Berlin Marathon
- runningevolution5
- Oct 4
- 7 min read
Berlin Marathon was my goal event for the year. The notable flat and record breaking course was what brought me to the event - a chance to run a fast time.
I’m not a speedy person. I’m just an average person that goes out there and tries to better myself, be the example that you can put yourself out there.
So, naturally I did not earn a qualifying position. I went with a travelling group, Adventure Time Travel. I chose them due to their personalised approach and the great friendships you make amongst the small group that goes. I shared a room with my one of my athletes, Renee. We had previously done this for Tokyo. And amazingly, Karin and Sean who I travelled with for New York when we all were doing our very first marathon (and they were also crazy as I to do Sydney too) had also travelled with the group.
We stayed at Hotel Berlin, this happened to be where all the elite athletes were also staying. Definitely have to say I was star stuck every time I walked the lobby and every breakfast. These athletes were here for business and didn’t venture far from the hotel. My one claim to fame is on Saturday before the Generali 5km I shared the lift with Sebastian Sawe. He’d asked if I was going for a run. On showing him how to get to the lobby I asked him what he hoped to run tomorrow, “I’m hoping for 2:02”. I was like that’s fast! Do you want to run for me? You’ll be finished before I even start tomorrow. He kindly laughed and wished me luck. He did win and ran a time 2:02:16.
The night before the marathon, the temperature for race day could no longer change. A hot 27 degrees! I have to admit that some panic may have set in. I was unfortunate with my submitted times and goal time to be put in the last wave - K amongst runners likely running close to the time limit of 6:15 (average 8:53min/km pace). So noting I’m starting at the back, I’d definitely be out there in the peak of the heat of the day.
Marathon day!
I was up early for breakfast. I ended up having what I’d been eating all week (buffet breakfast) noting that breakfast time and race time would be greater than 3 hours and knowing I was definitely going to need the energy on board. In my way back to the room the elite runners had congregated in the lobby. Shortly they were off in the official cars to the start line. I headed back to the room to get into my singlet, check that I had all my gels and last chance for the toilet before heading to the lobby to meet the rest of the team.
The energy in the lobby was unreal. The nerves of those running their first and excitement for those who I’ve met over the week that manage to run soo many majors in one year! One of the great parts of going with a group is that it makes running a marathon feel like it’s a team effort. We are all out there on own but there to support one another out there. Some had come with their support crew who with the staff of Adventure Time Travel were going to be out on the course to cheer us all on. Most of the team were walking to the start line. Due to my aches and pains I’d opted to catch the train to reduce the time on my legs. I’ve learnt over time standing for long periods does not fair well with my back. A short walk and a train change and we were at Brandenburg Gate where a mandatory photo was required. As next time we would see this gate there would be with 440m to go!
Then not far around the corner we hit the one and only entry for the starting area for Berlin Marathon. It was busy, people everywhere. Only runners through the gate. We got through and saw again the famous Pineapple Marathon Runner but managed to get a photo this time round!
After a brush with fame it was straight to the portaloos. The lines were long and it took time to get to the front. This was a first and new territory with portaloos and races. I don’t know if there was never toilet paper or they just ran out. So note to all those wanting to run Berlin, take you’re own toilet paper to the start line! Not to mention prepare yourself for a long drop.
Not long after the last nervous toilet stop, it was announced that our corral was being opened. So many funnelled through the gate and then into more narrow streets where it got to the point that we were at a stand still. We probably waited for another 10mins before we were on the move.
Around a few corners and there it was, the Victory Column in the distance. Slowly shuffling forwards. You could feel the nerves and the excitement. The music was pumping and lifting the vibes. The MC got the crowd going, moving our arms to the left and right to the beat before he asked us to link arms with the person next to us and started bouncing to the left and the right. The count down started and our wave was off! It took probably 15mins before I finally crossed the start line.
With so many people running, there was definitely not a lot of space to try and run at your own pace. It was hard to dodge and weave to get ahead to be able to run comfortably. Often I was boxed in and stuck running at an uncomfortably slow pace to what I wanted to be running.
My fear of running in the last corral came true; no drinks at a drinks station. Due to the heat, there were a few drink stations where they had run out of cups as so many had been throwing water on themselves to cool down as well as hydration. With no cups and just a hose. I was not game enough to pick up a cup of the ground, so many people have run through and on them. So I had to make a cup with my hands to get some water on board. It was just too hot to go through the drink station without taking on water. Every drink station was chaotic, I tried to go past the start where everyone beelined to to try and get aware from the stand still mass of people trying to grab water.
20km mark, the constant dodging and weaving, I came to accept that today was not going to be my day. My hopes of running close to 4 hours was definitely not going to happen. I was starting to feel the heat, even coming from Darwin, it was hot! It was a different heat that I was not prepared for but this was something out of my control. I decided from then on to be in survival mode. Try and slow my pace down and get to the end in one piece.
Due to the heat and dehydration I thought that this may be the first marathon I wouldn’t need a toilet stop as I was definitely starting to feel dehydrated. Unfortunately, I don’t know if it was the heat or my gut but I did not like the maurtens drink even though I’ve had it so many times before (I do wonder if it was due to the concentration of the mix). I started feeling queezy. Thoughts started popping in my head about am I going to be sick. Is this a sign that I may have to pull out? May this be the first marathon I get a DNF? My splits were pretty consistent so it’s quite evident when I got to the point where I had no choice but to do a toilet stop, 25km. This was a horrible experience I don’t wish to experience again. Let’s just say, long drops, heat, back end of a marathon is not a pleasant smell. Thankfully, after the pit stop I felt much better and felt like I was in a better position to finish.
27km in it started to thin out a bit and I was more around people running a similar pace to myself. Some of the streets were only two lanes so there was still dodging and weaving.
On the course I got to see partners and family of those running with Adventure Time Travel and staff. Seeing their familiar faces out on the course was such a lifting moment when you felt deflated that you weren’t going to achieve what you had wanted. It felt like you had your own family there cheering you on. This was so appreciated and I know it echoed with other runners from the group.
The back of our hotel was the 37km mark - 5km to go! Seeing Anna from Adventure Time Travel was like a sign I was almost there. I felt like I was just hanging on and trying to maintain my pace. Not far from there it was the familiar territory from the Generali 5km. Giving me the taste of the finish line!
I could not have been happier to see the Brandenburg Gate. Another 400-500m before the finish line. The crowd on the other side of the gate was amazing. The cheering, the music, the atmosphere was fantastic way to finish what I would say was the hardest marathon I’ve run.
Crossing that finish line was mixed emotions. Feeling disappointed, relief, proud and exhausted. I finished my 4th Abbott World Major and my 8th marathon. I’m definitely disappointed that I got no where near my goal that I had set out to do. But I’m grateful I finished and proud that I didn’t give up. Everytime you line up to that start line, you may have put in all that hard work but sometimes, things outside your control can effect the outcome of the day. Lesson learnt was that I listened to my body, and the numbers were not lining up for me today and I had to readjust the goal post. The fact that I only ran 5 minutes slower than Sydney, I’m pretty pleased with that. It demonstrated that the long mileage and all that training did put me in a good position but today was just not my day. But I don’t want to take it away from others as many would have said it was a hard day at the office but forsome they finished their very first marathon or manage to run a spectacular PB despite the conditions.
So now it’s time to recover, look after the body and before building for whatever running adventures next year brings.
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