Berlin Marathon - 2018

Wow, Just Wow!!!

and still ricky villa wrote: »

4:38 per mile.....

I was just looking that up.......
If I could have one of those miles I'd be delighted

Phenomenal stuff.......

Long time lurker around here, I followed the thread before the race and it was really useful so I thought I'd do a race report for yiz! That and I've nothing else to do before my (delayed!!!) Ryanair flight back to Kapsisiywa.

Training went well so I was looking forward to the race a lot. There were no tune-up races in my plan, but my club sessions were all pretty solid. I've done Berlin before so knew what to expect. Had a bit of a disaster a few years ago with some bad runners but still managed to somehow finish. Strangely I have a Garmin marathon PB from a training run last year but that wasn't a real marathon so I don't count it. A goal was beat my Garmin PB, B goal was a PB, C goal was to finish the race!

Hit the expo the day before. It was fine, very efficient (insert German reference here) and I tried not to spend too much time on my feet. I picked up a few nice bits of Adidas gear, really like their stuff.

Treated myself to a currywurst after the expo, later on ate some pasta in a local Italian near our Airbnb and settled down early watching some Friends on Netflix. Sleep was ok, woke up at 5.30 or so. Got some porridge and Lucozade Sport into me and then started walking over, our Airbnb was close enough to the start.

I got changed into my racing gear, hit the bag drop and portapotties. I also put on my lucky arm compression sleeves. Dunno why I still wear them!

The first 5k 14:24

Start wasn't congested at all, seemed to open up very quickly. Didn't see the 2 hour pacers at all. I was running with my club mates and the general plan was to stick with them for as long as I could, maybe catching up with the pacers if everything went well on the day.

5k - 10k 14:37

Starting to settle into a rhythm here, slowed down a bit but it was fine. A little behind pace but it's still early days.

10k - 15k 14:37 (haha, what are the chances!)

My mate Kitty dropped out here

15k -20k 14:18

Through halfway at 01:01:06 - only 90 seconds or so off my HM PB! Must have a go at that soon, obviously a bit soft.

20k - 25k 14:28

My other mates dropped out by now. Focussing on my own race.

25k - 30k 14:21

??? Dunno!

30k - 35k 14:18

Ok, time to go for it. I was feeling like I could speed up a little. It was getting a bit warm in the sun, but otherwise weather was great.

35k - 40k 14:30

Ok, just a parkrun to go. Things got really tough. Unbelievably a wheelchair user nearly crashes into me and then decides to go along at my speed for a while.

Somehow managed to speed up and did a bit of a sprint finish (well it felt like it at the time). I didn't get close to the 2 hour pacers (I guess I wasn't that far off them?!) but was happy to have run my own race. After I finished I was delighted and started acting like a bit of an eejit, highfiving randomers. Somehow found my coach quickly enough and I gave him a big hug, it's funny how emotional you can get at the end of a marathon.

Finish time: 2:01:39 Real marathon PB

After a shower we went to a nearby Kenyan bar (yeh I know, stereotypical or what). The atmosphere was a bit spoiled by my club mates dropping out but the beers I had tasted pretty good!!!

Overall Berlin's great. Fab crowds, pretty flat course and the weather is mostly good.
Not sure what's next - might look at some track stuff or maybe mountain races. Chances are I'll just end up doing another marathon, maybe a BQ attempt and then Boston itself!

elk1984 wrote: »

Long time lurker around here, I followed the thread before the race and it was really useful so I thought I'd do a race report for yiz! That and I've nothing else to do before my (delayed!!!) Ryanair flight back to Kapsisiywa.

Training went well so I was looking forward to the race a lot. There were no tune-up races in my plan, but my club sessions were all pretty solid. I've done Berlin before so knew what to expect. Had a bit of a disaster a few years ago with some bad runners but still managed to somehow finish. Strangely I have a Garmin marathon PB from a training run last year but that wasn't a real marathon so I don't count it. A goal was beat my Garmin PB, B goal was a PB, C goal was to finish the race!

Hit the expo the day before. It was fine, very efficient (insert German reference here) and I tried not to spend too much time on my feet. I picked up a few nice bits of Adidas gear, really like their stuff.

Treated myself to a currywurst after the expo, later on ate some pasta in a local Italian near our Airbnb and settled down early watching some Friends on Netflix. Sleep was ok, woke up at 5.30 or so. Got some porridge and Lucozade Sport into me and then started walking over, our Airbnb was close enough to the start.

