Swaledale Road Runners

Four Swaledale runners completed the Nottingham marathon on September 10th: first timers Jess and Gary Young and seasoned marathon runners Niall Cheyne and Andy Gaines, with Pat Neeson completing the half-marathon. Read on for Jess' s report:

On Saturday 10th September Gary and I travelled down to Nottingham ahead of our first full length marathon. Gary was typically optimistic after a packed training schedule of working away and pub food, but the nerves were beginning to get to me. Still, after meeting up with the rest of my family and finding a suitably cheap pub in which to stuff ourselves full of pasta, we began to feel a bit better.

We all slept reasonably well and when morning dawned we were cheered by the breakfast of flapjack and bananas laid on by my sister. To ensure against blisters I thought it best to just put a plaster on every toe I had and then put a few in my pouch, just in case.

We managed to park really close to the village and after a minor panic to find enough sugary liquids to get Gary round the course, we bumped into Niall and Andy for a last minute "Good Luck". In preparation for expending 2500 calories, I saw fit to consume an entire packet of Jelly Babies, which didn't do a lot for the slightly sick feeling I had.

It was good to get going when the start gun went. My plan was to hold 8 to 8.30 minutes a mile for as long as possible. The first half was hot and hillier than I'd anticipated, but the bands and crowds did make for a good atmosphere. Half way round the vast majority of entrants finish their race while the rest carry on on a flatter, but more isolated route out round Holme Pierrepont, consisting of never ending straight sections. My pace strategy was going swimmingly and I was dead chuffed when a marshal informed me that I was 27th woman at the 16 mile point. Unfortunately, at 17 miles I began to flag, my knees began to stiffen and 8.30 a mile, became 9, and 9 became 10 and so on and so on and I watched other runners stream past.

At 18 miles I caught Gary who'd decided to stroll for a bit. I was impressed that he'd managed to stay ahead for so long and that he hadn't given up at the half way point, but don't tell him I said that. The course lapped round the rowing lake and with Hurricane Katia coming in, the wind really was howling. In fact, I'm pretty sure down one side, I wasn't really moving at all. As most people around me were walking then running I couldn't benefit from slip streaming either.

Mile 23 onwards really did hurt. I had a bit of a cry which, coupled with my increasingly odd gait, must have made me look a right state. Still, onwards, ever onwards and I counted my lucky stars that I wasn't the poor bloke being bundled into an ambulance, unconscious, at 25.8 miles. I finished in 4.10 and 673rd overall. Not quite the sub-4 I'd hoped for, but better than not finishing at all. My dad followed closely behind in 4.13 and Gary managed 4.23 (834th) which is not bad considering he didn't just "not train" but actually barely ran at all in preparation. I was gutted for my brother who finished in 51st place overall, but in a time of 3.10.13, just missing out on a good for age time for London.

I was really pleased to hear that Niall Cheyne had enjoyed his marathon, finishing in 247th place in a time of 3.38. He gave me a big smile when I saw him at the two way point. Andy Gaines also did us proud finishing in 3.55 and 464th place. Pat Neeson flew the SRR banner in the half marathon, finishing in 2.21. 1405 people finished the full marathon and 5513 finished the half. Thanks to Pat and Niall for all their advice on preparation for and running this event.