Saturday morning dawns to rain and cloud outside. Forecast is for the rain to stop but to remain cloudy all day. We need to register for the race, collect numbers and chips etc but that is only possible between midday and 5:00pm. Bit more sightseeing seems in order and also try and experience one of the thermal baths for which Budapest is famous. Go for the bus tour option (well we are supposed to be resting before the race) and the nearest pickup point is Hereos square a 2km walk from the hotel. Does give the chance to have a look round the start area and take a group photo.
Budapest is divided north to south by the Danube; the western side is known as Buda and the eastern side Pest. The Buda side is built on a very steep hill but the Pest side much flatter. Fortunately for us the race will be either on the Pest side or right alongside the Danube so relatively flat. Leaving the tour bus at the top of the hill in Buda we do the tourist sights of the Royal Palace and then descend a steep path down to the Gellert hotel which houses one of the grandest baths and spas. After taking the waters its time to make our way to the other side of Budapest for registration. The plan had been to get back on the bus and use that to return to Hereos square but with time getting short the decision was made to miss the last part of the tour and return on the metro. First hint of problems was a helicopter hovering above the city, as we neared the metro station the reason became clear, there was a demonstration in progress with large number of riot police to control it. The metro line we wanted was closed because of the destination so a diversion and longer walk than ideal was the only option. Finally made it to Hereos square and tantalising close to registration only to find that the demonstration had beaten us to it and our way blocked by riot police. Further couple of miles detour to skirt the area and make it to registration with 10mins to spare. Lordshill had obviously been there before as amongst the promotional literature for other big city runs were a stack of fliers for the Lordshill 10k. After all the extra walking it was return to the hotel, quick meal and early(ish) night.
Marathon Day. Peaking outside the curtains revealed pretty much ideal running conditions. Slightly cloudy, temp around 15deg and a light wind. Light breakfast with the usual pre race nerves evident and it's off to the start. Changing and bag drop was in a bath complex a short walk from the start, we will also be allowed to use the baths after the race but that's a little way off for the moment. Tastfully attired in bin bags and foil blankets we join the other entrants milling around the start area and warming up. It's a smaller event than London with around 3000 runners doing the full distance plus other runners in a relay marathon. There will also be runners tackling 30 k joining the course later. With the smaller numbers the start pens are more informal than I'm used to. You decide where you want to be rather than being allocated a pen. Sally and I decide to go for a few rows back in the sub 3 pen. The elite runners ahead in the only marshalled pen. The rest of our group starting a little further back. Just before the start spot Graham Bunghay from Lordshill (& SRC) a few rows ahead but cant attract his attention. Graham is the person IÕve been having a seasons long sub competition with in the RR10 series.
And were off !! Gun goes and were off and running, through the start line in seconds and out onto Heroes square. The advantages of a smaller field and wide squares and streets quickly becomes apparent, all the marathons I've done to date (three) its been busy and impossible to set your own pace without dodging other runners until quite a few kms into the race, here you have your own space in less than 100m. The initial few miles are a gentle descent down Andrasse boulevard, one of the major roads in Budapest. I catch up with Graham and we chat for a while talking hoped for times. The pace he's setting is to hot for me so we part company just before turning onto the eastern bank of the Danube. After a stretch along the bank the course takes us up onto a bridge and then onto Margrets Island. Back onto the eastern Pest side we head back down the bank of the Danube. Small pace groups are forming by this point and there are relay runners joining and leaving the mix. Bit of danger in getting dragged along at to fast a pace not wanting to get passed only to find the runner is part of a team and pulls off to hand over to the next team member. The sun has come out and the temperature risen so good use is made of the water stations.
