Great photos Sweder, good effort. Thanks very much for the shouts (first time round I couldn't pick you out among the team, but I could clearly hear you...).
Pretty pleased with my day's work. Almost everything possible went wrong with the costume - I must have stopped at least 10 times to adjust the shoulder pads (you can see one hanging out in Sweder's photo), my snack pack split after less than a mile, spilling jelly babies and phone across the road, my drink holder was too small for the drink bottles, and at around 24 miles one of my poles fell out, leaving the whole thing rather less erect than it should have been.
My mate's mate who came up with the costume idea is a genius; a locally-themed outfit was a massive hit with the crowds and I surfed home on a wave of continuous cheering.
Huge thanks to Mr & Mrs Stillwaddler for sharing their jelly babies with me!
Well done to Fran and Andy, Tom, and Julie over in Rotterdam - hope you're all pleased with the result.
I managed to snap a few photos on the day, including some of the 25 or so JDRF runners, including, quite by accident, the chap to Dan's right in the shot above. Ah, fate.
By far my favourite though is this one.
This picture was not contrived or meant in any way unkindly. I downloaded my modest collection last night and up it popped. It has attracted a certain amount of interest on Facebook already. For the record Simon blew up at 25 miles and still crossed the line in 3:23 (chip time). He's licking his wounds and taking a few digs in the ribs over the photo but he can take solace in providing an iconic sporting moment for all to enjoy.
Chris 'Austin Powers' Mallinson, who I noted back in January was looking particularly strong, completed the course in 2:49:26, placing 17th in the mens race and 21st overall. This is the same guy who routinely misses the start of our Sunday runs because he's up late after a heavy night out.
A hearty congratulations to everyone! Magnificent efforts all-round there. Anyone got any times though?
(11-04-2011, 10:23 PM)Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote: [ -> ]A hearty congratulations to everyone! Magnificent efforts all-round there. Anyone got any times though?
On a baking hot day (by UK standards
) I think the main aim was just to get round. Dan and Tom came home in around 4:55, Fran and Andy about 35 mins later.
(12-04-2011, 06:09 AM)El Cuckoo Wrote: [ -> ] (11-04-2011, 10:23 PM)Mid Life Crisis Man Wrote: [ -> ]A hearty congratulations to everyone! Magnificent efforts all-round there. Anyone got any times though?
On a baking hot day (by UK standards ) I think the main aim was just to get round. Dan and Tom came home in around 4:55, Fran and Andy about 35 mins later.
Yay! Good work, RC-people!
It was b*****y awful, nearly chucked up at about mile 12 and was very close to chucking in the towel. All that training in the rain and the cold and we get a blistering day to run - typical. Got round but v dissapointed in time. Good to meet you Dan, excellent run, and Sweder, it was great to see you and recieve a reviving cheer. Will give you the gory details v.soon. DOMS has kicked in big time, fancy a grown woman being frightened by the sight of stairs. Mr SW's powers of recovery much greater than mine, he went to the gym and did a step class when we got back yesterday!!!!
Still digesting the experience, before regurgitating in a blog post. But well done Dan, not only for your time, but also for making it to the BBC Sussex news site; and good to meet you beforehand.
I'm ambivalent about the event. One the one hand crowd support was fantastic, not least Sweder's stentorian shouts from the other side of the road; on the other I found the Hove and Shoreham out-and-back sections deeply dispiriting. Still, marathons aren't supposed to be easy.
(12-04-2011, 01:05 PM)tomroper Wrote: [ -> ]not least Sweder's stentorian shouts from the other side of the road;
Crikey Tom. According to the Iliad I have a voice 'equivalent to that of 50 men'. I do have a big gob, that's for sure. You might say I was Blessed; I even have a bit of a beard at the moment (though nowhere near as volumous as Our Brian).
The voice will be sorely tested this Sunday when it's put to heralding 146 JDRF runners, some of whom will be out there long after the bunting and mile markers come down. By the the time we get to that stage I'll be screaming increasingly hoarse encouragement to Uncle Tom Cobleigh and All. Hmm ... I wonder if my old yelling partner will be joining me this year?
Sometimes I think it would be a lot easier just to run the bloody thing
(13-04-2011, 12:16 PM)Sweder Wrote: [ -> ] (12-04-2011, 01:05 PM)tomroper Wrote: [ -> ]not least Sweder's stentorian shouts from the other side of the road;
Crikey Tom. According to the Iliad I have a voice 'equivalent to that of 50 men'. I do have a big gob, that's for sure. You might say I was Blessed; I even have a bit of a beard at the moment (though nowhere near as volumous as Our Brian).
The voice will be sorely tested this Sunday when it's put to heralding 146 JDRF runners, some of whom will be out there long after the bunting and mile markers come down. By the the time we get to that stage I'll be screaming increasingly hoarse encouragement to Uncle Tom Cobleigh and All. Hmm ... I wonder if my old yelling partner will be joining me this year?
Sometimes I think it would be a lot easier just to run the bloody thing
Good man, for attending to your annual duty. On Sunday morning I will be doing something I suspect few people will have managed -- watching two marathons simultaneously. One live, one televised.
You look better than other runners with less load, Dan!
Saludos desde Almería.