A carnival atmosphere was all about with 8,450 people registered to run over the four races
the hotel to warm up, just in time to see the 2k children and teenagers race set off. During my warm up the La Niçoise race got underway, which was all women dressed in pink. A carnival atmosphere was all about, with 8,450 people registered to run over the four races, and it was also the 20th anniversary of the half marathon. “A brass band was tuning up to play at the 9k point of the
of my dramas of the past 48 hours, and she commented on how well I looked. ‘I feel well’ I said ‘Let’s go and get my number and I’ll see how I feel tomorrow when I warm up’.
An outdoor expo
“The expo was at the gardens on the Promenade des Anglais, just a three-minute walk from our hotel. It was buzzing with activity – an outdoor expo, with people collecting numbers for a 5k charity race (La Niçoise) aimed at raising breast cancer awareness, the 10k run, and the full 21k half marathon itself. “There was even a 2k race for budding athletes (ages nine to
16), and a specially constructed running village catering for the needs of spectators and runners alike. “We wandered across to the old town and found a restaurant that looked like it would offer me plain food. I ate an omelette and chips, more cola and some tarte tatin to finish, and then back to our hotel for bed.
Good signs at the start
The Promenade des Anglais finish
“Race day dawned sunny and warm. I felt 100 percent well, so I dressed in my kit and off we went for breakfast. At 8:30am I left
10k. ‘Vous allez gagner’ (You will win!) one of the players called out to me. I must have looked fit! He obviously didn’t know that I had been lying on my sick bed only a couple of days previously, but I took it as a good sign. “I may also have looked particularly fit as I was definitely a bit thinner from my stomach drama. Anyway, I felt good warming up, and said to Wendy that I would know if I was fit enough when I tried to run fast. “We all gathered on the start line – the 10k runners one side and the half marathoners the other – and we were off. Then I knew... I felt very weak and so within the first half mile relaxed and decided I would just have to go with the flow and see what happened.
What happened...
“Because of this weak feeling, the race is all a bit of a blur. But it was fun, with spectacular views over the Mediterranean, and we ran past some of the most beautiful scenic sites in Nice: the Jardins Albert 1er, the Edwardian Era’s Palace, and we started and finished along the Promenade des Anglais. We ran the first kilometre along the promenade, then turned inland and ran up and behind the station to come back onto the promenade at 4k, then along in the sun, the sea sparkling beside us all along to port at 8k, before heading back along the seafront to home. The half marathon follows the same route, but with more laps. “I glanced at my watch at 9k and suddenly realised I might
get under 41 minutes, despite feeling weak, but the realisation was a bit late and I crossed the line in 41:03, still very satisfied and quite amazed. As we had our chip cut off and medal put around my head I reached trestle tables full of drinks and bananas – and there were little bottles of ginger beer. “It is hard for me to work out exactly where I came in the women’s race as the men and women are all together in the results and the names are mostly French, but I reckon I have worked out which of the names are female and that I was 8th. “Wendy and I went straight onto the beach and soaked up the sun with the race day carrying on all around and sunbathers, swimmers and runners mingled together in holiday spirit.”
NEXT MONTH: Julia has a break from her travels as she runs the Edinburgh Marathon. Writer Lucy Clark reports on the experience of a team of six runners from Southampton Athletic Club as they take on the gruelling challenge of the Marathon Des Sables.
RUNNING FREE ■ 35
RACES
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64