I’ve been promising a race report for a while, and I know it’s not a merit league race, but I hope you’ll accept this as my ‘newcomer report’. It’s got to be written down. I’m not expecting anyone to read the whole thing, I’ll put sections in so you can skip the parts you’re not interested in, but I want to write the things that went right, really right, in the build-up and during the race. This will be more than a chapter of my autobiography, and is likely to the best. If you read to the end, well, thanks. This was a big day, and a nigh-perfect outcome.
The Longshot
In September 2023, I started back at uni having quit work to work on something a little more worthwhile (public transport, in case I haven’t mentioned), and started to plan how I could keep myself on the straight and narrow whilst applying myself to studies. In the past this would’ve been going on massive trips on my bike and running in the mountains, but realised I wasn’t necessarily going to be able to spend days and days away as a hobby, as I wanted to commit the work mainly to prove to myself that my brain still worked after decades in project management. Checked my watch and realised I’m getting no younger, and as I was previously a passionate marathon runner, decided it was time to run one last marathon to give myself a PB I could confidently say was my best. My marathon history is a book in its own right, and I truly believe the marathon is the hardest thing anyone can do (I’ve done most things) and also accessible to everyone who wants to do it. But you have to want it. Ask me to talk about marathon running, I will cry. Maybe you all know already, but I do tend to keep a bit quieter when the topic comes up because I get so emotional about it. Scotland’s not overwhelmed with races, and particularly marathons, but Edinburgh seemed like it was at the right time for me, and would keep me fixated on (and rewarded by) road running for the next 9 months whilst I studied.
Ill-preparation
I’d just returned from a big bike ride to Barcelona in August, which seemed to have done some damage to my left shin. Mysterious to say the least, physios couldn’t diagnose it, all I could understand was that it got worse, and didn’t get better. It got very swollen the night before I climbed into the Pyrenees, but with 12 hours or so absolute rest was ok to go again the next day, and there was only 3 more days after that before I was on the ferry home. But it never really got better (not helped by going fastpacking in the Brecon Beacons a day after arriving back to the UK). I could run, but as I increased the distance it would gradually get worse and wouldn’t ever get any better. So, I kept trying to rest a week or so, then get back to running, but it’d gradually come back. This went on until end Jan 2024, and I saw a podiatrist about my flat feet and these insoles I’d been wearing for years (another long story) and had an epiphany that my wider shoes were letting the insoles splay out, rendering them ineffective, so all I needed to do was tighten up my shoe laces a bit more (or wear different shoes) and it would be! I obviously tested this in a series of runs to make sure it was the issue, and concluded how I could get back to training properly, 12 weeks to the day before Edinburgh. A solid, consistent training block was sorely needed, though I’d been keeping fit in the pool and on the bike through the past 6 months, so I wasn’t started again from scratch. Maybe this would be the perfect way to start a training block…
The Maryhill Harriers
This was when I joined the run club who met on my doorstep every Tuesday and Thursday J I had joined the Westies 2 weeks earlier as I was thinking to supplement the canal sessions with some cross country, and as the Westies don’t meet on Tuesday or Thursday I thought it might work out ok. I didn’t end up meeting the Westies once; didn’t need to. Got swept away with the consistency and welcoming camaraderie of the Harriers. These were my people, and I had found them on my doorstep. You’ll notice throughout this story that the coincidences of the past year have all conspired to produce the best day – I’m in no way religious but it would seem that there’s something working very well in my favour, and this has culminated in a marathon faster than I could ever have dreamed about. I’m the luckiest person alive. But, Maryhill Harriers, yes, what a squad. I think I ran 4 times with the same 5 or 6 guys from the Bellcraig, thought that was the full extent of the club. How wrong could I be. What. A. Team. All walks of life, all age groups, all distances, all running. Maryhill, you are amazing. And most of all I love the simplicity. There’s a lot of bullshit surrounding running and endurance sports in general, and some running clubs do pick it up and pass it around and add expectations about what running should or shouldn’t be, but that’s just not Maryhill. Everyone’s there to support each other to do what they want to do, no agenda, no expectation (apart from Scott, but nobody listens to him anyway). I learnt about the merit league with just enough races left for me to be able to compete, as long as I got to all of them. But primarily I was looking for people to run easy with, as I’m really not that good at going easy on my own. Thursday nights have been my rock, and it’s all down to Maryhill. I’ve learnt over the years how I best respond to training, and easy runs are absolutely essential. And make sure you’re properly rested for your sessions, which happen Tuesdays, and you can plan everything else around that. I put all the merit races in my racing calendar and plotted out the training schedule for the next 12 weeks to race day. This was happening.
