Finishing through the eyes of a first time marathoner

Sanlam Cape Town Marathon 2021, my first road marathon since March 2020 and what a great come back marathon! Cape Town you beauty! Although I have thoroughly been enjoying the trails and sea swims I loved being back on the road.

The route weaves through The Mother City, past iconic landmarks and then heads out to Ronderbosch. As you wind through the suburbs I looked up, paused and took a mental photograph of the views of the common against the backdrop of “the mountain”. I would pull that memory out and savour it later. Then you head back into town, past the Old Biscuit Mill and on towards the stadium. In past years as you approached the stadium, you knew you were finishing. Not this year, you ran on past to do a 5km loop in Sea Point. This was a bit of a mind game for me, and at this point, my mojo did a swift disappearing act.

But if this loop at the end of the route is my only “criticism” it should be dwarfed against the brilliant organisation, friendly volunteers, ice-cold water points, easy covid testing, hot coffee at the start, seamless batching and the kind medical personnel that dispensed the game-changing Imodium with a smile and a wink at the 32km mark (rookie mistake on my part ). Even the overcast rainy weather was perfect for marathon running. Well done Salam Cape Town Marathon.

There are a few things that I am reminded of:
Being physically able to run enjoying the company of friends is priceless and precious. Marathon running is even more  “fun” when you finish . PBs should be celebrated with gusto!!!! and seeing the finish through the eyes of a novice marathoner is a privilege.

As I mentioned, my mojo had departed in Sea Point, my run/walk strategy was less than inspiring. As I stopped to walk, I didn’t indicate and a runner bumped into me. I duly apologised and he, in turn, admitted that he was using me as his pacer. “Glory be,” I thought. Could you have not chosen someone else more competent and less knackered? The words I tell so many new runners swiftly came to taunt me.  “The more you can input into someone else’s journey the less you think about you, the better your running will be”. So I pulled myself together, picked up my mojo, and of Brett and I trotted. We walk/run the last 4kms. As we chatted I found out that Brett started running in 2019, he had trained through the pandemic and this was his first marathon, he was aiming for a 4:30 finish. Not only was he going to finish his first marathon he was going to smash his target!

According to recent statistics, only half of one per cent of the world’s population has run a marathon. On the final kilometre, I turned to Brett and said “savour every moment, look around, enjoy! You are just finishing your first marathon”. His smile was radiant, it sparkled with a sense of achievement and therein lies the secret to why we run marathons. What a privilege to finish through the eyes of a first-time marathoner.