Last run of the year and with Gatliff just 6 days ago and a 60+ hr week at work, I was left wanting. What a nice course though, taking in the Wealden Way and NDW. Very muddy again and ferociously windy. So good to spend time catching up with 260 marathoner Robert Cameron-Wood for a few miles. What a legend.
My shoes had barely dried from Gatliff and here we were again. In the mud. The first few miles were technical and even though the course was well marked, was tough going. After a while it opened out into some form of track and it was time to get a move on. CP1 was only 4.5 miles in. straight through and off to Vigo village for the turnaround. There are some big hills there and you go right down to the Medway and back up which means 3 big 600+ footers in a row. The one at the end of it was a beast.
To give you an idea of the terrain, the 10k was won in a pedestrian 52 mins.....but onwards. Feeling tired I necked gels early and hoped to hang on. Flat on my face in the mud after 10 miles only spurred me on. I ran all of the race alone, save for a quick chat with a couple of people I passed or half marathoners being overtaken.
Pleasantly surprised with 14th place and a 4hr 31 in these conditions. 20 mins quicker would have been a podium so not a bad end to the year. Marathon #66 done.
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