From Sally Armitage…
This was my 3rd marathon and my 1st one outside of Blackpool! Having a had a tough, very windy run at Blackpool marathon in spring I decided to run one marginally further inland instead and, despite another very windy run, Chester didn’t disappoint. The race was impeccably organised, the support on course was unreal, and the higher number of runners than there have been in my previous marathons meant I was always running in a pack, Blackpool can be very solitary. This made it a lot more fun, and gave me lots of people to hide behind in the windy sections!
Admittedly, my other reason for entering Chester was that if you have run a marathon in under 3:15 since January 2024 you get an ‘elite runner pass’. Yes that’s a poor reason to select a marathon but it gave me the opportunity to feel extra fancy for a day so I took it! It gave me free parking and access to the ‘elite runners lounge’ close to the start line, which had fancy queue free toilets, comfy seats and water and gels provided. Honestly though, the clean, queue free toilets were the real bonus.
After resting all week and stuffing my face with carbs for the previous 36 hours I was feeling a little too invincible and set off way too fast. Even when my friend, and experienced marathoner, Will Kerr passed me at the 5 mile mark and warned me to ‘just be careful’ with my pacing, I carried on regardless, then after exactly 1hr 48mins of running the calf spasms started in both legs. Sharp painful spasms that come and go. This continued for the rest of the race, it wasn’t debilitating but uncomfortable and took a fair chunk off my pace. Then at 40kms my hamstring joined in and this was actually so sharp it made me stop, after 10-15 seconds of inactivity it relaxed thankfully and I was able to continue to the finish.
My experience at Chester just drives my determination to conquer this distance, the only distance I don’t feel I’ve run my best at yet.
1st male Adam Peers (Wakefield District H & AC) 2:35:52
1st female Sammy Antell (Bideford AAC) 2:44:21
351 (11th F) Sally Armitage 3:06:46
1399 (151st F) Rebecca Brown 3:42:28
1400 (152nd F) Kirsty Wicks 3:42:29
6698 ran