I ran my first marathon, the 8th Brighton marathon, on Sunday the 9th of April. I entered back in October 2016 just as my ankle injuries were clearing up enough to get running regularly again, with the idea that it would force me to get training harder. I traveled down by train on the Friday and stayed in nearby Eastbourne, picked up my race pack on the Saturday morning and then did some sightseeing on the stunning South Downs.
On the Sunday morning, I got on a packed train and travelled in to Brighton. Unfortunately for me, it was the hottest day of the year so far, with a very strong sun, which was to make this a very difficult run after training in a mild Glasgow winter! I decided just to go for my planned pace of around 4:15 per km and I was happy with my first 5k and then the 10k split. Next, we were out on the sea front and tackling the only uphill sections of the course, so I was still happy with my pace at the 15k mark. I had a nice conversation with a fellow Glasgow runner doing his 53rd marathon, but he soon pulled away from me.
Out on the sea front road, there was absolutely no shade and the temperature was rising fast, so soon I started to slow. I went through half way in 1:34:47, but I knew I was struggling and was getting very thirsty between the water stations every mile, so I started walking at the stations to make sure I got enough hydration, then after about 18 miles I was having to walk more often.
The sun was relentless and I saw a few runners stopping to throw up, and even one collapsed at the side of the course with first aiders around him, so I just forgot about a target time and settled for finishing! I did manage to run the last full couple of kms and finished in 3:30:09 chip time. I had a quick dunk in the icy waters of the English Channel at the finish to get a bit cleaner, which was bracing and refreshing.T
he organisation was excellent, with water stations every single mile from the 3rd mile onwards, huge and enthusiastic crowds (I got a massive cheer at one point when I broke back in to something resembling a run after a brief walk), and major road closures in the city proving how much the local authorities value the event. I took some valuable lessons from my first marathon; plodding round long runs is not good enough training if I’m looking for a faster time (although it did get me through), use factor 50 sun cream if it’s a nice day (I got badly sunburned and I have very sore burn blisters on my shoulders as I write this to show for it!) and I should wear a hat to keep the sun off me a bit more! I learned just how difficult a marathon is and set a time to beat in my next one.
