Sery and Babs Paris Marathon

Sat 03.04.04 - Travelling by boat, car, plain, bus and taxi, finally arriving at Sale e Pepe (Samu’s restaurant) tired and ready for a huge pizza!

After sorting our accommodation (another story for another day…) went to pick up our number in the company of Hawell (a Welsh runner we met) a very chatty and original Viola teacher. It was his first marathon and he needed lots of reassurance and buckets of tlc … from two more ‘experienced’ runners like us!

Finished our first day with an almighty huge plate of pasta at Samu’s.

Sun 04.04.04 – Marathon day, up at 6a.m. civilised breakfast at the hotel, and picked up by our chauffeur Samu to go to the start of the race at the Arc de Triomphe. From the start we found the way back to the baggage drop and swiftly changed into our sexy Carnethy vest and shorts (sorry ‘kilts’ to be precise!) A message to the girls – this is a very handy piece of kit for spending a penny at the last minute between parked cars!

Jogged to the start with a few appreciative comments and then the battle began…. First we tried to get to our allocated colour (aiming for 3h45) to find that we couldn’t get through the barriers from the side of the road. We were left to go back and start too far behind with the SLOWer runners. After about 12 min from hearing the gun, we crossed the start line and from then on we had to do side step, wiggle left, wiggle right and occasionally jump! 10 km before we were able to start to run. Now we were running well and feeling great.

Plenty of water stations every 3 miles and in between sponge stations and those ‘damn’ fruit stations or were they fruit markets? Orange and banana skins where a nightmare under foot. This caused us major concern as one good slip would have meant great entertainment for the runners behind!

Past half way at 1h55, slightly a drift of schedule, still enjoying running and the dodging and all the encouragement from the spectators, especially from the fire brigade “les ecosses, quel jolie jupes” they would sing. Also feeling at home when we heard a lively Carnethy cheer. By then we passed all the most famous Paris sights, feeling a lovely cooling breeze from the river and then we hit the longest tunnel of the race (about a mile or more). This was Sery worst moment of the race, claustrophobic, loud and hot! Also managed to go over my ankle in a pot-hole.

Out of hell at 30km ready for another water station and an energy gel – this is where we lost each other. We carried on in our own space and hoping to meet again… Babs didn’t waist any time to chat up other runners (preferably male) and met a hill runner; a regular Carnethy 5 competitor (too busy looking at his legs to remember his name). Passed 38km and I knew I was not going to beat my PB, legs were feeling tired and it was a blessing to hear Babs shouting from behind “come on Scotland” and I was feeling good again. Babs was running relaxed and had still some energy left, for me too. So at 2 Km to the finish we ran together, glad, and we were even more glad when at our last bend we entered the finish avenue with the glorious Arc de Triomphe beckoning us. Babs grabbed my hand and proudly we ran last 100m with a big smile, especially hearing the commentator appreciating our attire and the spectators shouting “vive l’Ecosse”! Finish time 3h 55’57’’.

This has not put us off running a marathon again, we even had enough energy for a next day shopping marathon (now that was hard work and sore for the pockets), we are planning more international events, including shopping….

With love from Paris.