Istanbul Eurasia marathon

Sun October 26 2008
Listed by REALmadRED
Entrants (2) Club PB SB Pred Time WAVA
Gibster Istanbul fantastic other than the weather! Throughout the race it rained, the best long distance race in age(s) special moments, the city and a boat trip on the Bospurhias! Stainland Lions RC 3:54:11 4:15:00 4:05:58 53.08
REALmadRED The race against adversity... 1 cancelled flight at London City Airport- closed due to chemical alert! Return home and leave for Heathrow at 11:30pm, arrive 1:30am, check in at 4am, fly at 6:05am - 1 night's sleep lost!! 2 flights to Istanbul (via Zurich), - put clock forward twice!! 1 trip across a foreign city to race Expo to collect number then find hotel (back across city). Put clock back 1 hour, rain starts at 2am. Very little sleep, up an hour too early, too early for breakfast and get taxi to coach transit pick up 1 hour early, it's pouring down and noone speaks English! 20 minutes later realise digital clock in main sqare is 1 hour fast, huge sigh of releif but now very hungry! Leave in coach to go to start at 8am, race begins at 9am in Asia - it's raining a monsoon still and I step off the coach near the start into a river of surface water! Start race wearing a pair of soaking wet Asics Gel Kayano, a pair of shorts, long sleeve tech-t and a bin bag! Hit the wall at 17 miles, totally fatigued, cold, hungry and tired wondering why I even bothered to get out of my warm, dry bed! Pass a coach a a turn around point with injured or DNF marathon runners... it was so, so tempting to throw the towel in and quit at this point! Still poring down, no Istanbul heatwave today! Seemed like forever but soldiered on to the finish, a nasty hill in the last mile too! Collected finishers medal, t-shirt and goody bag - it was a true test of character but I didn't go all that way to come home with no medal! Morale of the story is I didn't give up despite the adversity and I'm wiser for the experience, Job done! Collingwood AC 4:11:00 4:40:00 5:30:00 37.51

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