interviewed by Amanda Nimon Peters
Personal details
Name: Phillip Clarke
Nickname: Pip � It originated from my sister who couldn�t pronounce my name when I was young. In the UK, I�m generally known as Pip. (Also aka Charming Phil C � ed)
Nationality: British
Married: Single
Occupation: Market Risk Management at Standard Chartered Bank � Sounds dull but it does have its moments. Just remember I�m protecting your pensions.
Life stage: Somewhere entering the middle-aged zone.
For how long can you hold your breath: depends where I am! In the sea it's not very long because I get nervous!
What 3 words best describe you: Relaxed, Sarcastic, Woo
Most unique physical characteristic: My left big toe. I broke my toenail and it�s starting to resemble a snail�s shell now.
Most impressive party trick: I can down a pint of beer in less than 3 seconds; also, I�ve never been beaten in a rugby boat- racing contest.
Earliest memory: Not much when I was young because I was a lazy baby. I didn�t walk until I was 2.5yrs.
Thoughts on Dubai
Years in Dubai: 2
Where else have you lived: Bath and London. London became a bit of a repetitive lifestyle. I do miss the parks and river in London though.
3 best things about Dubai: Sun, sea and most obviously�brunches
3 worst things about Dubai: Races are long & start too early, there are too many bull sh*tters and too many shopping malls.
Which 3 words would you use to best describe Dubai: Money, Growth, and Hot
What is your recommendation for a great night/day out in Dubai: On Friday: start with an early morning run (you can go with Creek Striders) or a game of golf, hit the beach until lunchtime, then off to Yalumba for vast amounts of champagne & lovely food. Followed that up with the Rooftop Terrace at the Royal Mirage, which is good for a sundowner, and then off to Barasti for the evening. It usually gets hazy from there on..! I�m also considering buying a share in a boat. I imagine boating around Dubai would be a fantastic day out.
Favourites
Favourite food: A large chicken kebab which extra chilli and yogurt from a UK takeaway. It�s a perfect end to the evening. The boys will know what I�m talking about.
Favourite drink: Mojitos (rum, lime & mint). Very refreshing�.they do good ones at Barasti. Cider is also high on the list but I can�t find a decent pint anywhere in Dubai.
Favourite holiday: I ran away from work when I was 23 to travel around the world. I would highly recommend the same to anyone because during the trip you don�t really care what�s happening in the rest of the world.
Favourite book: I don�t read books as I read too much financial stuff at work. I read newspapers backwards: from the back to the front page.
Favourite cultural activity: The male cultural tradition of watching sport on TV.
Favourite holiday destination: Cape Town - Camps Bay is beautiful in many ways and the Stellinbosch Wine region is a great place to waste a day sampling the local vineyards.
Favourite smell: The smell when running past the Shangri-la hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road. They must spray the aroma to entice people in, but I usually have the ordeal of following Terry Hislop on the long run.
Favourite movie: Stand By Me � It reminds me of my childhood camping adventures and getting into trouble.
Favourite animal: Dogs, as they are stupid and simple like me.
Favourite film star: Don�t really have one...if I had to choose, Jack Nicholson
Favourite sports person: Ian Botham for his play hard - work hard attitude! He also smacked the Aussie's around for fun.
Favourite music: fast house or chill out, depending on whether I am running or sitting still.
Favourite politician: I don�t get involved in politics but I suppose you could say I�m a Thatcher kid and a capitalist!
If you were...
If you were an animal what would you be: A snake so most people would leave me alone and I would have the ability to slide into awkward places
If you were a building, what would you look like: Maybe an apartment block, so I could be really nosey and look into people�s lives?
If you ruled the world what would you change: Ban smoking and abolish religion as it causes too much conflict in the world.
If you were an inventor what would you invent: A bed which guarantees 10 hours� sleep per night... I love sleeping, it�s the best tonic in the world.
If you were famous, what would it be for: Probably being the 1st person to die running the Dubai Marathon.
General knowledge
(WITHOUT reference material, i.e. no internet, reference books, calculator etc).
How many countries in the world: 230? (Close. There are 195 actual countries, but 227 entities if you include dependencies such as Gaza � ed).
What is the surface area of the earth: Ok back to school. It�s a 3 dimensional object so I think you would use the formulae= 4*Pi*R^2� so 4*3.14*3500 miles^2 = so about 150,000,000 m2? (Take your word for it � ed).
