I was doing quite well up to 16km, when suddenly my steam ran out, and I barely managed to jog the final 5km. So, then, the big question is this: how will I be able to run a full 42km in less than four weeks' time?
Monday, August 15, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Golden Oldies - 4 - road races in Malta that are no longer
A good while ago I embarked on a nostalgia trip, describing some road running events that used to be very popular among the Maltese running community, but that are now, sadly, only a part of history. I had started off with the summer fun runs, some more fun with the St Patrick's summer league, the Balluta 5 miles race and here, to conclude, some other events that are no longer part of the Maltese running calender. So, here goes...
The Paola Half Marathon
I have fond memories of this short-lived 'sister' of the Malta International Challenge Marathon, for the simple reason that here I obtained my best time ever at a half marathon - exactly 1h30:00 (1h29:59 on my watch).
The Paola half marathon used to be held on a Sunday morning in mid-May. The start was at Paola Square, and the route went through Santa Luċija, Luqa, all the way through Ħal Far to Birżebbuġa, Marsaxlokk and up towards Bir id-Deheb, along the Tal-Barrani Road and back into Paola.
It was just my type of route, but for some reason the event did not gain in popularity. Perhaps the running calendar had already grown saturated, or athletes didn't like the idea of a long distance race in May, when the temperature's already considerably hot in Malta, especially for this type of long distance. Maybe there were complicated traffic considerations, financial viability... whatever. Too bad, because I used to like this race.
The Paola Half Marathon
I have fond memories of this short-lived 'sister' of the Malta International Challenge Marathon, for the simple reason that here I obtained my best time ever at a half marathon - exactly 1h30:00 (1h29:59 on my watch).
The Paola half marathon used to be held on a Sunday morning in mid-May. The start was at Paola Square, and the route went through Santa Luċija, Luqa, all the way through Ħal Far to Birżebbuġa, Marsaxlokk and up towards Bir id-Deheb, along the Tal-Barrani Road and back into Paola.
It was just my type of route, but for some reason the event did not gain in popularity. Perhaps the running calendar had already grown saturated, or athletes didn't like the idea of a long distance race in May, when the temperature's already considerably hot in Malta, especially for this type of long distance. Maybe there were complicated traffic considerations, financial viability... whatever. Too bad, because I used to like this race.
The Zurrieq 10 miles
A well-established fixture of the Maltese road running calendar is the Zurrieq half marathon in November. This is an offshoot of an earlier race that was very popular, and used to be held in October: the Zurrieq 10 miles. I remember gaining a couple of very good times in this event. Of course, in those sub-40-years-old times, most of my times used to be very good compared to what I'm achieving as a get ever closer to 50... (goodness, even writing it feels so odd, I can't bear even to look at the number).
Perhaps, this was a bit too close to the end of summer, so runners were still unprepared for a relatively long distance, following the summer break. October in Malta is for all intents and purposes still part of summer, and therefor hot. In all honesty, I've forgotten the route of this race. I have to look up my old running diaries, a couple of thousand kilometres away, to get a few clues. Dear, oh dear. Time is flying, and memories are fading...
The Thomas Cook Charity 6
The route of this event I remember very well, as it was very straightforward. We used to start at Għar id-Dud in Sliema, go to Qui-si-sana, towards Tigne' (this was before they dug the whole thing out) and along the coast towards the Ferries, along the Strand, towards Ta' Xbiex, always following the coast, up to the then Manhattan, now Mamma Mia, Restaurant, and back. Going up back into Tigne', we entered inside toward the Tigne' tower (I don't know if this exists at all anymore), went round it and kept on towards Qui-si-sana and on to the finish at Għar id-Dud.
Here I used to achieve some incredible timings, including a memorable 38 minutes for six miles on one occasion. I was young, and the course was flat... One image that is still sharp in my memory is my good friend Victor's grimace as he ran out of Tigne', while I was still entering in there, before embarking on the final sprint towards Għar id-Dud. It was my same memorable 38-minute six miler, and Victor beat me on that day by close to one minute!
The Birkirkara 10k
On 24 June, or thereabouts, the St Joseph institute or something like that in Birkirkara used to organise a 10km race, in the evening. These would, of course, be held in hot weather, a fact that has some bearing on what happened to me on one occasion.
