Why Paris nor basic goodness will be defeated

Arts Editor of this newspaper and committed marathon runner Phil Hewitt gives a unique insight into the Paris atrocity in this special article. Phil has completed more than 25 marathons and is author of the global sensation Keep On Running. Here, he explains why Paris is so special and why shared humanity through events like marathons is our greatest weapon against terror.

At the very moment of the Paris massacre, a friend of a friend of mine was being mugged outside her flat less than a mile away.

She looked at the wider picture and decided her injuries weren’t worth bothering the authorities with. She’s happy her son is currently working in London. She considers Paris a dangerous city.

These are desperately-troubling times. Deeply-depressing times.

We are facing an enemy unlikely to be cowed by conventional military action. ISIS is the lethal confluence of the most ghastly elements. Put together lack of hope, radicalising peer pressure, an utter lack of empathy and almost a desperation to die for the cause, and you’ve got an enemy it seems almost impossible to tackle.

And yet…

Take a look at these pictures. Take a look and take heart. They underline the reasons Paris will be strong in its crisis; the reasons Paris might actually be strengthened by the attacks.

These images are of the Paris Marathon.

And yes, it’s easy to be dismissive of sport, to believe it’s a mere pastime, that ultimately it has little consequence on the world stage.