For my ninth marathon, I ran the Beachy Head marathon. Taking place on a Saturday, the day before summer time ends, it is a hard course. Some claim it to be the toughest in southern England but, while factors such as ascents and descents are quantifiable, I find it difficult to see how an objective standard of toughness could be determined. This time I was slow, nearly as slow as in 2004, the first time I ran this course, and my very first marathon,
Time: 5:18
Distance: 25.77 (according to the Garmin)
Pace: 12.21
The course takes runners away from home in a loop through Jevington, Alfriston, and Bo Peep, after which one turns back towards the sea, running to the outskirts of Seaford, through Litlington, West Dean and back over the Seven Sisters and up Beachy Head. Signalled by a maroon at 9, the start sends one up one of the steepest slopes of the event. In past years I have run up this hill, but this year I walked, as I did for most of the hills that followed. I can't say I enjoyed it, indeed towards the end was saying to myself that I would run London next year as my tenth marathon and then stop. At my present rate of two marathons a year, I would be 94 years old before I could join those who have run a hundred marathons. In retrospect, as the memory of the pain fades, I have softened, and, having heard of it through Thomas Loughlin who is running it this year to raise money for the British School at Athens, am contemplating the Athens Classical Marathon next autumn,. Thomas is the 2007-2009 Macmillan-Rodewald Student of the British School at Athens and a PhD student at the University of Liverpool. You can sponsor him at http://www.justgiving.com/thomasloughlina
Why was I slow? I think the main reason is lack of training. I have yet to work out how to fit regular running into my commuting. so while for previous marathons I have run four or five times a week, this time I managed two or, at best three. Long runs at weekends were less of a problem.
What next? Brighton 10k and the Mince Pie Ten Mile will round off the year nicely.