After crossing another bridge onto the Buda side the course heads south away from the city centre. Halfway point by now and start to se the leaders coming back on the opposite side of the road. I spot Graham and we exchange waves, got a good lead on me and it's a while before I make the 180deg turn. Sally and I spot each other on opposite sides of the road and next to be seen is Emyr. The red and white Team Southampton vests are easy to see in the crown and the 2 Hungarians I am running with want to know about our trip and who are all these people Im cheering. Becky, Jo and Kevin are all running as a group and looking good with Lucy not far behind. Were now heading north and its evident the wind has increased, look for shelter where I can find it and work together with the 2 Hungarians, one of which is on his 6th Budapest marathon and the other doing the 30k so joined the group a bit fresher at 12k in. Another 180deg sharp turn round a cone disrupts the rhythm a bit but get allows a short respite from the wind. The course now crosses back onto the Pest side for a long stretch along the bank (and into the wind) before doing another 180 turn. Don't see the leaders this time as they have already turned for home but try and keep an eye out for Graham on the opposite side if the road. Think I have missed him but finally spot him, the gap is much closer now and egged on by the Hungarians we catch and pass him about a km later. Try and offer some encouragement but getting tired now and not up for saying much.
About 6 to 7km to go now, initially round the impressive parliament building and a gentle uphill drag to the park behind Heroes square. Don't know about the others but I'm on autopilot and trying to keep the legs turning over at a reasonable pace. Seems Ok and am passing quite a few who have gone out to hard. Make the final turn into the finishing straight and get announced on the tannoy, across the line in time of 2:53:43. Usual marshalling through to pick up the medal & goodie bag, also get interviewed by someone, might have been Hungarian version of Runners World but will probably never know. The legs have decided to stop working by now making removing the timing chip a challenge.
Miss Sally finishing but spot her being interviewed by the same guy. She completed in 3:05:03. 6th woman to finish and 1st foreign woman (we think but the details are all in Hungarian). We see Emyr finish in 3:13:19 And then Kevin and Jo together, actually Kevin by 1 sec after an (apparent) mix up about whether they were going to sprint over the line or not. Kevin with a time of 3:42:54 and Jo 3:42:55. Both are pb times and gets Jo a guaranteed entry for the (2010) London marathon. Becky had only parted company with Kevin & Jo at 37km so was the next to finish in 3:44:19, another pb an guaranteed London entry. So far weve had 3 pbs from the Team Southampton runners and all finished strongly, Lucy maintains the good results by finishing in 4:06:58 to knock a huge 38min off her previous best time. All in all a very successful marathon!!
We all regroup back at the Szechenyi Baths where tired legs are soothed in the pools and stories swapped. Its pointed out that the only table loaded with empty beer bottles and cans is where all the British are based, pure chance I'm sure. After some serious relaxing its back to the hotel (slowly) to prepare for a celebratory evening.
A determined attempt is made in the restaurant to replace all the calories burnt during the day. Next stop the street quoted in the guide books as "the lively heart of the city'", apparently not on a Sunday evening though as its almost deserted. A suitable bar (or two) is located however and the rehydration continued... until quite late......
Breakfast is rather later the next day but everyone is just about walking, with Becky and Emyr returning today a relaxing trip back to Margaret island is proposed. The island is named after Princess Margit, daughter of King Bela IV who gave his daughter to God and a convent on the island in the hope it would protect against Mongol invasion. (a rather desperate attempt but it apparently worked). Today the island is a park and also houses an athletics stadium. A running cushioned track/path has also been laid all around the island for general use but none of us feel inclined to test it out today. To save the walking some 4 person bikes (quadracycles?) are hired. These prove less stable than expected and we nearly turn one of them over on a sharp bend, to much competitive spirit around.
Becky and Emyr are booked on the afternoon flight but the remaining group return to the Buda side if the city to do some further sightseeing and try and find some caves. They are eventually located and the steep stairs down to them negotiated. On entry into the darkness we are joined by a couple of nervous Japanese tourists. The wisdom of their choice of 'protectors' is questionable when Jo and Lucy set up an ambush in the darkest section.
The last day of the trip only leaves the morning for exploring the city. First stop is the Terror Museum in a building previously the headquarters of the Nazi and Communist party and now chronicling the rather brutal past history of Hungary and Budapest. A final short visit to Szechenyi Baths and its time to head to the airport and flight home. Budapest has been an interesting and impressive city to visit and run a marathon in. The people we have met have pretty much all been friendly and wanting to help without being intrusive. So we leave with good memories.
Writing this now back in the UK next years foreign marathon trip is already being discussed, anyone interested in Berlin 2009 and the next installment of Team Southampton marathon tours?
Owen
