Harry Fry, Virgin London,
photo courtesy of David Wearn/Virgin London Marathon
Reposted January 11, 2017. Originally ran on February 3, 2013.
Just saw my friend Harry Fry. Harry and his team are part of the most amazing transport team in our sport. They have worked at New Balance Indoor, London, Houston, among others. There was the year that Harry met me as I got off my plane, and wisked me through Customs in London Heathrow. Harry and his team are examples of the amazing volunteers who give their time and energy to make these major sporting events run smoothly. Without people like Harry Fry and his team, our sport would be poorer.
I wanted to give you, dear readers, some insight to what goes on behind the scenes in major events. In my mind, in Global Transport, the man is Harry Fry, who has developed his team and truly written the book on how to develop a transport and hospitality program. That Harry Fry does it for the Virgin London Marathon is no surprise. Virgin London is a professionally run event with a professional team, Global Transport is part of that success.
So, I had just gotten off the plane for the London marathon this year (April 2012), and I walked into the Customs line and saw that it was a nightmare. I estimated it at 2 hours plus. Having read the FT.com story on the sad state custom lines into London’s Heathrow Airport, I was praying that Harry Fry, the king of global transport and head of Virgin London Marathon transport, would somehow find me and wisk me out of the line.
The year before, in 2011, I had just grabbed my bags and as I left the plane I heard, “Hi Larry!” and there, in his red shirt and white shorts stood the man who knows Heathrow better than any human alive! Harry Fry was at the plane’s front door! Harry and I chatted as he whisked me through Heathrow, through Customs (five minutes) and off to a coffee and then the train to Victoria Station.
Transport drivers? Harry leaves nothing to chance. In his driving team are London policeman and women, people who know the city of London and how to keep the elite athletes of London Marathon safe and out of really bad traffic.
But that was 2011, and this was 2012. It was an Olympic year, surely there are limitations to a man who has run London Marathon transport since 1998, when his friend David Bedford asked Harry to help on the transport system for elite and VIPS for the marathon.
I hit 35 events a year and can honestly say that there is no one like Harry and his team. I see him in the Global Athletics events in Boston and NYC as well and Harry gets the job of transporting people from airport to hotel to airport with dignity and some humor.
His team is amazing. They know their way around and after an all night flight, one just wants to get to a nice room and crash. Harry gets that.
So, back to my story from April 2012. I am standing in line with my son, Adam and all of a sudden,we hear, ” Oh Larry?”. Standing in customs is the man in the red shirt and white shorts, Harry Fry. He gets us through customs in two minutes-not an exaggeration.
In my mind, one of the things that makes the Virgin London marathon so incredible is their attention to detail. Having Harry Fry as the King of Global Transport, a unique situation in the marathon business, makes all the difference after traveling halfway around the world! I now see Harry at several events each year and know that his expertise, earned over a decade of experience, is part of what makes these events stand out.
Harry Fry and his London Transport team,
photo courtesy of David Wearn/Virgin London Marathon
Harry and his team work on the New Balance Indoor GP, adidas GP NYC and Harry will be working at the City of LA Marathon.
I did an interview of Harry Fry last April, regarding their unique program at the Virgin London Marathon and had in my saved file. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I enjoy Harry Fry and his team!
This interview was done regarding the hospitality that Harry Frys’ team provides for the Virgin London Marathon, April 2012:
Harry Fry, Jo Jones and Becky Ripley,
photo courtesy of David Wearn/Virgin London Marathon
RBR, # 1. When did you start working for the London marathon?
Harry Fry: I started the meet & greet program in 1998 the first year the Heathrow Express opened, prior to that I had helped Dave Bedford on race day only.RBR, # 2. What is your goal with the hospitality?
Harry Fry: My goal is quite simple to give all our arriving guests a fast class service from plane to hotel. This year is the first time that all guest were accompanied by a member of the meet and greet team from airport to hotel. The most important part is to try to fast track everyone through immigration. If we cannot meet at the plane door we will endeavour to find them in the immigration hall.
RBR, # 3. You met me at the airport plane last year, this year, you got us out of customs in few minutes?
Harry Fry: There are only three of us that have airside passes and the morning you arrived we had five flights arriving virtually at the same time. So I waited in the Hall to catch, in Terminal the furthest gate is a mile from Customs Hall. This year I walked a total of just under 80 kilometres in just 4.5 days.Hope to increase my airside team next year.
RBR, # 4. How do you pick your team?
Harry Fry: I have always picked my team through my own friends or personal recommendations, this year we had two girls join us from the USA who I worked with in Chicago and Houston.
Global Transport team: Aaron Mascarella, Harry Fry, Brett Schumacher
RBR, # 5. Could this be done in other races?
Harry Fry: With approval from the London Marathon and BAA with whom we have an amazing working relationship, I guess it could be done for other races in the UK, but to be perfectly honest is it nice to keep it at present exclusive to the Virgin London Marathon.
RBR, # 6. Why do you help?
Harry Fry: I just love it, very hard work, long hours but the feedback and thanks we get is truly amazing.
Stephanie Sampson Ward, Allysa Kline, Omar Zavala, Harry Fry, Kim Sebaska, Meghan McCarron, adidas GP NYC
RBR, # 7 . What makes you happiest?
Harry Fry: At the airport, seeing people’s reaction to fast tracking through immigration and their delight in not having to queue. On race day being alongside Dave Bedford and starting the race with the backup air horn, however did not do it this year as Hugh Brasher did it with DB. Being in Birdcage Walk and directing the elite athletes into the correct lane.
RBR, # 8. What do you do outside of the marathon?
Harry Fry: I used to be the MD of an American owned manufacturing company making products for the automotive industry, When the company was sold and I was made redundant, I started my own small consultancy business.Now also involved in running the Hospitality suite at the Chicago Marathon and helping out at three track and field events in the US, the US Open at Madison Square Gardens, New Balance Indoor Games in Boston and the adidas Grand Prix in New York.
Harry Fry on the medal stand! London 2012
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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by Larry Eder
