Brissie Marathon Part 2... The Race

A nice early start this morning at 4.20am, although I was already fairly awake having woken up several times during the night dreaming about my stopwatch not working properly. I forced down a muffin and jam and headed out in to the dark to Southbank via MJ's.

When we got there just after 5.30am Tess was already in control of the pacing situation and the flags and bottle holders were being handed out. A quick wave off of the marathoners and a couple of run-throughs testing out the pacing flags and before we knew it we were about to start. The pacing nerves had all gone and I was really keen just to start by this time, I had planned to start my watch when the gun went off, but unfortunately they didnt seem to announce this point, or at least if they didnt you couldnt hear it a couple hundred people back from the start and there was more than a bit of confusion of 'has it started yet?' when people begun moving ahead of it. I started the stopwatch before the line still though and we were off.

The first couple of K's I was happy chatting away to people, most people were hoping to go sub-2 for the first time and I was hoping to be the person to get them there. Once we got over the Goodwill bridge and down by the river it got quite congested, especially when the super quick marathoners started coming back in the opposite direction! Out on the walkway though I got in to my pace and as promised to those at the start of the race, by 3km I was running at sub 2 time, by 5km I was at 1:59:30 time and promised those around me that this was now 'race pace'. The course narrowed again which made for a couple of slow K's, quickly followed by a slightly faster (5.20/k) one to get back on track. At the turnaround I still had the same group of people with me and I was feeling fantastic at about 8km, bang on track too for my pace group. I got chatting to a couple of guys who were familar, though I cannot remember their names heading back towards the gardens and before I knew we were at 10km, still on perfect time.
The water stop and then hill into the Botanics knocked a few people off pace and while at 11km I was still sub 2, it was probably more like 1.59.50 and my legs were feeling a bit fatigued, to the point it even crossed my mind whether I had anyone around me who would be able to carry the flag for the second half.... The best thing about running over the Goodwill Bridge once or twice a week however is that it is no shock or monumentous challenge to be running over it, even as part of a Half Marathon in particularly warm and humid conditions. The ease at which I went over the bridge gave me a much needed boost, even to the point where I managed to get half a dozen of us or so to wave maddly and smile for the photographer on the bridge! This was further boosted by friendly faces down at Southbank as we trooped through towards Westend, and as if that wasnt enough even more friendly faces in the form of the CR squad just around the next corner!

I was starting to feel like I was on the finishing straight as we headed down to Westend, but I could feel that people around me were struggling with the heat, the distance and the 'unknown' of what was still to come. I got chatting to one couple who had been playing cat n mouse with me for a while now and it was their first attempt at a half, we joked for a bit and they forged on. Then another lady who was dragging her feet asked when the next water stop was, I told her about 500meters to go and she should run with me and we'd get there together, she did as well. The same lady then asked me to keep her with me (talk about pressure), so I just randomly started talking at her and broke the remainder of the course down in to something like 'one small hill, a turnaround, a waterstop, a tiny hill and then home to the finish', another guy heard me talking to this lady and pulled up beside us and said 'awesome motivation, I'm sticking with you' (gee, more pressure). Then there was another guy, and another one, all knowing they were on the home straight, all struggling with actually getting there. I urged one guy to pick someone ahead (the girl in the yellow tshirt) and catch her, and when he got there, pick another one and then catch her too.... off he went!

I had quite a little group now, either just in front of me or just behind... most requesting I take them with me. I told the group ahead they should stay ahead of me, the guys beside me I wanted my finishing line photo with them and they better keep next of me and the guys just behind me, that I was going a little fast and if they could keep going it was going to be a fantastic pb by them.

We went through the final water stop and rounded up towards the slight incline, a couple of complaints when I said it was just a 'small hill', so I told the group 'its only ten steps, ten big steps, run it with me'..... and off we all went. That was it for a lot of them, it was all down to the finish and they knew it and as often happens something kicked it. I told them we were on for a 1.59.40 finish so to really kick in. As I came through tunnel I realised the last couple of k's I must have gotten quite a bit faster, my watch was reading 1.58.xx, so I ran backwards through the tunnel for a bit and tried to encourage those within earshot to bring it home.

The couple who I'd spoken to earlier were shuffling towards the finishing chute so I ran beside them and told them we'd really go for the last 100meters. I was a bit confused at the finish as to where I stood regarding precise gun time, I think the main clock said 2:31:xx, which I thought meant I was over the 2hours, but I later found out it didnt start at 30mins as I'd assumed. I let through a couple of fast finishers while taking my flag off (it didnt fit under the finish sign!) and when I walked through and stopped my watch it said 1:59:47. Fingers crossed the guys I let through who were running with me got sub-2 gun time as I heard there was a problem with the starting chip... I'm gonna feel very bad if they didnt, so might not read any race reports just in case :)

The usual post-race chats afterwards. It was great to catch up with all regular Brissie CRs, plus visiting, in particular Miners who I think I have missed at the last couple of events. Oh, and of course a big thank-you to the ever wonderful Tess who as well as donating her time to help out as pacers, also donated her garmin to help keep me on track (though I am now an addict and want one for sure :) )