The title is a reference to the story "The Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner," by Alan Sillitoe.
I always thought that the lyrics might have been about Sebastian Coe, a very famous middle distance runner who from England who, before the 1984 Moscow Olympics, came under enormous scrutiny as to whether he would boycott the Olympics to protest Russia's invasion of Afghanistan, or compete. No matter which he chose, he was bound to infuriate one half of England or the other. That kind of situation can be pretty lonely.
The title is a reference to the story "The Loneliness of a Long Distance Runner," by Alan Sillitoe.
I always thought that the lyrics might have been about Sebastian Coe, a very famous middle distance runner who from England who, before the 1984 Moscow Olympics, came under enormous scrutiny as to whether he would boycott the Olympics to protest Russia's invasion of Afghanistan, or compete. No matter which he chose, he was bound to infuriate one half of England or the other. That kind of situation can be pretty lonely.