Bidding to host a major sports event

Robert Scott (1992), Chairman of the Manchester 2000 British Olympic bid, once commented:

It is a commonly held view that the toughest Olympic event is the marathon…. [But by comparison] there is another Olympic event which makes the marathon look gentle. It has only a handful of competitors, lasts many years, is fought out in every continent of the world, and ends with the presentation of just one medal.