Who says that trail running is a summer only sport? I can’t think of a better way to ease into the Christmas period than entering a double marathon weekend and apparently, there are plenty of people who agree with me.
I’ve only considered myself to have been running properly from this year (2013), as in entering regular events, but such is the community at these trail events, you start recognising people very quickly and making new mates with every one of them.
This was definitely no exception, with unbelievable hospitality and welcoming from the race organisers at Broadmeadow Runs, and surrounded by a wealth of people that run marathons for fun.
This is the other thing I like; I’m surrounded by people as messed up and twisted as I am; often more so. You speak to the average non-runner and it is generally considered that running a marathon is quite an achievement. Now I’ve done over 10 since April; an achievement that is met with bewilderment among most. Here however, to a small handful of runners it was met with the response “that’s cute”. Not sure what I think about that… But when you find yourself celebrating in someone’s 100th official marathon during the weekend, you can’t help but find yourself humbled a little bit. It’s great!
This was to be my 3rd double and could be argued that this one was the most straightforward (if there is such a thing). My first back to back marathon included a 600 mile drive into the mix, and my 2nd one was 2 marathons in the same day, so this on paper was pretty simple.
Now as I may, or may not have mentioned once or twice, I’m running ‘Lands End to John O’ Groats’ next spring for charity. So really, within ALL my running at the moment, I am looking predominantly at energy conservation. This was a great event for this, as the weekend seemed to me, to be set up around being relaxed and very sociable; with no pressure and no petty competitiveness you get in other sports, just a chilled out, relaxed run.
During both days, I spent mostly chatting to various runners, responding to work emails from my phone and generally spending more time thinking about where we were going than the pace of the run. Definitely not a PB course if that’s what you prefer; I was easily an hour outside of that sort of pace, but a great atmosphere, few more miles in my legs and feel fully ready for Christmas now.
I would highly recommend Broadmeadow Runs for anyone thinking about doing their first marathon, or if you’re like me and every now and then, you want to enter something where you don’t give a monkeys about time or place; just putting the miles in and enjoying it.