It was an interesting route, but also very tough for a good part of the way. It would start from next to the institute, close to the Mitħna ta' Birkirkara. We would go up to the Birkirkara bypass, then along that road and eventually taking the left turn into San Ġwann industrial estate. Up till there the route was mostly uphill, but at the industrial estate the road becomes steeper, always uphill. We would go up to the San Ġwann bypass, and on to the Tal-Balal road (even further up) towards Naxxar.
You can imagine how we would be feeling as we approached Naxxar. But, from then on, it was downhill all the way. It was down from the Naxxar church towards the Mercedes showroom. And further down through the main road to Lija, back towards the start. It was a really fast finish.
In my second participation it was particularly hot. As we puffed our way up Tal-Balal road I saw a small crowd on the side of the road, and with a shock realised there was a lady athlete who had fainted. The tough hills and the heat had gotten the better of her. I couldn't just go on and ignore her, so I stopped to help. Except that there wasn't much I could do. Someone was wetting her face and so on, and eventually she recovered. I resumed my run, but finished very late because of the stoppage.
They used to give a prize to the most improved athlete, comparing times between successive editions. The following year I did the race at my normal pace, without any stoppages (there was no one lying unconscious at the roadside in that edition), and lo and behold... I was the third best improved athlete, and received a trophy for it!
So, did I deserve a medal for an act of kindness in sport when I stopped to help a fellow athlete in distress? Or should I be censored for accepting a prize on not exactly the fairest of premises?
This race was eventually taken over by the Birkirkara local council, changed route, distance and date several times, and I believe has now morphed into a series of 5k races, although I stand to be corrected. Slowly, but surely, I'm losing track of what's happening in the homeland. It's getting on to seven years since I left, there are new events, and so many new runners that nowadays I almost feel like a stranger when I run in an event there...
On 24 June, or thereabouts, the St Joseph institute or something like that in Birkirkara used to organise a 10km race, in the evening. These would, of course, be held in hot weather, a fact that has some bearing on what happened to me on one occasion.
It was an interesting route, but also very tough for a good part of the way. It would start from next to the institute, close to the Mitħna ta' Birkirkara. We would go up to the Birkirkara bypass, then along that road and eventually taking the left turn into San Ġwann industrial estate. Up till there the route was mostly uphill, but at the industrial estate the road becomes steeper, always uphill. We would go up to the San Ġwann bypass, and on to the Tal-Balal road (even further up) towards Naxxar.
You can imagine how we would be feeling as we approached Naxxar. But, from then on, it was downhill all the way. It was down from the Naxxar church towards the Mercedes showroom. And further down through the main road to Lija, back towards the start. It was a really fast finish.
In my second participation it was particularly hot. As we puffed our way up Tal-Balal road I saw a small crowd on the side of the road, and with a shock realised there was a lady athlete who had fainted. The tough hills and the heat had gotten the better of her. I couldn't just go on and ignore her, so I stopped to help. Except that there wasn't much I could do. Someone was wetting her face and so on, and eventually she recovered. I resumed my run, but finished very late because of the stoppage.
They used to give a prize to the most improved athlete, comparing times between successive editions. The following year I did the race at my normal pace, without any stoppages (there was no one lying unconscious at the roadside in that edition), and lo and behold... I was the third best improved athlete, and received a trophy for it!
So, did I deserve a medal for an act of kindness in sport when I stopped to help a fellow athlete in distress? Or should I be censored for accepting a prize on not exactly the fairest of premises?
This race was eventually taken over by the Birkirkara local council, changed route, distance and date several times, and I believe has now morphed into a series of 5k races, although I stand to be corrected. Slowly, but surely, I'm losing track of what's happening in the homeland. It's getting on to seven years since I left, there are new events, and so many new runners that nowadays I almost feel like a stranger when I run in an event there...
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Machelen 9.8km - 24 June 2011 - 0h43:53
The main feature of this edition was the heat. The temperature was in the high 20s, the sun was shining bright, and hot!
The warming up phase included the usual routine for hot weather racing - drinking lots of water and pouring some more on top of my head. I seem to have learned the lesson from Huldenberg very well, because after the Sterrebeek 16k I again managed to get the race just right - not too fast in the beginning, and chasing the next runner ahead during the second half. It's actually easier when a race consists of two repeated loops, because in the second part you know exactly what to expect.
