Olympic movement.

It's one thing having a catchy mantra; quite another to adhere to it. In the 115 years since those Games, the darker side of competitive running, across all its myriad formats and stages, has resurfaced regularly.