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Well, I did it! I reached one of my lifetime ambitions, coming over the finishing line in 4 hrs 25 (see below for proof… blurry as the screenshot may be. Still in the top 50% of finishers, just about! ;) )

Bank holiday Monday was a lovely, calm October day. Perfect conditions for running. I was nervous/scared by the time we reached the starting line. It was nice, however, to know that everyone in this sea of people was in the same boat as myself. One mistake I had made was to register as an over-4hours competitor; this meant I was stuck with all the walkers in Nassau St. Still, there was a fantastic atmosphere as we waited for the starter’s whistle. It came… and went. We stood for another 10 minutes for the crowd to get moving and finally we were ready to cross the starting line!

It took 3 or so miles to find a pace (I did the first 3 miles in a whopping 42 minutes!). After that, I found the space I needed to move, and fell into a comfortable 9-minute-mile pace. After mile 5 we reached the gates of the Phoenix Park; very exciting to hear the crowds cheer as we passed through the old white gates. The Park is in its prime at this time of year, and we were still fresh enough to savour it. I passed a Dutch guy in a mini kilt and 2 English guys in their tuxes, looking as dishevelled as if they were on their way back from their Debs. The wisecracks along the way gave us a boost.

The Powers That Be were kind to us marathoners this year; they didn’t plot the route along Cardiac Hill or any other famous heart-stoppers in the Park. We had a nice flat course until we passed through the gates on the other side at Chapelizod, 3 miles later.

Things moved smoothly to the halfway mark. At mile 11, at Dolphin’s Barn, I got support from Sinead (thanks Gadge!) and Paul. On to mile 13, I had a quick chat with Leo who was manning the electronic timing. I passed the halfway mark in a slow 2 hrs 5.

By mile 15 the sun had come out. This made for a lovely day, particularly for the spectators, but it meant that it was warm for the runners. Thankfully, bottles of water were provided at 3-mile intervals – it was nice to clutch a bottle and sip, instead of choking on sups from those paper cups.

I started to feel tired at mile 16. This is when I started to ‘talk to myself’. My body could keep going in autopilot, because I’d done the training, but now it was determination that was going to get me through. That, and support from friends and the crowd

At mile 18, I saw Michael (who was dying of a cold) and Lisa cheering like mad Lisa decided to run a bit with me! As we passed through residential areas such as Milltown and Clonskeagh, people had set up water stands outside their homes. They had peeled oranges and mandarins and were offering them, pouch by pouch. Kids were on parents’ shoulders offering jelly babies. The crowds were fantastic throughout; it would restore your faith in ‘the milk of human kindness’.

At least I was in familiar territory now, going over the old routes myself & the UCD gang (Naomi, Lorraine, Ronan, JP) used to run, along Clonskeagh Rd & Roebuck Rd. I knew I would see the 4 of them, with Mam & Aoife, at the UCD flyover. That marked the elusive 21-mile point. I knew it was ahead of me so I managed to keep running at a slow but steady pace. A lot of people had started walking at this stage, and it was very tempting, but I sensed that if I stopped, I’d never regain a pace. Also, I’d be disappointed not to have run all the way. Seeing the gang on the bridge gave me a huge boost, and by this stage I felt I could take it, 1 mile at a time. I could count the remaining miles on 1 hand.

Paul appeared again (3^rd time out of 4!) to give me a boost at Shelbourne Road. The road was nice & flat until we reached Grand Canal St. As we approached Westland Row, at the 25.5 mark, the feeling was amazing – the crowds were 4-or 5-deep, and people were cheering like crazy. I enjoyed the lap around Trinity, as we passed along Pearse Street, Front Arch and along Nassau St. At mile 26 I made sure to savour my last steps. The crowd was cheering and it felt fantastic to cross the finish line.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, all of you who were so generous with your donations (the online total is at 592euro and I have in excess of 200euro cash – just waiting for the last few pledges to come through). The Irish Cancer Society a fantastic cause and Paul’s mam was in the forefront of my mind as I ran. She would have been delighted and was with me in spirit.

Thanks also to Paul & Pat K, who were great companions during the months of training and made those sessions on Portmarnock Beach & Malahide Castle so enjoyable! And to all of you who put up with my one-track mind for the past 4 months ;) Clo xxx

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