Well, 'easier' doesn't really describe today's race. This being a relatively short distance, the pace is inevitably faster, and more so since it's almost completely flat all the way. Again, I managed to hold on to my position in the final sprint - I seem to be getting good at this! Besides which, I overtook a good number of rivals and can't recall anyone overtaking me after the initial few minutes of settling down. It was no surprise that I ended up running at the fastest pace in this year's series.
At a price... soon after crossing the finish I simply rolled onto the ground and lay there full length, gasping for breath. But I wasn't alone in this. It really was a hot, gruelling effort!
Before we went home, all finishers received a deserved prize for our efforts - a bottle of Farnese, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo d.o.c. - denominazione di origine controllata... Cheers!
The warming up phase included the usual routine for hot weather racing - drinking lots of water and pouring some more on top of my head. I seem to have learned the lesson from Huldenberg very well, because after the Sterrebeek 16k I again managed to get the race just right - not too fast in the beginning, and chasing the next runner ahead during the second half. It's actually easier when a race consists of two repeated loops, because in the second part you know exactly what to expect.
Well, 'easier' doesn't really describe today's race. This being a relatively short distance, the pace is inevitably faster, and more so since it's almost completely flat all the way. Again, I managed to hold on to my position in the final sprint - I seem to be getting good at this! Besides which, I overtook a good number of rivals and can't recall anyone overtaking me after the initial few minutes of settling down. It was no surprise that I ended up running at the fastest pace in this year's series.
At a price... soon after crossing the finish I simply rolled onto the ground and lay there full length, gasping for breath. But I wasn't alone in this. It really was a hot, gruelling effort!
Before we went home, all finishers received a deserved prize for our efforts - a bottle of Farnese, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo d.o.c. - denominazione di origine controllata... Cheers!
Monday, June 13, 2011
A great race!
Sterrebeek Scottloop - 15,6km - Sunday 12 June 2011 - 1h12:07
I doubt if I could have run this even one second faster. It's the first time, post-injury, that I've run a race faster than on a previous occasion. Of course, one important reason was that the previous occasion in November 2009 the weather conditions were much worse - the ground was slippery and there was a strong wind that in some parts slowed me down almost to walking pace.
This time the conditions were practically ideal - sunshine, 16 C or so and a fresh breeze. The route... is what it is. It's mostly in the countryside along paved paths surrounded by large fields, very picturesque. Then, almost inevitably in Belgium, you hit the unpaved paths. One, in particular, was so tricky. It was a lane in between fields consisting of a higher strip in the middle covered by vegetation, and two lower narrow strips on the sides, mostly soil or gravel, that had been formed over the years by the wheels of farming vehicles. You need to stay behind the runner in front of you, or switch 'lanes' to overtake, but do it fast as the space is narrow. Sometimes you need to switch simply because the ground gets too uneven. I do hate this type of terrain! You can't run properly, you can't overtake properly, you feel 'obliged' to keep up the pace not to hold back runners behind you, and you risk getting injured. Later there was second rough stretch, not as long as the first, which even had a warning sign indicating treacherous ground caused by exposed roots.
Typically for Belgium, the race consists of two loops, which is not such a bad thing since at the half way mark you then know exactly what to expect in the second part. It was at the half way point that a young lady passed me. Nothing unusual so far, it happens (too) many times. But it was the point where I had planned to speed up the pace, which pace, although cautious so far, had not been leisurely at all. After a few minutes I caught up with her and overtook her again. A few more minutes, and I started to feel the effects of the strong pace. But since in my previous race I had had to stop running and walk for a bit, giving up this time was absolutely out of the question. I simply had to go on running. I took heart from the fact that I was still overtaking other runners, which could only mean that I wasn't slowing down in spite of feeling tired.
When the second stretch of treacherous ground was over in the second loop we were getting close to the finish. Now it was just one final kilometre of flat ground and proper road surface. Time to prepare for the final sprint! I heard the sound of hard breathing getting louder behind me (my own breathing wasn't too relaxed either...) and without looking I was sure who it was. She wasn't prepared to give up without a fight, but then neither was I. I lengthened the pace and ran flat out, especially after the final bend.
