This marathon is impressing me more and more over the last 3 years because the number of runners keeps increasing each time. This year nearly 6000 runners finished which in my eyes makes it a very big marathon. The spectators are also impressive, lots of them, on many parts of the course, albeit nowhere near as many as in one of the Marathon Majors but many more than most other marathons. I know I’m a Man City Fan but I have to admit the start and finish at Man United’s ground is an excellent venue and works well. All thought the parking is expensive at Man U’s official car parks.
This year’s race was forecast to have rain but for most of the day it was dry so only the unlucky slower runners got wet. In the end the cool, calm, day was pretty good for marathon running and with the course being so flat it was a great opportunity for fast times.
Since my operation in December I have been training hard to get both my stamina and speed back and wanted to push this race to see just how much fitness I had regained. I wanted to get close to 3:30 and wondered if it was possible for me to break the 3:30 barrier. I paced the first half of the race to bring me inside 3:30 and my plan was to hold on in the second half as best as I could. I got the half way on target in 1:45. I was very pleased to feel strong through the second half and kept pushing on, finishing in 3:23:30. I was very pleased and hope to build on this in time for my marathon and half marathon challenge in May at Edinburgh.
As it was my “Home” marathon there was a great deal of friends out on the course or helping at the water stations, especially Swinton’s and Astley & Tyldesley’s water stations. It was great fun cheering friends on and being cheered. This was made even more possible as there is quite a long section of the course where you run out to Altrincham on one side of a road and back on the other. I shared the day unexpectedly with a runner who was on his marathon debut, Manx Rob, I caught him up near the halfway point and we stayed together until about mile 20 where he left me. We had a good laugh, I don’t think he could believe how many runners I knew out on the course. For me I was so impressed with his strong running, especially for a first attempt at a marathon.
