Marathon story
42.195 km – 26 miles and 385 yards for those more familiar with the old money – is always a challenge for most, and the 38th SPAR Budapest Marathon at times suggested it might have even more in store than the usual.
These Europeans tend to start their races at 9am rather than at dawn’s crack as is more customary for we dwellers of the antipodes, but if the more civilised gun time was a nod to less aggressive weather conditions, an unseemly warm Budapestian October culminating in a proper scorcher the day before the race did not bode well for runners.
However, the meteorological paradigm shifted overnight, and we woke to single digit temperatures and occasional drizzle accompanied, as we commuted by Budapest’s impeccable public transport network to the starting line, by a bitingly cold wind. As our transport modes bulged to capacity with other athletes converging on the race precinct, all of whom seemed more svelte than I and also kitted up for an assault on either of the poles, I felt increasingly out of my depth and underdressed, at one time debating whether my trusty Caboolture Road Runners singlet would suffice.
It was a risk I elected to take, foregoing the last-minute option of a long-sleever in favour of the garment that was already well anointed with an anti-chafe hydrophobe in all the right places. A risk I elected not to take however as we shuffled along in the starting pens towards the start line was to forego the urge to wee, clambering over the fence to use one of the porta-urinals, rejoining the ‘race’ without losing any ground at all. I regret neither.
Chris and I eventually crossed the start line about eight minutes after the elites had been released, and I was soon comfortable in both temperature and bladder.
The first kilometre or so was stuttering, our trajectory regularly impeded by backmarkers who’d started nearer to the front. But by the time we’d reached 6.3 km in, we were on track for our target four-hour finish.
With about 47 minutes gone, we trotted past Opera, which is a both a station on the Budapest Metro and the site of the majesty of the Hungarian State Opera House, which would have gone unnoticed in our periphery were it not for a goose-bump inducing performance that was being conducted in the building portico by a choir and a small ensemble of musicians. And thanks to a switchback on the course, we got a reprise five minutes later.
Wife Kerrie popped up at multiple locations on course, offering gels and protein bars, but the on-course feed stations were both frequent and amply-stocked, both with the usual cups of water and isotonic drinks, but also with other treats such as pieces of banana and lemon. I was carrying gels which I took at 8, 16, 24 and 32 kms, but I think the regular input of banana which I took at every opportunity may have been instrumental in getting me to the end.
So the kilometres gently clocked up and the finish line became progressively (albeit figuratively) closer. The interlude on Margit-sziget saw us go from 26 to beyond 29 km, and then in a flash 30 km were complete. Then there were less than ten and we sailed down the east bank of the Danube with the wind at our back, passing plenty of others, and were passed by not many. By the time we crossed back over the landmark green trussed Szabadság híd we had just 1500 metres to run and a sub-four hour finish was in the bag.
Great course - well organised. Definitely recommended.
And the medal, by the way, is epic.
Race results are here:
https://marathon.runinbudapest.com