Made it! I've recovered the ability to win a final sprint! It was so competitive that we had to be physically stopped at the finishing line to allow for barcode scanning for the official time.
Thank you for a great race, young lady. Thank you Sterrebeek. I look forward to coming back next year.
I doubt if I could have run this even one second faster. It's the first time, post-injury, that I've run a race faster than on a previous occasion. Of course, one important reason was that the previous occasion in November 2009 the weather conditions were much worse - the ground was slippery and there was a strong wind that in some parts slowed me down almost to walking pace.
This time the conditions were practically ideal - sunshine, 16 C or so and a fresh breeze. The route... is what it is. It's mostly in the countryside along paved paths surrounded by large fields, very picturesque. Then, almost inevitably in Belgium, you hit the unpaved paths. One, in particular, was so tricky. It was a lane in between fields consisting of a higher strip in the middle covered by vegetation, and two lower narrow strips on the sides, mostly soil or gravel, that had been formed over the years by the wheels of farming vehicles. You need to stay behind the runner in front of you, or switch 'lanes' to overtake, but do it fast as the space is narrow. Sometimes you need to switch simply because the ground gets too uneven. I do hate this type of terrain! You can't run properly, you can't overtake properly, you feel 'obliged' to keep up the pace not to hold back runners behind you, and you risk getting injured. Later there was second rough stretch, not as long as the first, which even had a warning sign indicating treacherous ground caused by exposed roots.
Typically for Belgium, the race consists of two loops, which is not such a bad thing since at the half way mark you then know exactly what to expect in the second part. It was at the half way point that a young lady passed me. Nothing unusual so far, it happens (too) many times. But it was the point where I had planned to speed up the pace, which pace, although cautious so far, had not been leisurely at all. After a few minutes I caught up with her and overtook her again. A few more minutes, and I started to feel the effects of the strong pace. But since in my previous race I had had to stop running and walk for a bit, giving up this time was absolutely out of the question. I simply had to go on running. I took heart from the fact that I was still overtaking other runners, which could only mean that I wasn't slowing down in spite of feeling tired.
When the second stretch of treacherous ground was over in the second loop we were getting close to the finish. Now it was just one final kilometre of flat ground and proper road surface. Time to prepare for the final sprint! I heard the sound of hard breathing getting louder behind me (my own breathing wasn't too relaxed either...) and without looking I was sure who it was. She wasn't prepared to give up without a fight, but then neither was I. I lengthened the pace and ran flat out, especially after the final bend.
Made it! I've recovered the ability to win a final sprint! It was so competitive that we had to be physically stopped at the finishing line to allow for barcode scanning for the official time.
Thank you for a great race, young lady. Thank you Sterrebeek. I look forward to coming back next year.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Running like a baby
Scott2Run: Felix Sohieloop, Hoeilaart 11.2 km - Friday 6 May - 0h51:00
Back to one of my favourite races, after two absences due to a cold and then my injury. This year I'm quite sure that the distance was slightly longer - we ran a wider path in the wooded patch in Groenendaal, plus a strange detour into a carwash station on the way back to the sports centre. It may be part of the reason why I finished close to 3 minutes later than my last participation in 2009. The main reason, of course, is that I've slowed down somewhat due to not being able to run normally because of the not-completely-healed pain in my hamstring, and due to another two years of inexorable deterioration as I grow older... cheery thought...
This is one of the runs where I really run flat out, and this edition was no exception. Pity it starts so late, at 8pm. Even in the first loop it's already quite dark under the thick foliage in Groenendaal. In the second loop it's worse, and with my short eyesight and the pain in my left buttock with each step, the uneven ground at the steep uphill narrow footpath was really treacherous.
There were no incidents, however. I raced in and all-in-all finished in a decent time of exactly 51 minutes - exhausted!
Scott2Run: Huldenberg 10.7 km - Sunday 15 May - 0h49:32
I should have known, in fact I did know, that Huldenberg lies in a hilly area, and any race starting here would involve a lot of going up and down hills. But I was more concerned with achieving a good placing, and avoiding getting bogged down in a crowded start as has been happening in my recent races.
