Seven on a trip to the seaside

9 April 2017 - By Brigid Wallen

On what turned out to be warmest day of the year so far, 7 Witham runners took part in the 7th Brighton marathon.

This was the largest field yet of 12,000 runners and it seems this marathon has become a victim of its own success. More portable toilets required for starters!! I queued for an hour and almost missed the start whereas Charlotte and Hayley chose another option. I won’t elaborate too much but the lilac tree in Preston Park will look beautiful next year!!

In it’s favour, the run finishes right on the seafront so just perfect for a paddle in the sea afterwards.

So on to the course. There were some very narrow roads and with so many runners, at times it was difficult to run at a set pace. There were also some cheeky climbs especially early on but better then than too close to the finish.

Our first runner home was Charlotte. Maybe her swinging pony tail knocked everyone out of the way but for someone who wanted to break 4 hours, she smashed it in a time of 3:44.41

Next home was Hayley. She has struggled with a few niggles and, up until, last week, wasn’t going to run so she should be delighted with her time of 3:48.35

While I was queuing (lots of time to think) I made the decision to run as I feel and to stay within my comfort zone. This, and the fact that I talk too much, brought me home in 3:53.50

Gerry wasn’t too far behind me in 4:05.14 Although his target was sub-4 today, the warm sun took it’s toll. He was close so hopefully on cooler day, he will easily come in under 4 hours. He had a panic at the start as he had forgotten to book his Park and Ride so Mary had to drive him to the start then find somewhere to park. Most of the roads were closed and parking is very expensive. 2 hours = £6.20 Gerry, we think you owe Mary big time for your oversight…

Mark has been running really well in both training and racing. At 15 miles he was up with the 3.30 pacer and was looking good. Unfortunately for Mark, his taped up knees decided they had had enough and he ran/walked for most of the way back. He had built up good time in the bank so should be pleased with his time of 4:25.02 – hope the injury isn’t too bad Mark and you’ll be back at the club soon.

Becky was next over the line wearing her trusty camelbak. A good idea today as fluids were so important and sometimes you want a drink before the water stations. A smiley Becky crossed the line in 4:41.28 – a time she was really pleased with given the conditions.

Dave ran today but has struggled with injury. He was going well but decided to withdraw at 17 miles to give himself every opportunity to run well in London. A brave decision Dave and fingers crossed everything goes well for you in a couple of weeks time.

And so onto our merry band of supporters who screamed, shouted and cheered us on. A huge thank you to: Tony, Emma, Mark, Holly, Clare, Rob, Graham, Chris, Mary, Catherine and Phil.
Your words of encouragement lifted our spirits 😄

PS I think we may all have some funny tan lines to show off. Note to self, don’t wear your long socks on a sunny day.