7th October 2007
After a forty five minute bus journey out to what seems like the middle of nowhere, with nothing but a start gantry, two baggage trucks and a bank of portaloos for company. Over 1500 runners were turned loose like racing pigeons to run back to Inverness.
A bagpipe and drum band march through the assembled runners at the start. The hair on the back of my neck stands up and I want to cry. Everyone is cheering and clapping. The starting hooter sounds, and the Baxter’s Loch Ness Marathon is underway……
The first three miles are mainly down hill, before 16 miles of undulating quiet lanes take us alongside the shores of the Loch. I keep my eye out for the monster, but it doesn’t show up. I do, however, meet lovely people along the way, and the weather is bright and sunny.
There is a long climb at mile 18, but I feel fine, and storm up the hill with my companions. I am amazed! By mile 20, the legs are hurting, but I know if I walk or stop they will hurt more, so there is plenty of incentive to keep running, and on reaching the outskirts of Inverness, people have turned out in droves to cheer us along.
I run into the stadium and over the finish line. The pipe band are playing once more, and yes, I cry again!
Mark is there to scrape me up off the running track, and I collect a wonderful medal and goody bag (it contains lots of tins of soup!) I am even more amazed to realise that I have completed the course in 4hrs 34mins 34 seconds. I am 1081st out of about 1500 finishers. The winner was Zakary Kihara from Kenya in 2.23.17, the first lady home was Banuella Kalesigura from Tanzania in 2.55.03.
I am fortunate that everything came together on the day for me. This was one great, big, fat, joyous celebration of arriving at my 50th birthday so very happy and healthy. To make it even better I have raised £1,121 for ChildLine.
This marathon comes very highly recommended. The scenery along the race route is breathtakingly beautiful, the atmosphere is wonderful. What are you waiting for………..