Spoof athletics blog proves a hit
Spikesmag.com delves into the world of athletics blogging where we discover more about a fun spoof website known as the Lufbra Echo.
World triple jump record holder Jonathan Edwards is a twerp and double European distance running champion Mo Farah a hopeless diva….at least according to the warped imagination of spoof track and field blogger James Fairbourn.
The young Brit invents such, er, creative stories at the Lufbra Echo where his tongue in cheek tales have created an enthusiastic following in the sport.
Now here at spikesmag.com we are constantly beating the drum for athletics to be fun and a little edgy and James’ site does just that thanks to his offbeat humour, sharp writing style and rich knowledge of the sport.
James is a former student at Loughborough, one of the main centre’s for athletics excellence in the UK, and the birth of the blog can be traced back to his time at the Leicestershire university.
“It started as a laugh between my mates at Loughborough,” he said. “Each Thursday night we went on a tempo run and I used to email them a press release on it to make it a bigger thing than it really was. Eventually one of my mate’s said ‘you should put it online as a blog'.”
He thought why not and using the colloquial spelling of the local newspaper (the Loughborough Echo) the Lufbra Echo was born in March this year. Many of his blogs were specific to Loughborough students, although he also writes about the international stars of the sport. A keen writer, the blog has become the 3:58 1500m runner’s playground.
“It’s as much a bit of fun for me as for the people who read it,” he adds. “Athletics is a sport that takes itself a bit too seriously at times and I quite like to highlight that fact. I really enjoy writing things that are funny and making them out to be a lot bigger than they are.”
Blogging ideas come to him most days during his time driving up to three hours every day in his job as a healthcare worker.
But does he have any favourites?
“I wrote an exclusive on “Yelena Isinbayeva and what really happened?,” he adds of the Russian who temporarily quit vaulting this year to recharge her batteries. “I said she stopped vaulting because she had an argument with her pole. I don’t know whether this story was posted on a Russian website, but it still gets about ten hits a day.”
Another favourite theme of his has been to create British middle-distance star Mo Farah into a bit of a diva. Now anyone who knows Mo will agree the European 5000m and 10,000m is one of the most passive and easy-going characters you could ever meet. Yet this has not stopped the Lubfra Echo creating a rather different image.
“I’ve written about him wanting to quit Masterchef because he burnt some toast,” he adds. “I also wrote about him whingeing about the hotel being only four-star at the world cross. In my own warped imagination I’ve made Mo Farah out to be snobby human being but which is the opposite of what he is.”
One the of the, er, more eye-catching headlines and stories he wrote was titled ‘Jonathan Edwards conformed as a twerp.’ Which seems a little odd and probably demands a bit of explanation on why the former triple jump star and BBC commentator is described in such unflattering terms.
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“The headline was based on a article I read in the Daily Telegraph which said ‘Caster Semenya confirmed As A Female,’ he says. "This struck me as an odd headline so I had to play around with a Jonathan Edwards headline.”
Being a little naughty, the blog could potentially offend the ill informed, so has he had any complaints?
“I have had a few grumbles on a few websites and some people just don’t get it," James admits. “I know one person who was offended by saying ‘they messed up a session’ and it wasn’t until I said it was a joke they realised it was. On the whole, though, people take it as it’s meant, but if someone genuinely has a problem with what I’ve written I’ll just take it off the site.”
Three of James’ favourites blogs:
World Exclusive: Isinbayeva – What Really Happened http://lufbraecho.blogspot.com/search/label/Isinbayeva
Farah: Back Me Or I’m Out http://lufbraecho.blogspot.com/2010/11/farah-back-me-or-im-out.html
Meadows Eases Into Semis Despite Sunglasses Scare http://lufbraecho.blogspot.com/2010/03/meadows-eases-into-semis-despite.html
***To read more of James’ stories go to lufbraecho.blogspot.com