Race Report: Greater Manchester Marathon 28/04/2013

Hi, my name's Steve, I'm a marathon runner, and I have an admission to make... I've never finished a marathon without walking...

 

Well, what can I say about the Greater Manchester Marathon? A big city marathon that was mired in controversy last year due to terrible organisation, poorly thought out services, bad route choices (steps at 24 miles??) and calls of criminal negligence regarding the lack of provision for baggage reclaim for freezing and soaking runners after the finish... So I was clearly looking forward to a challenging day.

Sunday morning dawned clear and fresh with low single figure temperatures and at 7:30am Jason Bulley and Martin Coleman picked me up and we drove to the start of the race. After some issues finding a parking spot which involved Jason buying a child's tram ticket to the city centre, we walked to the Man Utd stadium and Martin dropped his bag at the baggage tent and we wandered to the starting pens. A 26 second silence followed by a 26 second applause was held to mark respect for Boston but as the PA wasn't that good it wasn't as well observed as it could have been. A few words by Ron Hill (no idea what he said), and then we were off on the marathon route.

Martin started ahead of us and Jason had agreed to run with me to help me get through the distance without stopping. We set off at a comfortable pace and soon saw Martin heading back toward us on the first double-back of the course, and he was ahead of the 3:15 pace group. We were behind the 3:45 bus, but not following it. That was when I realised that I hadn't reset my Garmin after my last run, so at just over a mile it was reading 6.87 miles... Oops! So I reset it and restarted it, but as a result I wasn't able to track pace and progress accurately. 

The miles ticked by smoothly and easily and soon we were passing the 16 mile mark and cruising... And this is where Jason finds it tough ladies and gentlemen, between 16 and 20 miles... Though you'd never guess it, he kept up an even pace as we eased through to 20, where I started to feel the miles. By 22 miles I was finding it really tough, and Jason coached me, guided me and offered constructive advice and coping strategies. It helped, really helped. I was so focused on hanging in there that when the 24 mile marker came up it was a surprise because I hadn't even seen the 23 mile marker.

 

We kept going, and for the first time I was passing runner after runner walking as the distance beat them, as it had beaten me so many times, but Jason kept an even pace and helped and encouraged me on. Finally we turned toward the stadium, and headed for home. I was shattered, breathing heavily and counting to 100 with my paces, but I couldn't stop now, whatever I was feeling. As we neared the final corner Jason checked his watch and said "Come on Bumper, you're on for a personal best here". I thought he meant not walking but as he speeded up I gradually realised what he really meant and kept pace. We crossed the line together (him just ahead) and I was, frankly, spent. I had left every ounce of energy on the course, but I had done what I had set out to do - run a marathon. Jason had paced it to perfection, every mile split was within seconds of every other, and we posted a negative split of 37 seconds - marathon perfection. All credit to the man, he was an inspiration, and I thank him for it. I also need to thank him for stopping me from collapsing just after I crossed the line!

As for the race itself, well we had no downpours, the weather was kind and the temperature cool throughout, the marshalling was great, the water in pouches was superb and I can honestly say its the easiest way to drink water on the run. The run off after the finish was well organised and moved well, and the volunteers at the Christies marquee were superb with cups of tea and post-race massages.

 

Overall it was a great race, and one I would recommend to anyone looking for a marathon with good personal best potential, great atmosphere and support and a good mix of scenery to break up the journey.

So thank you Jason Bulley on three counts. Firstly for being such an outstanding pacer, I could not have asked for better. Secondly for crossing the line before me, as it meant I was officially the last Strider home! And lastly for helping me overcome my marathon demons and leading me home to my first marathon which I run from start to finish.

Hi, my name's Steve, and I'm a marathon runner.

For more information check out the race website.

Steve  

NB. There is still time to sponsor Steve on his Justgiving site.