on a high - sub 3 hour marathon

24 hours after the event, the stiffness, aches and pains are beginning to subside. I can look back on a Melbourne Marathon that was, I think, the best race I’ve ever done.

Race report
It was just a perfect morning - cool, with a little sun, and what wind there was was cool and refreshing. I managed to bump into a few fellow bloggers - Steve, Andrew, Clarkey - before heading up to the start.

The plan, such as it was, was to follow the 3 hour pacers and hold on as long as possible. It was ambitious for me, and it was fair to say I was a bundle of nerves.

The first few ks were spent trying to spy the pacers and then catch up to them. I caught them as we passed Melbourne Grammar and then concentrated on getting into their rhythm. I felt stiff and lacking fluency for quite a while. I was also pretty sweaty, which was a concern in the first 10k.

After we hit St Kilda, then Elwood and turned right towards Brighton, the stiffness seemed to go away. As I passed the 19k marker I started to feel like I was enjoying the run for the first time.

The next 10k were pretty enjoyable. There was a bunch of about 20, and I kept in the heart of it, sometimes going to the front or side to get some clean air.

After 30k I was feeling pretty good, but becoming increasingly concious of the distance travelled. I hadn’t noticed any of the first 18 k markers but I was desperately looking for all of them post 30k, a sign I was beginning to tire.

We turned up Fitzroy street about 90 seconds ahead of 3 hour pace. The pacers slowed on the incline, but I felt pretty good, and thankful for all the hill training. I turned into St Kilda road, unexpectedly 10 metres ahead of the pacers.

Getting ahead of the pacers was definitely NOT on the plan, so I let them catch me.

I stayed with them until about the Shrine. At that point I was tired, and struggling with the relentless 4.15 minute k pace.

I made a curious decision at that point. I heard the pacer say “just one Tan left”, so we must have been at 38k. That was the last I heard, as I took off. Within a few minutes I was well clear of the pacers and overtaking people in front of me.

I must have put in at least one 4 minute k or faster. I turned right near Fed Square and pushed over Barack bridge as best I could.

The crowds outside the G were a bit of a shock, but they seemed to give me enough energy to make it around to gate C, into the G and to the finish.

The gun time was 2 hours 58 minutes 58 seconds.

The pictures below show me in a bit of a daze. It’s a bit deceptive - I was looking for my wife in the crowd, and also trying to take in that I’d run a marathon under 3 hours.

A bit of staggering about through the caverns below the Members Stand, and I emerged blinking into the sunlight. This is me about 10 minutes after the finish. At that stage I was feeling quite emotional and holding back tears. For some reason, finishing a marathon has that affect on me.

Robert DeCastella said something at the start about never forgetting your first marathon. That’s true, but I think I’ll remember this one over every other race I’ve done. There’s something pretty special about kicking 4 ks out from the finish of a marathon, then a glorious sub 3 hour finish on the MCG.