So I sprang enthusiastically into action from the start, forging a path for myself immediately up a long uphill stretch that I had once done on my mountainbike. After the first 10 minutes I had already expended too much reserves, and yet I kept up the pace. We then dropped downhill, no problem here, and back into the valley. It became clearer that this wasn't going to be the usual double loop, so popular in these areas, so the remaining 5 km were unknown to me - not a good omen. We were running along footpaths in the forest, with brooks and streams and so on, really beautiful. I should go exploring the area again.
I sensed a steep hill right round the corner, so to speak, and sure enough... there it was, going up and then curving further up... I suddenly stopped. It happens sometimes in my races. I walked uphill while others jogged past - a good few. I walked on for what must have been close to 5 minutes, until I approached the top of the hill. I had recovered my breath to be able to run, and even race, again.
I wonder what went on through the minds of those who had gone past me, a spent force trudging uphill, when this same spent force overtook them once again at the top of the hill and beyond :-) After a short while we started a sharp downhill, really fast and competitive. The injury in my hamstring was shouting out loud now, with each step, but I didn't care anymore and just kept racing.
It's a good thing, in fact, that I resumed racing in spite of having slowed down to a walk. I had run so fast in the first stage of the race, and probably also in the last bit, that it almost made up for the time lost while walking. The finishing time was a quite decent 0h49:32, and the fact that there were not so many participants in this race resulted in a high number of points for me in the Scott2Run general classification.
Now that I know the route I won't repeat the same mistake if, hopefully, I give it another try next year. My young son Gianluca likes to say, when I play badly on a computer game, that Papa is playing like a baby. At Huldenberg I made the classic mistake so common for beginners, that of starting too fast. Gianluca would be right to say that I ran like a baby.
Back to one of my favourite races, after two absences due to a cold and then my injury. This year I'm quite sure that the distance was slightly longer - we ran a wider path in the wooded patch in Groenendaal, plus a strange detour into a carwash station on the way back to the sports centre. It may be part of the reason why I finished close to 3 minutes later than my last participation in 2009. The main reason, of course, is that I've slowed down somewhat due to not being able to run normally because of the not-completely-healed pain in my hamstring, and due to another two years of inexorable deterioration as I grow older... cheery thought...
This is one of the runs where I really run flat out, and this edition was no exception. Pity it starts so late, at 8pm. Even in the first loop it's already quite dark under the thick foliage in Groenendaal. In the second loop it's worse, and with my short eyesight and the pain in my left buttock with each step, the uneven ground at the steep uphill narrow footpath was really treacherous.
There were no incidents, however. I raced in and all-in-all finished in a decent time of exactly 51 minutes - exhausted!
Scott2Run: Huldenberg 10.7 km - Sunday 15 May - 0h49:32
I should have known, in fact I did know, that Huldenberg lies in a hilly area, and any race starting here would involve a lot of going up and down hills. But I was more concerned with achieving a good placing, and avoiding getting bogged down in a crowded start as has been happening in my recent races.
So I sprang enthusiastically into action from the start, forging a path for myself immediately up a long uphill stretch that I had once done on my mountainbike. After the first 10 minutes I had already expended too much reserves, and yet I kept up the pace. We then dropped downhill, no problem here, and back into the valley. It became clearer that this wasn't going to be the usual double loop, so popular in these areas, so the remaining 5 km were unknown to me - not a good omen. We were running along footpaths in the forest, with brooks and streams and so on, really beautiful. I should go exploring the area again.
I sensed a steep hill right round the corner, so to speak, and sure enough... there it was, going up and then curving further up... I suddenly stopped. It happens sometimes in my races. I walked uphill while others jogged past - a good few. I walked on for what must have been close to 5 minutes, until I approached the top of the hill. I had recovered my breath to be able to run, and even race, again.
I wonder what went on through the minds of those who had gone past me, a spent force trudging uphill, when this same spent force overtook them once again at the top of the hill and beyond :-) After a short while we started a sharp downhill, really fast and competitive. The injury in my hamstring was shouting out loud now, with each step, but I didn't care anymore and just kept racing.
It's a good thing, in fact, that I resumed racing in spite of having slowed down to a walk. I had run so fast in the first stage of the race, and probably also in the last bit, that it almost made up for the time lost while walking. The finishing time was a quite decent 0h49:32, and the fact that there were not so many participants in this race resulted in a high number of points for me in the Scott2Run general classification.
