I’m a regular runner (and often run to and from work) but I hadn’t completed a marathon for 3½ years so decided to enter Chester Marathon to prove I could still do it and to try for a Good for Age time for London 2018, which for my age category (I’m 62) is 3 hours 45 minutes.
It was a beautiful autumn morning and a really nice course; starting at Chester Racecourse and after a little trip though the town centre heading out on country lanes and passing into Wales for seven miles or so before returning to the Racecourse. I knew to expect some hills, and they were reasonably challenging but nothing too horrendous.
Everything was going fine and I was right on my target pace until halfway up the last hill at mile 24 when I suddenly got cramp and had to stop and stretch. I walked for a bit, tried to get running again but got cramp in the other leg!
Eventually I did get running but knew I’d missed my target. I really enjoyed it though and I’m very pleased with my time of 3:47:41 and I’m keen to try again – in fact I’ve already signed up to run the Greater Manchester Marathon in April 2017!