I got changed into my racing gear, hit the bag drop and portapotties. I also put on my lucky arm compression sleeves. Dunno why I still wear them!

The first 5k 14:24

Start wasn't congested at all, seemed to open up very quickly. Didn't see the 2 hour pacers at all. I was running with my club mates and the general plan was to stick with them for as long as I could, maybe catching up with the pacers if everything went well on the day.

5k - 10k 14:37

Starting to settle into a rhythm here, slowed down a bit but it was fine. A little behind pace but it's still early days.

10k - 15k 14:37 (haha, what are the chances!)

My mate Kitty dropped out here

15k -20k 14:18

Through halfway at 01:01:06 - only 90 seconds or so off my HM PB! Must have a go at that soon, obviously a bit soft.

20k - 25k 14:28

My other mates dropped out by now. Focussing on my own race.

25k - 30k 14:21

??? Dunno!

30k - 35k 14:18

Ok, time to go for it. I was feeling like I could speed up a little. It was getting a bit warm in the sun, but otherwise weather was great.

35k - 40k 14:30

Ok, just a parkrun to go. Things got really tough. Unbelievably a wheelchair user nearly crashes into me and then decides to go along at my speed for a while.

Somehow managed to speed up and did a bit of a sprint finish (well it felt like it at the time). I didn't get close to the 2 hour pacers (I guess I wasn't that far off them?!) but was happy to have run my own race. After I finished I was delighted and started acting like a bit of an eejit, highfiving randomers. Somehow found my coach quickly enough and I gave him a big hug, it's funny how emotional you can get at the end of a marathon.

Finish time: 2:01:39 Real marathon PB

After a shower we went to a nearby Kenyan bar (yeh I know, stereotypical or what). The atmosphere was a bit spoiled by my club mates dropping out but the beers I had tasted pretty good!!!

Overall Berlin's great. Fab crowds, pretty flat course and the weather is mostly good.
Not sure what's next - might look at some track stuff or maybe mountain races. Chances are I'll just end up doing another marathon, maybe a BQ attempt and then Boston itself!

You would have been under 2 hours without that currywurst......

elk1984 wrote: »

Long time lurker around here, I followed the thread before the race and it was really useful so I thought I'd do a race report for yiz....

This is friggin gold. Love the going to bed early watching friends 😅 the portapotties and "just a parkrun" at the end!!

Well played sir. And a fine run to boot!!

juke wrote: »

Huzzah! ran a fantastic steady, negatively split race and I think enjoyed her first marathon experience.

Well done Huzzah!!

OOnegative wrote: »

Any other times from Boardsies? Wasn’t able to track this morning.

Fletch 2:56:24 :cool:

What a city! Was terrified I waaay overdid the sight seeing on the Friday, but absolutely buzzing to get 2.56.50, knocked off around 1 minte 30 of my PB.

Last 2 miles I really felt it. The heat and fatigue just upped a notch and I'd say I lost 30 odd seconds between both miles, which I wasn't too fussed over in the end. Absolutely incredible race though. I though the first 22 miles flew, constantly taking in the surroundings and buildings. Then mile 23 came and it was business time.

Cups were annoying, but I actually didn't find it too much of a hindrance after the halfway point. The addition of the sponge with the expo bag really came in handy once or twice I must say!


Running through the Brandenburg Gate will stay with me forever as an absolutely surreal experience. Imagine less than 30 years ago the wall completely blocked the side we ran from!?

Already looking at going back so I can have a proper weekend of it there. I saw so much over the few days, but so much more to see. Easily my favourite city I've been to and my favourite race.

Well done everyone. That's certainly a race to do again.

It's nice to say we ran the historic race with Eliud also!

Itziger wrote: »

Needs Training with a sweet 2.59.52. Nearly let it slip away!! I'd say the last 197.5 metres were fun.
JMCMEN, or however he writes it, with a small fade. 2.47.51

Well done lads. Enjoy a nice cold German beer or two.

‘Fun’ is one way of describing it 😱
Didn’t realise the finish was so far beyond the gates. I was damned if I was leaving it out there without an effort.
No idea where the energy came from but ran that last 300m at 3.34min/km pace.

Delighted to break the 3 hours