On June the 4th after months of training and lonely training runs, injuries from feet to knees and hips, I found myself once again at the starting line of a marathon in Cork. It was homeground for a change, because I was used so far to go to the big city marathons such as New York and London and run anonymously with about 40,000 others through a city that has gone mad for the occasion with bands and people cheering everywhere. This time there was only a few thousand at the start line and it only took a minute to cross the line, my previous experience being that it took anything from 15 to 20 minutes of shuffling to reach the line and then another 2 miles before you could consider it a jog/run.
Patrick Street was well decorated and already quite warm whether it was from anticipation or actual heat of the day to come. First they set off the wheelchair athletes and Gerry Forde, who did the New York marathon the same time I did, was doing his 117th marathon that day in a wheelchair. Now that's commitment.
Anyway the start was good, the relay runners immediately took to the front, because they didn't have to worry about the extra miles the main marathon runners, recognisable through the red numbers as opposed to blue for relay, set a gentler pace. I must congratulate the Caribbean drummer group in Blackrock that provide the only bit of atmosphere from a local community perspective. I think a lot of the people of Cork found the marathon more of a nuisance, because they couldn't travel to where they wanted to go that quickly and if they did show to cheer people on they mostly looked out for the one or two people they knew. Strange... for what I consider a very welcoming city.
Anyway the route took us from Blackpool over to Tivoli and into the Tunnel which was about 8miles in. I had been a bit apprehensive about running through the tunnel, but in actual fact it was an enjoyable experience, because for the first time in an hour and a half there was a bit of cooling down from the beautiful sunshine, the only drawback was that the other side of the tunnel the heat just really hit you hard. I had been jogging all the way, but took my first walking breaks from the southside of the tunnel onwards. From here the marathon meandered through Mahon, Blackrock and brought us back into the city by the Lee and to Centre Park Road. At that stage it became a lonely run for me, very few runners around, no cheering of supporters, just people looking on in confusion, probably trying to decide whether we were all stone crazy or not. It was also from that point on that the waterstation had run out of fresh water or any water and the back runners would suffer as a result of that.
We then turned on to the South link heading towards Turners Cross and I sure wished there weren't soo many hilly parts in Cork at that stage, because from 15 miles on your body just goes on automatic pilot. Because of the heat and the lack of water and the illusive promised Lucozade, I actually didn't think I would make 18
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miles. Friends spotted me from their car as they were coming down into the city on the South Link and caught up with me in Turner's Cross, they knew I was in trouble just by looking at me, so I explained that I wanted a fruit bar and an energy drink and they went looking for supplies, one of them even walked with me for a good stretch and that was encouraging and put me back in good form.
From Turners Cross I picked the pace back up a bit passed the Lough, then on through Glasheen and onto the Model Farm Road, where I knew the Rotary water station would be. I was really chuffed to see some more friendly and encouraging faces, who looked like they also had suffered the heat. When Neil asked 'What took me so long?' quite frankly I had no answer for him, but the heat and lack of energy supply would probably have something to do with it. Thankfully they also saved me a proper bottle of water, as opposed to the tap variety at previous points. Thank you guys!
Shortly after we hit the 20mile mark and at that point you know you can make it all the way, obviously after you did the steep up and down by the guide dogs centre and up to the roundabout. After that the route was flat.
My right leg had already seized a good bit earlier, so I was walking a bit forced and tried to keep in the shade at the side of the straight road, courtesy cars came to tell us to walk on the other side, but 5 hours in the unsheltered heat, caused me to ignore them blissfully.
By the time we came to the Mardyke and made our way over the shaky bridge, you could smell the finish line and I was holding back my pacing a little bit, so I could run onto Patrick street for the finish. I even joked with 2 relay ladies that is was a set rule that you had to come in to the finish running and that I would show them how to do it and hey they believed me much to their originally shocked faces, but they outran me.
Crossing the finish line in a marathon is what it is all about for me, you have a great sense of achievement, tiredness, ridiculous emotionless and the cheering makes you feel special. Normally the medal is there waiting for you, but instead we got a green piece of paper to tell us the medal would come later, that I found a big disgrace. When you are limping around for the next couple of days, you want proof and a medal to show for it. It is now 2 weeks on and it still hasn't arrived. Anyway my conclusion is that there were quite a few learning points for the organisers and for me I may be back as a relay runner, but I would do a big city run in a heartbeat at least fellow runners are friendly and you have support everywhere and you are never lonely or alone.
The good news is that so far I have collected €1100 for the 3 dedicated charities of 26-26-26. I held my part of the promise by running the 26 miles, a lot of people already donated their 26 euros for charity and so far I am the only one that also found 26 others to donate the same amount. Charities are Rotary Foundation, Enable Ireland and Cork CABAS school for autistic children.
Thank you for your kind support!!
Congratulations to An Coppens - our first marathon Rotarian !