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Leith Harrier & Athletic Club
Dunedin, New Zealand
Harriers, Roadrunning, Track and Field,
Mountain Running, Recreational Walking
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Clubrooms:
Chingford Park,
North East Valley.
Postal Address:
PO Box 1507
Dunedin
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Grant McDougall's account of his Marathon run in Sydney,
Australia in September 2008
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Sydney Marathon,
September 21, '08
Millions of people can say they've driven over the Sydney Harbour
Bridge, but far less can say they've ran over it.The Sydney
Running Festival was held on September 21 and each event (Bridge
Run, Family 10km run, half-marathon, marathon) began by going
over the world famous bridge and each also ended at the equally
iconic Sydney Opera House. I took part in the marathon, my fifth.
About 2,000 competed in the marathon, at least the same again
in the half-marathon, plus several thousand in the non-competitive
events.
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Flying the Leith flag - Grant, hardened by the Dunedin
summer, just doesn't feel the cold
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This was the first marathon I'd ran
since Christchurch a few years ago. As you know, it's a matter
of caning out the training miles, so for the preceding 10 weeks
or so, it was a matter of cranking out the milage on Sunday
mornings, including my first trot around the Waitati circuit
about five six weeks beforehand. The training, overall, went
well, bar two weeks in the middle when I had the flu badly.
I went into the event feeling slightly under-cooked, but still
confident. My PB is 3hr 08min for the marathon; I was aiming
to crack 3.15 -that way I had both a goal, but wasn't putting
myself under pressure.
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My friend Peter Frew (Civil Service,
Pub Runners) was also doing the half-marathon, so we arranged
to travel over together. We flew up to Christchurch on the evening
of Thursday, September 18. He'd arranged for us to crash with
one of his friends. However, due to a few unexpected complications,
he never turned up and by the time we realised he wasn't going
to arrive, it was too late to get in touch with anyone else.
So we ended up trying to snatch some sleep on the floor of the
International Terminal - not the ideal thing three nights before
a marathon...
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No doubt, a runner praying for a Personal Best
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We flew out from Christchurch early
Friday morning, arriving at about 8am, Sydney time. I'd been
to Brisbane before, but not to Sydney, where I was staying with
my brother, Gareth, an ambulance officer there. After hanging
out at his apartment for a while, we caught the train to Circular
Quay and picked up my race pack from the event tent there. While
doing so, I spotted former Wallabies captain Phil Kearns nearby,
yapping into his cell phone.
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That night my brother and I went
to a pub in Newtown, to attend farewell drinks for a departing
work colleague of his. I wasn't planning to, but I unexpectedly
ripped into the beers and shots. Again, not ideal behaviour
two nights before a marathon...thankfully I felt splendid on
Saturday morning. Saturday was pretty good; I checked out a
few music shops in the city, where I unexpectedly bumped into
a friend from Dunedin and his girlfriend, talk about it being
a small world. Then I met up with Peter and we looked around
The Powerhouse Museum. It's a fantastic musueum and I highly
recommend a visit to it. It hit 32degrees at one point, I hoped
Sunday wouldn't be as intense.
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On Saturday evening I took it easy,
then hit the sack early. The marathon began at 7.15am on Sunday
and I had to catch the 5.30am train, to be at the start on time.
I got to Central Station at about 6.30am to change to another
line and the place was flooded with fellow competitors.
We all got off at Milson's Point, just over the Harbour Bridge.
There was thousands of competitors everywhere. After generally
milling around and absorbing the atmosphere, I placed my numbered
bag into one of the trucks that would take bags to the finish.
The half had started at 6.20am. By now it was about 7am and
already it was starting to get hot (by Dunedin standards, anyway).
The marathon had pace setters (from 3hr and quarter-hourly onwards
to 4hr.15min), who were members of the Sydney Striders club,identifiable
from the flags they were wearing.
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Behind the start line I went and
stood near the 3.15 pace-setter, a guy called Ewen, who looked
alarmingly like Steve Skilling, but with a goatee. At 7.05am
the recently-retired Australian cricketer, Glen McGrath, conducted
an interview in the starter's booth. McGrath was doing the bridge
run
and was raising funds for the McGrath Foundation (his wife,
Jane, had recently died from cancer and the foundation raises
money for research, etc).