Now that I know the route I won't repeat the same mistake if, hopefully, I give it another try next year. My young son Gianluca likes to say, when I play badly on a computer game, that Papa is playing like a baby. At Huldenberg I made the classic mistake so common for beginners, that of starting too fast. Gianluca would be right to say that I ran like a baby.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Perk 10k - 17 April 2011 - 0:45:11
It was rather chilly this morning at the extensive sports grounds on the outskirts of Perk, a few kilometres north east of Brussels.
This region, close to the Zaventem international airport, is very flat and in fact the sports grounds consist of large areas of grass, mostly football pitches next to each other, with a clubhouse close to the entrance from the street. This street leads further out into the flat countryside, towards another obscure Flemish village. Across the street from the sports centre is a wooded park, the dominant feature of which is a castle.
The race consisted of three loops inside the park, followed by a dash towards the sports centre and a rather large final loop there. As usual, in the beginning, the running was a bit crowded, the path being no more than 3 metres wide or so. It got worse, and for a good part of a whole kilometre we had to run in Indian file, unable to overtake, unless we wanted to risk injury on the uneven, muddy ground hidden by a thick layer of fallen leaves mixed with tall grass.
Considering that for three longish stretches I couldn't do any overtaking - going faster in the other bits doesn't quite make up for it - I can say that my final time of 45 minutes and a few seconds was a good performance. In my pre-injury post-40 years of age era my standard good time for a 10k was 44 minutes. I'm back in 13 point something km/h territory again, and my recovering hamstring only 'protested' at two particular spots in the triple loop, where it was so muddy we had to waddle through like penguins.
Silly route. But a good race for me.
This region, close to the Zaventem international airport, is very flat and in fact the sports grounds consist of large areas of grass, mostly football pitches next to each other, with a clubhouse close to the entrance from the street. This street leads further out into the flat countryside, towards another obscure Flemish village. Across the street from the sports centre is a wooded park, the dominant feature of which is a castle.
The race consisted of three loops inside the park, followed by a dash towards the sports centre and a rather large final loop there. As usual, in the beginning, the running was a bit crowded, the path being no more than 3 metres wide or so. It got worse, and for a good part of a whole kilometre we had to run in Indian file, unable to overtake, unless we wanted to risk injury on the uneven, muddy ground hidden by a thick layer of fallen leaves mixed with tall grass.
Considering that for three longish stretches I couldn't do any overtaking - going faster in the other bits doesn't quite make up for it - I can say that my final time of 45 minutes and a few seconds was a good performance. In my pre-injury post-40 years of age era my standard good time for a 10k was 44 minutes. I'm back in 13 point something km/h territory again, and my recovering hamstring only 'protested' at two particular spots in the triple loop, where it was so muddy we had to waddle through like penguins.
Silly route. But a good race for me.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Which marathon in October 2011?
Which marathon in October 2011?
Well, for someone being based so close to the Belgian capital, Brussels on Sunday 2 October 2011 is the obvious choice! I've done this marathon twice, and I consider it to be quite a pleasant event.
The marathon starts in a park close to where the main offices of the EU institutions, the much maligned "Brussels" that dictates everything, are situated. The start takes you straight into the heart of the EU quarters (and for good measure participants go past it again at the 39th kilometre). After a brief foray into the centre of the city, skirting around the king's palace, the route goes out of the centre into greener pastures, eventually leaving the city to enter Tervuren, which is a Flemish town just outside of Brussels. A brief tour of the beautiful Tervuren park is followed by a long straight haul that takes the runners back towards the city. The route goes back through the starting point at 39 km, and leads on towards the heart of Brussels, the famous Grand Place.
I like this route, and I could even consider doing it again, even though... it's considerably hilly, with rather a tough hill of about 1 mile in length at the half way mark, and another similar hill at exactly the point where runners risk hitting the dreaded "wall", at 33 km. However, on both occasions when I ran this marathon I can't say I found it particularly hard to run up these hills.
What I DID find very hard, after the end of my second marathon here, was having to stumble on, on dead tired legs, for what seemed an eternity until I could get to where they had taken our clothes bags. It was pure torture! If you do choose Brussels for your marathon in October, and I would recommend it because it's quite fun, not too crowded and with lovely route, I suggest you have someone waiting for you at the Grand Place. My dear wife did exactly that back in 2007 when I did my memorable first Brussels marathon.
