On April 14th 2024, my sister and I signed up for the 2025 Edinburgh Marathon. Halfway through training, she got busy revising for exams and pulled out. So I ran it by myself.
Had I extricated my phone from my rain-sodden money belt at Kilometre 37 (of 42), and had I texted my sister my thoughts on her in that moment while running the final 5K against the full-frontal Edinburgh wind and hail, the message would not have been very gentlemanly.
This temporary internal profanity was blissfully brief. Once you reach the finish line, of course, you are grateful to your family members for pushing you to do things you would never have signed up for yourself.
The Edinburgh Marathon was an extremely popular event this year, with a surprisingly high turnout from our neck of the woods. A current friend of mine at Wymondham High knew of two others running it, including a teacher. I also happened to be wearing a Run Norwich T-shirt on the day – the annual Run Norwich 10K being well-frequented by Wymondhammers – and more than one spectator recognised the logo and shouted, “Yes – go Run Norwich!”
The Wymondham and East Anglia crowds were out in force.
This was my first marathon. To quote the great David Suchet, it was an experience “never to be forgotten and never to be repeated”.
Marathons are tough. They grind you down. They are not empowering. They are not validating. At least not in the moment. The empowerment and validation come from when the thing is finished (or if one is running for charity, like last edition's cover star Lee Webster). But in the middle of running it, it is just dire.
That is not to say I don’t love running and appreciate its many benefits. Indeed, the training was great fun. Even the 30+ kilometre runs had their appealing elements. But on the day itself, I found it easier to think of the run as an ordeal to get through – an unpleasant job to endure – because then the difficulties and fatigue along the way didn’t come as unexpected. A pessimistic but practical outlook – “get through this; expect to hate it; you’ll be happier on the finish line” – got me round!
The run set off from Bristo Square (a stone’s throw from 50 George Square university campus), crossed the Royal Mile, went down along Princes Street, passed through Holyrood and the gorgeous base of Arthur’s Seat, and then headed towards Portobello beach and Musselburgh. Even the most cynical runner could not entirely resist that route. It was gorgeous.
There were also the usual crowds and supportive spectators, who are an invaluable part of any race. Some adorable children held out their hands to high-five us. Anna and Tom from March’s Lowe Down kindly showed up at Kilometre 8.
And the handmade signs were brilliant. In the first 10K, one sign had Bella Swan’s face on it and the caption, “you’re impossibly fast and strong…”. At the 30K mark, someone had done a hand-sketched drawing of Gandalf saying, “Show us the meaning of haste!” I enjoyed those.
There were also the usual puns and crude jokes – a vital part of any race. A particular theme this time was the double meaning of the phrase “to finish”. “No one likes a quick finisher,” etc. One memorable sign read, “Call me if you want to finish twice.”
And of course, Scotland’s reputation for volatile weather became a factor. I was just approaching Kilometre 37 and riding off some jelly babies I had taken from the sidelines. There was a group of us running together. We were doing all right; the morale was okay!
Then the heavens opened and we got drenched. Not just heavy rain, but full-frontal wind and hail.
(Note to any future marathon runners: wear sunglasses. They protect you.)
I spent the rest of the run with my shirt clinging to me like a less attractive Colin Firth.
However, despite the melodrama and angst, on the finish line one does not change any of it for the world. So, to anyone who is tempted to run a marathon, go for it. It is one of the hardest things you will do, and you will hate yourself for it at times. But it is very enriching.
(And remember – the spectators are on hand for finishing twice.)