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The wheel-chair competitors began
at 7.13am, then it was a typically nervous wait for the marathon
to start. At 7.15am the gun went off, then it was the slightly
stilted shuffle towards the line, as we all tried to get going
at a good pace. The start was actually the steepest part of
the race, going up a small street, then around on to the Bridge.
It was about the same gradient as going up Taieri Rd for five
or six blocks. Going over the bridge was tough going. Ewen was
really cracking the pace and I was struggling to stay with the
bunch with him. I caught up with them coming off the bridge,
but then again struggled to stay with them along Cahill St and
up Macquarie St. However, by the time we started going along
to Mrs Macquarie's Point, I'd caught the 3.15 bunch and was
feeling comfortable. As we got going out to the point, the leaders,
Julius Maritim and B.Mbithi were, amazingly, already heading
out back to the main road. They got masses of encouragement
from everyone - they were smoking it, but still looked very
fresh and strong.
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The course then went gently up-hill
along William St, then into Oxford St, then into Anzac Parade.
The pace for our group was very comfortable, but steady. There
was a core group of about 20 running with Ewen and we all took
turns running at the front with him. The course then went
through around Centennial Park.
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Back out on to Alison Rd, we were
at the 16km mark. I was starting to feel really good, so decided
to crank it up a bit. I intially thought it may be unwise to
split from the pack, but I felt confident and backed myself.
the course then went up to the first of three dog-legs near
Randwick
Racecourse, with another on the other side of the course. This
included the half-way point and I went through it in 1hr36min.
This was followed by another small dog-leg, before heading back
down Alison Rd and Anzac Rd. The course then zig-zagged through
Surry Hills, including some good
quick, short, down-hill streets. then through some central city
streets. This was the part of the course I enjoyed the most,
I felt fine and there was plenty of encouragement from the public.
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By now it was at the 29km point and
I was starting to feel a little tired, not to mention that the
sun was getting pretty hot, as well.The course then diverted
out past the Old Glebe Island Bridge, then out along the City-West
link Rd (closed off), before a u-turn at Norton St in Balmain.
I saw Julius Maritim already on his way back from it and gave
him the full Chris Sole treatment: 'All the way champion, all
the way, go! go! go!'. He went on to win in 2.19.
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Proof that Grant was definitely in Sydney, Australia
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The four km out to the u-turn were tough and I
had to talk to myself a couple of times. But psychologically,
I knew that once I got there I'd immediately perk up, as I knew
I could then head towards the finish line. This was much what
happened and I felt heartened. I felt ok going
back along the City-West Rd, then good going up the slight up-hill
into town. However, going down Sussex St and Hickson St was
quite odd, as there were very few other runners in sight, unlike
the rest of the race.
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As I crossed underneath
the Harbour Bridge I could see across to the Opera House. My
watch said 3.03 and I was worried I might not crack 3.15. It
looked a bit too far away for my liking. I felt slightly stodgy
going through The Rocks, but once I got on to Circular Quay
I knew I had a minute or
two to spare and would beat the 3.15 mark, so felt delighted
as I sprinted past the cheering crowds and around to the finish
line in front of the Opera House. I finished in 3hr13min, so
was ecstatic. Overall, I was placed 136th out of 1,937 finishers
in the marathon. I felt stuffed and trudged into the nearby
park to pick up my finisher's t-shirt and medal. There were
a lot of sponsor's tents nearby, so after taking advantage of
the free fruit on offer, I left. Brian Pascoe will be delighted
to know that I then treated myself to a great, big, fat, three-scoop,chocolate
derby ice-cream.
Very yummy it was, too.
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The Sydney marathon
is an outstanding event and I am really pleased I competed in
it. As an event, it is brilliantly organised. The course is
very easy to follow, with many drink stops which was appreciated
given the hot conditions. The course itself is very reasonable
and not too difficult, if you've done the training. Any of the
small up-hill bits are easy by Dunedin standards and there is
a good variety of scenery through-out and no long, flat bits.
The website is also very helpful.
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As most of you know,
apart from running my other keen interest is music and despite
my legs feeling knackered, I happily spent Monday trudging the
inner city scoring a bunch of goodies from various CD treasure
troves. I thought I deserved it. The rest of the week was a
lot of fun hanging out and seeing the sights.
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| On Saturday, September 28, the night
before I flew out, my brother and I attended another sporting
event, the Warriors vs Manly preliminary grand final, at Sydney
Football Stadium. The Warriors got hammered, but at least I
can say I saw Manly, who won the Grand Final in style the next
weekend. |
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