24/01/2008
Portland Marathon - 26th Jan 2008
This winter I'm running Britain's 6 hardest marathons in 6 months to raise money for the WWF. Portland Marathon was due to be number 3, but was promoted to number 2 after injury forced me to withdraw from Pembrokeshire in November.
Race Intro
This is the first of the Endurance Life Coastal Trail Series marathons that will make up 4 of the 6 marathons in this challenge. There are 5 marathons is that series, and I was originally due to run all of them before my knee forced me to resign from the first race in Pembrokeshire.It is billed as the fastest (read easiest) of the 5, but that still makes it one of the toughest marathons in Britain. I'd like to finish in under 5 hours, but I really don't know what to expect, since my fitness levels are lower than they were before Snowdonia, and I imagine this to be much harder than that.
My knee has continued to cause me trouble despite cancelling the 2nd billed marathon and resting it for the past 2 and a half months, so I can only predict the worse. The off-road terrain will reduce jarring but will create new problems becuase of it's uneveness, and the hills are much steeper this time whch can only be bad news.
The Route
The race starts and finishes at the Portland Bill Restaurant, near the lighthouse at the southermost point of this Dorset island. It is run mostly along the coastal trails, crossing and doubling back along the spit which connects the island to mainland, before circling the other half of the island to the finish.
Or does it?
Judging by the map key (see map!) and the length of the 10k compared to the blue marathon line, it seems to me as though that is only the half marathon, and therefore the marathon runners must complete this course twice! Indeed, the elevation data graph below confirms that suspicion. Oh joy!
Elevation Data
I want to draw attention to the four MASSIVE climbs and descents in this race. Just look at them! The bigger of the two climbs alomst 400ft in a few hundred metres! And can you imagine running down that?! I suppose in some ways it might be easier than the 5 mile long hills I had to run up and down during the Snowdonia Marathon, but as a psychological factor I'm feeling very intimidated!
"For the whole second lap I didn’t pass a single person. I was broken by the course, and was simply moving forward as best I could. There was no fight left in me, only a sort of limp-limbed momentum. It was as if I was falling over for the last 6 miles, but each time I managed to get a leg underneath me to delay the fall for another step." Read on...Hints & Tips
Where to stay, eating out, last minute kit, and course advice... Coming Soon
Visit race organiser Endurance Life's offical website for more information, photography, official race results, and information on future events. They did a superb job with this one, so they have my endorsement free of charge!20:20 Permalink | Comments (4) | Trackbacks (0) | Email this
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Comments
Wow - you're knee is going to LOVE this one. Top marks for balls mate! See you in A&E...
Posted by: Dan | 15/01/2008
Thanks for the vote of confidence!
Posted by: Martin | 16/01/2008
Eh! Soulchaser. It's me again - "Horatio Totally Rocks". That's my new name since I was given back music privilages. My internet access has just been renewed as well. Music is such a mental holiday for me as I haven't been able to listen to any for the last 14 months.
My own fault though for trying to steal some extra food. Any chance of a food parcel, dude.
We are all sorry to hear about your knee problems. In fact we were all quite excited about your challenge that we decided to stage our own six marathon challenge to run parallel with your events. Ours, obviously, is slightly different to yours as we are not even allowed out of our cells let alone into the courtyard.
We decided to use cock roaches and race them when you were running your marathons. We painted them different colours so we knew whose was whose. When you damaged your knee, it was decided that my roach should have one of his legs pulled off in sympahty. Well, mine never finished the first race. He just went round in circles wondering why some dirty bastard yanked one of his legs out.
Even the warders are in for a piece of the action, and we hope to send you some charity money with our winnings when you finish.
The "racing roaches" are hot property at the moment. In fact we have to guard them night and day. I keep mine in a sawn-off cigar tube stuffed up you know where. You ever tried that soulchaser. From what I remember of your time in South America you tried most things.
Have to go now, dude, times up I am afraid. Will post in the next couple of weeks when I get to have another go on the net. That's if I can stay in the good books, or I will end up in solitary again. Don't forget the food parcel, soulchaser, you owe me one. Bur that's another story, I guess.
Posted by: Horatio Totally Rocks | 22/01/2008
News travels fast soulchaser. The bloggers have the results on the web already and you made it despite your knee and your likeing for Egyptian P.E.
Cheers went round the whole gaol when we heard the news. Good onya. Our second race is due tomorrow at dawn, and my roach is on form despite his rather untimely amputation.
Can.t wait to read your report. Why don't you do a little video on youtube and tell us in your own words.
See you later, soulchaser.
Posted by: Horatio Totally Rocks | 26/01/2008
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