Asics Greater Manchester Marathon 2015

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Stephen Jackson

Steven passing runners on the way back at the Asics Manchester Marathon 2015

Where to start? Well, how about the end of my race report for the Ikano Robin Hood Marathon in Nottingham from September 2014: “Never again, I thought, as I noticed there was a reduced price offer for the Greater Manchester Marathon in April 2015. Sub 02.45:00? Now there’s a thought…”

Fast forward six and a bit months and I’m lining up alongside the so called theatre of dreams with a host of other Striders for the 2015 Greater Manchester Marathon. Forgetting the iconic football stadium at the start and finish of the race it seems to me this was a route designed to entice runners with a fast, flat course. The date, I assume, was deliberately designed to coincide with London for those who missed out or an opportunity to achieve a PB with the 2016 VLM in mind. Whilst the course was pleasant enough – an ‘out and back’ loop through the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford – London, with its iconic capital City skyscape, it ain’t.

That said, the atmosphere was very friendly, the race very well sponsored and organised and the weather conditions almost perfect. Cool but not cold, cloudy and calm – save for a gentle breeze. No excuses.

I hadn’t been 100% during the week and was a little apprehensive about the race. In hindsight I’d diagnosed myself with a chest infection that was probably a false alarm. Annoyingly, this meant I’d missed Charlie Spedding on the Wednesday evening but the unplanned rest probably did me good.

Despite this last minute hiccup I knew I was in pretty good shape. I was 4 seconds off a 5k PB the weekend before the race at a windy Hartlepool parkrun and my training in general meant that my ‘easy’ pace was gradually creeping up a notch.

I’d enlisted the help of Allan Seheult who had put together a 9 week bespoke training plan. I’d worked hard up hills and on the track; I’d raced and I’d rested. More often than not, six or seven days a week I’d pounded the payment near to my home, putting the miles in.

This really helped, not just because Allan really knows what he’s talking about but also because it meant I was being thorough and reflecting upon how things were going along the way.

This is a race report as opposed to a training report so I’ll not bore people with the details but I’ll let you into a little secret, I’d only run 20 miles or more twice since my last marathon – over 22 miles only once.

I had a race plan, which of course I didn’t follow. I was to run 3:53/km splits and, if possible, increase slightly towards the end of the race. I’d run a negative split at the Brass Monkey Half Marathon in January so that made sense. However, I felt good on race day and went off a little quicker – nothing too radical (maybe 5 to 10 seconds) but quicker than planned nonetheless.

Now I don’t want to sound like I wasn’t happy with the race, I was absolutely, totally and utterly, indescribably elated BUT there is an argument that I was running just below half marathon pace for twenty miles before my inevitable demise at mile 23. I went through halfway in the same time I completed the GNR last September and twenty miles in 2 hours and two minutes. This would have been fine had I maintained that pace to the finish line, but I didn’t. Room for improvement, says the perfectionist in me.

Steven crosses the line at the Asics Manchester Marathon 2015

The last couple of miles were hell. But what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and I most certainly will have forgotten how uncomfortable it was in a year or so. I would certainly recommend the race; it’s well organised and it’s perfect if you want to run your fastest possible time. There are plenty of drink stations, the t-shirt is canny and the goody bag up there with the GNR. In my humble opinion, decent value for money.

Finally, I wanted to say thank you for the incredible support I received in person, on facebook and via text messages etc. It was a privilege to line up alongside so many Striders, many of whom were completing their first marathon. Never again, I thought, as I noticed that I’d recorded a Championship Entry time for the Virgin London Marathon in April 2016.

Sub 02.40:00? Now there’s a thought…

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