What are three most crowded countries on earth (by population density): Singapore, Hong Kong (I�m excluding it from China) and I�ll go for a sub continent country�Bangladesh?
What are the three smallest countries on earth (by land mass): Vatican state, Monaco (trick Q..I think it�s a principality) and Luxembourg?
(Very close for such difficult questions. Three most crowded are Monaco, Singpore and the Maldives, but Bangaldesh is 5th. The smallest are Vatican, Tuvalu and Nauru, but Monaco is 5th - ed).
How far is it from London to Sydney: 11,000 miles? (Pretty much spot on! � ed)
How far is it to the moon: Ages�200,000miles (again very close � quarter of a million miles on average � ed).
How many kilometres have you run in your life: 5,000m, not that much as I tend to walk if the distance is too long to run.
When will the Burj Dubai be completed: 2010? Ask Nick he�ll know.
How much does an Armani suit cost: $2.5k, I don�t have any, I tend to get mine from a cheap London bespoke tailor.
How much does a Gucci ball gown cost: $2k, I would never buy a Gucci dress for a girl, as they would only wear it once�what a waste!
How much does it cost to have a bunch of flowers delivered to your mum on mother�s day: $60?
Where is Angus: He�s usually sitting on my shoulder in races, frustrating me like crazy when he hits my heels. Maybe he�s retired from running�as he�s getting slower!
Across your life...
What is you most embarrassing moment: I don�t get embarrassed too easily, but I�ve done some stupid things like waking up in a hospital ward after a night out.
What is your greatest achievement in life: I won the soapbox derby as an 8 year old in my hometown and made it onto the front page of the local paper. A soapbox derby is a race in which contestants build their own go-karts and race down a hill. I was very popular with the girls that week!
What is your motto for life: Treat people how you expect to be treated and live for today as tomorrow you could be dead.
What gets you out of bed in the morning: The sun. I have cr*p curtains in my room which need replacing because they don�t block out the sunlight.
What is your worst habit: Ignoring people and not giving them a chance.
What are you afraid of: Dubai taxi drivers - they�re kamikazes!
What is your worst nightmare: Any of the ABRaS girls beating me in race less than 5k and less...except with Emma around its getting more likely.
Choices....
Red or White (wine): White! As I fall over and pass out on 2 glasses of red
Obama or McCain: Neither, they�re both ice creams!
Handsome or Clever: Well I�m not handsome, so it has to be clever � that�s debatable though.
Pajero or Prado: Or �P� for Pushbike as I don�t have a car.
Gucci or Top Shop: Both are girls� shops. I shop only once per year for clothes as it�s too much of a hassle and I hate being pestered by sales staff.
Asics or Adidas: Asics � I get bad blisters with all the other shoes.
Spinneys or Choithrams: I can honestly say I�ve never been into neither. I�m lucky enough to have a maid who gets all the cleaning products.
Paris or London: Definitely London. The French are lovely people but they surrender too easily.(Note of the WebMaster: Marseille is the best place on earth - Was it the June Runner Of The Month who said no freedom of the press ??)
Running and sport
Why do you run: To keep fit and to make me feel better after a hard weekend or a long day in the office
How many years have you been running: 3-4 years. I used to play a lot of football and rugby when I was younger but I kept on getting injured so I took up running.
How many kms per week do you run: On average 10 � 20km. I keep the distances short to keep morale high in the club, as I let Anna, Angus and Richard beat me at the longer distances.
Favourite racing distance: Anything short�e.g. 5km and less.
Best ever race: Winning the UAE National Relay Championship in RAK 2008 with my esteemed club members Debbie, Niels and Ryan. I dare anyone to take us in 2009!
Worst ever race: 2004 Nairobi Marathon, I walked off the course after 25k as I was in such a mess. Many things went wrong which I can�t really mention on this web site. No wonder I hate distance running. Worst race in Dubai?, so far the Mirdiff 10 miler last year because I was not sufficiently prepared for a race that long. This season, I�m determined to finish higher!
What training do you hate: Any track reps greater than 800m.
What training do you like best: 10*400m.
What advice would you give a fellow runner: Don�t take it too seriously, and enjoy the social comradery with the other runners and other clubs.
What is your 'must have' piece of running kit: My ABRaS running vest so I can qualify for the club championship.
What other sport do you do: Golf. Also, I�ve just put up a darts board in my apartment...anyone for a game of killer?
