Race Report by Lesley Keighley
Back In 2004 I ran the Edinburgh Marathon. It started in Holyrood park weaved its way through Edinburgh out along the firth of forth and back again taking in the seven hills that this beautiful old City is built on to finish back at Holyrood. It was a joy, the course was packed with spectators roaring us all on.
So how would this modern day event compare? I decided to the half instead of the full. Rachel Brock took on the full. There was a 5k and a 10k on the Saturday.
So there we were in Edinburgh spring bank holiday. While the rest of the UK was rolling in hazy lazy days of early summer we were freezing with a dizzy height of 9 degrees!
Sunday morning found me at 7am at the start to prepare for the 8am start. It was 7 degrees and foggy. Everything was good apart from massive queues for the loos and the risk of hyperthermia, because yes of course shorts and vest was today the wrong choice! I did have a waterproof with me and decided to wear it. When we started I was so cold it was a struggle to get going.
It was a surreal fog shrouded Edinburgh with no spectators on her pavements. The first shout of any encouragement was from Sandy who was about a mile into the course. Not even the Scottish piper on Princess street was there. There was a woman on Queens drive with cow bells who was doing her best at 3 miles.
It is a flat course but I think its sold its integrity for this. 8 miles in along Portobello sea front still freezing with a sea fog rolling in I joined the big queue for the loos. This took 6 mins and feeling a bit deflated I thought lets just get this over. So onwards towards Musselburgh still very sparse crowd wise and still very flat. I warmed up at 11 mile and took my waterproof off at 12 and a half miles. Crossed the line and to be fair the race village was great and no fault to be found in the organisation of everything.
We had planned to get back to the hotel to shower and then back again to see Rachel cross the line but a long wait for the bus and then a diversion of 90 mins made it impossible.
The full had started 10am and with 12 degrees it was good running weather and Rachel had a great run and even sunshine when she finished!
It was a great weekend and thanks to our support crew Parkey and Sandy who make it all worthwhile. Blue Remembered Hills of Edinburgh I know you are still there I will find you again!