Prep Races
I cannot stress enough how much I’ve benefitted from the merit league races. My first at Alan Scally on Glasgow Green, running a PB in 17:30. Hadn’t actually met 2 of my teammates and didn’t see them at the start, but the handovers were out of our hands anyway so all went perfectly. I thought something special might happen as the previous Tuesday we had done some Fartlek training around the streets and sprinting felt quick (it was downhill, but when it’s working well you can feel it). I had done very little speed work at this point for probably 10 months so coming back to it and going straight into a race shouldn’t have given the results it did, but the event took over and the confidence was boosted. Alloa Half Marathon 2 weeks’ later, an incredibly scenic race with some great support in the small villages, and lots of quicker runners to run with. A massive PB, knocking 3 minutes off, though there was a certain footware advantage. Balfron 10k also used the special footware, though PB was out of reach because A) current PB already had the footware advantage and B) it was really hilly. But I had a great race and came home with a second place, spending all my chips. Also ‘raced’ up the Cobbler, but that was another story. Elder Parkrace, what a day (more on this later), I think half of us ran PBs, just an incredibly fast course, and still no idea how it’s so fast. Footware advantage bought me a 16:28, which is about 5 minutes faster than I used to dream about running 5km. 2 weeks later to the DAAA 5000m track race, and it showed how fast the Parkrun was as I couldn’t replicate it around the track (though I had done quite a tough swim earlier in the day…). The Bannerman Trail race, T-minus 4 days, should’ve been a nice steady ride, but it was raining and I’d forgotten how much I love running in the rain, and this was a very timely reminder. I had become a bit of a fair-weather runner, as I have so much flexibility there’s really no reason to go out if it’s raining, I can just wait for it to stop. But I always loved running in the rain, and particularly trail running, it’s just brilliant. Rarely do you get to splash straight through the biggest muddiest puddles you can find. Love it. 7 tune-up races had brought 2 x 5k PBs, a second place in a 10k, Half Marathon PB and a reminder of how much I love running in the rain. The positivity coming from this build is absolutely priceless.
Finding Dory
After the Elder Parkrace, where I’d run faster than I ever conceived possible, I went to the bike shop to pick up a new bell and, as I was obviously on cloud 9 from the humungous PB I’d run that morning, got chatting to a young lady who had ridden the Loch Ness Etape 3 weeks previously. She’s fantastic, and enthusiastic and excitable, and all the positive traits that runners (she doesn’t really cycle much, but we were in a bike shop), often portray. We swapped numbers, tried to go on a date but it didn’t really feel right, but we did want to be friends and felt we had a lot to learn from each other. I’ve seen her a few times, getting to know a fascinating person with seemingly endless layers and we get along like peas in a pod. She was coincidentally going to Edinburgh to support her friend running the half, so I would see her in the morning between the half marathon start at 8 and the marathon start at 10. She’s had an incredible impact on my state of mind, my self-belief and confidence, and will continue to. Positivity will come again during the race, and it should never be underestimated in marathon running. It’s not only a physical test, and your strength of mind and self-control is just as important as your physical preparation. Dory not only went for coffee with me before the race to fill me with even more compliments but ran out to the 32km point (basically as far away from the finish line as you can get) to hand me a bottle of Maurten carb drink, the absolutely legend that she is. She built me into a bulletproof version of myself and fixed my race nutrition (and gave me a hug on the course). I cannot thank her enough.
The Morning
I stayed in Edinburgh with my little sister who was running the half, so went to the start for 7am for final prep and the half start at 8. As you may be aware, I’m like a child at running races. I find them so exciting, everyone pushing their limits and testing their training, exploring new parts of themselves, I think it’s the best place in the world. The phrase ‘if you ever think humanity is gone, go to the end of a marathon and watch the last runners come in’ never leaves my mind. The crowds are just amazing. And I got to witness it all for a race I wasn’t running at the start and go for coffee with my best friend to further the excitement, and head into the final prep stage. I was bouncing around the starting pen chatting to everyone, some nervous, everyone excited, just a fantastic place to be. But it was chucking it down with rain so by the time the gun went, we were already pretty wet. But following the Bannerman trail race earlier in the week, that didn’t bother me at all! Another astounding coincidence – rain in Scotland, who’d have thought?
The Wolfpack
Downhill first few km I had decided to roll and just let the pace be what it would be, then as it flattened out I got back into controlled pace. I was aiming for 4:02/km but kinda knew I would always slightly overcook it, just wanted to make sure I kept myself calm and cool (no problem in the rain J ). 8km in my right hamstring started to complain, most likely from the Gladiators testing from Tuesday, definitely not from the trail race on Thursday. What a taper week that was… Anyway, nothing you can do about it now, just ease off, give yourself a km a bit steadier, hope it settles down. Only a few hours of running to go, it should survive. 10km I realised there was a bit of a group forming around me, kept seeing all the same faces, and looked back and forward there were big gaps, we were all bunched together. A bit of chatting in the group (really not very much, everyone’s pretty game-faced this far up the field) and realised we were all heading pretty much for similar times, and whatever we were running together anyway. This was my gang. These were now my best friends and we were going to get each other through. 12km, 15km and past the finish area, and we got to cheer the half marathon runners going the other way to the finish. I’d done this before and knew that some cheering was great for positivity, but it obviously messes your breathing a bit so you have to be a bit careful. But I love it, I want to cheer everyone, and you can sometimes get high-5s from runners going the opposite way, too. Saw Dory in her very distinct dayglow jacket at 17km, had a very quick hug but had to keep up with my wolfpack so didn’t stop. We were rolling and the team were keeping each other together.