If you think Brussels is too boring and grey (which it isn't, although I admit it's not the most exotic place on earth), a good idea for a marathon in October 2011 would be the Lago di Garda in Italy. It runs for three quarters of the perimeter of the lake, along the bank of the lake. With the backdrop of the mountains on all sides, this must surely be a spectacular marathon. And it's not even a hilly affair, for the profile is very nearly flat - to be expected since most of the marathon runs close to the water's edge. The date of the Lake Garda Marathon will be Sunday 9 October 2011. Interesting prospect!
Staying in Italy, two weeks later, another majestic marathon is on offer, the Venice marathon. This, too, has quite a flat profile, starting from a small town outside of Venice and following a scenic countryside route before entering the famous historic city itself. It's only the last 4 km that are actually inside Venice, and here you'll have to cross a few bridges - it's the very nature of the place. They provide ramps so (they say) it's not a problem for the runners. The finish is in the world famous Piazza San Marco, hoping that it's not flooded on the day. It's also an interesting prospect, although at 85 euro or even 100 euro for late comers, well, it's a bit on the expensive side...
Internationally, October is a very busy month for marathons. We are literally spoilt for choice, in most parts of the planet. But I guess I'll probably end up doing the Brussels marathon after all. Boring, disappointing, least exotic choice. It's so convenient to get into the car from home and be at the start in 20 minutes!
Well, for someone being based so close to the Belgian capital, Brussels on Sunday 2 October 2011 is the obvious choice! I've done this marathon twice, and I consider it to be quite a pleasant event.
The marathon starts in a park close to where the main offices of the EU institutions, the much maligned "Brussels" that dictates everything, are situated. The start takes you straight into the heart of the EU quarters (and for good measure participants go past it again at the 39th kilometre). After a brief foray into the centre of the city, skirting around the king's palace, the route goes out of the centre into greener pastures, eventually leaving the city to enter Tervuren, which is a Flemish town just outside of Brussels. A brief tour of the beautiful Tervuren park is followed by a long straight haul that takes the runners back towards the city. The route goes back through the starting point at 39 km, and leads on towards the heart of Brussels, the famous Grand Place.
I like this route, and I could even consider doing it again, even though... it's considerably hilly, with rather a tough hill of about 1 mile in length at the half way mark, and another similar hill at exactly the point where runners risk hitting the dreaded "wall", at 33 km. However, on both occasions when I ran this marathon I can't say I found it particularly hard to run up these hills.
What I DID find very hard, after the end of my second marathon here, was having to stumble on, on dead tired legs, for what seemed an eternity until I could get to where they had taken our clothes bags. It was pure torture! If you do choose Brussels for your marathon in October, and I would recommend it because it's quite fun, not too crowded and with lovely route, I suggest you have someone waiting for you at the Grand Place. My dear wife did exactly that back in 2007 when I did my memorable first Brussels marathon.
If you think Brussels is too boring and grey (which it isn't, although I admit it's not the most exotic place on earth), a good idea for a marathon in October 2011 would be the Lago di Garda in Italy. It runs for three quarters of the perimeter of the lake, along the bank of the lake. With the backdrop of the mountains on all sides, this must surely be a spectacular marathon. And it's not even a hilly affair, for the profile is very nearly flat - to be expected since most of the marathon runs close to the water's edge. The date of the Lake Garda Marathon will be Sunday 9 October 2011. Interesting prospect!
Staying in Italy, two weeks later, another majestic marathon is on offer, the Venice marathon. This, too, has quite a flat profile, starting from a small town outside of Venice and following a scenic countryside route before entering the famous historic city itself. It's only the last 4 km that are actually inside Venice, and here you'll have to cross a few bridges - it's the very nature of the place. They provide ramps so (they say) it's not a problem for the runners. The finish is in the world famous Piazza San Marco, hoping that it's not flooded on the day. It's also an interesting prospect, although at 85 euro or even 100 euro for late comers, well, it's a bit on the expensive side...
Internationally, October is a very busy month for marathons. We are literally spoilt for choice, in most parts of the planet. But I guess I'll probably end up doing the Brussels marathon after all. Boring, disappointing, least exotic choice. It's so convenient to get into the car from home and be at the start in 20 minutes!
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