Andrew
By about 19km I had decided the wolfpack maybe going a little quicker than I wanted to, and there’s still a long way left, so I’d let them go on ahead. 21km a young lad in an orange shirt ran up alongside, thought he was going almost exactly my pace, so we ran together in complete silence for 11km. At the turnaround point a few words were exchanged, and we plunged into the farm section (bit odd for a road marathon, but you gotta follow the course!). Off-road for a few km and through a nature reserve and saw some horses, all good. Andrew and I were starting to pick people off together, like a pair of silent assassins. I said I’d do well to keep up with him to the finish, he said he was thinking the exact same about me! Decided that was enough talking, so got back to running. Had noticed by this point he had the same shoes on as me; we were silent assassins in uniform. This was where Dory appeared at 32km (she had run 10k since I saw her) with the magic potion. I couldn’t believe she’d come so far. I had expected to see her at like, 35, maybe even later. But she was so keen to get as close to where I’d originally requested, she nailed it. Incredible. This was not a solo venture. She now achieves legend status.
The Crescendo
From 35km the crowds started to build. There had been fairly good support along most of the course, considering how remote a lot of it is, and I had been cheering the crowds a little. But after I’d finished my super juice and tucked the bottle into my belt, it started getting really out of hand. I had paced this really well, I knew I had a few beans in the tank for the last 7km and would let them out gradually as the crowds grew and build towards the finish. The marathon had now started, and this is where the physical conditioning wanes and the psychological benefits that the racing, the Harriers, Andrew and Dory had left me with would start to take over. The pace grew, Andrew had been pushing the pace a little between 30 and 35km, but he couldn’t stay with me the last 5km. I was cheering all the marathon runners on their way out, getting high 5s from loads of them, cheering all the crowds as they grew towards the finish. You cheer them, they cheer you back double. It’s such a worthwhile use of energy, especially at this point in the marathon. I still had 20 minutes to run but was feeling stronger and stronger. I’d kept telling myself; ‘three, two, one, relax’ and holding fingers out in a zen pose and kept doing so right until about 39km, found it really helpful. By this point I’d passed almost all of the wolfpack and was passing people like they were stood still. Every time getting a boost, wishing them well, getting support back, it’s a team game at this point, and everyone is in the team.
Finishing Strong
The last 2km was the best running I’ve ever done. I knew I could let everything go, empty the tank, just keep cheering everyone and fly on the adrenaline you get back. This is the best feeling ever, this is what we do it for. The absolute peak of life as I know it. Nowhere have I ever been higher. Turning onto the runway 200m to the finish was the pinnacle. The crowds were so loud, deafening, and I didn’t even need to cheer them (but at this point, it wasn’t about what I needed, I was cheering them all anyway). Passed another 3 people on the runway, even though everyone at that point is basically sprinting. 62nd finisher in 2:46:20, a time which I never even dreamed of running. I collapsed in a puddle of emotion and looked up to see Andrew crossing the line (his chip time would actually be slightly quicker than mine, as he started further back at the start). He’d had an amazing race, too, running 10mins quicker than he had hoped, and obviously put a lot of the improvement on running with me as I put a lot of my own performance onto him. This was a team game. Nobody can do anything on their own.
I hope I’ve described that I am attributing this result to a positive mindset, a self-belief, a product of a wonderfully supportive community and people in my life, and yes I do have a very flexible life which can be shaped around basically any training I want to do, and cheat shoes. A friend told me that running a good marathon is not about a solid 12 or 16 week training block, but the years of training and understanding how your body works and how it reacts to different stresses. I have found that my body reacts to stresses very differently in social situations and absolutely cannot imagine going through this journey alone. I bandy around the saying ‘best day of my life’ too much and can specifically remember saying it 4 other times in the last 10 years, but the days keep getting better so I’ll keep saying it. The marathon is often called the victory lap because the real marathon is the training. But my training was fairly short and primarily recovery-focussed, so hasn’t really seemed like a marathon in itself. It’s been great fun and I’ve met loads of incredible people. It did, however, feel like I was running the victory lap of a massive relay of runners. From the Waverley Harriers I learnt to train with in Surrey, to the Wellness Runners in Saudi Arabia, my hill running friends in Shropshire, all the myriad of people I’ve raced alongside over the years, the GOAT orienteering club, the hugely influential Maryhill Harriers, all of the Half Marathon runners in the morning, my little sister Alison, the Wolfpack, Andrew, the crowds and all the cheering volunteers on the course, and not least the lovely Dory. I think we might have another go at this dating thing…
If you’ve read this far, thanks so much and I hope it’s been at least marginally entertaining. As you may already be aware, I’m riding Ben Nevis to London in June to raise money for the Campaign for Better Transport, find my donation link below if you wanted to support. Thanks!https://www.justgiving.com/page/ridelondonforbettertransport
