The Salzburg Half
Language student and Wallsend Harrier, Tony Carter posts this report from foreign fields...
The 2010 Salzburg Half Marathon
Folks, I’m away off again to work abroad, this time somewhere near Salzburg in Austria. This may also be a good time to (finally!) write about my final half marathon of six that I did from March to May this year which took place at the Fortress of Salt itself.
The Salzburg half marathon was on May 16th and was much cooler than expected for the time of year and in fact one of the coldest I did, even wearing gloves during the race. The day itself was around 8 degrees with light rain, so to keep warm before the start I wore a t-shirt and 2 bin bags on top of the green and gold.
I did get media attention from some cameramen from the Austrian national TV channel because of this.
Before the start, I threw the bin bags and the t-shirt away and took it slow to start with hoping to beat my Paris PB, but the first 5kms going out of Salzburg were paced unevenly: 3.35, 3.10, 3.30, 3.22 and another 3.30 respectively.
Hoping to get through 10kms in 34 minutes, I knew I had to raise my game, fortunately there were a couple of runners in front of me so I could chase. I increased the pace greatly and I did not run any slower than 3.23 per km even timing 3.13 for one split (that would be around 5.07 for a mile).
I went through 10kms at just over 34 minutes knowing this was on course for a PB. I kept the average of the last 5km up and even caught the two runners up.
Things changed as we passed the 15km mark in the Salzburg suburbs as the two runners put a spurt on and
I was slowing to 3.27 per km between the 15 and 19 splits. I felt I couldn’t get much grip as well because of the rain.
The 19-20km was probably the hardest kilometre of the course. I was pretty much neck-to-neck with my splits in Paris and I knew I was slowing, so it was just a case of hanging on. Before the 20km mark, I was thinking I wouldn’t get a PB which made the option of just finishing an attractive choice.
Thinking it was all over, I had an extra boost in the most unlikely form: a runner doing the marathon distance who had ran past me. I then thought if I chased him a PB could still be possible, and then I was off again. The funny thing was that he matched my almost sprint pace despite the fact he still had over 13 miles left!
Going into the final 500 metres I knew it would be a close one for a PB. 400 to go back through the start and I actually saw the t-shirt I threw off at the beginning! The final 100 metres I saw the official time had passed my PB although I did not start at it. 50 to go, and I knew I hadn’t beat it. I ran into the finish clapping my hands above my head, and from the photo at the finish, my face looked like it was saying “Thank god that was over and I don’t have to do another one!”
My final time was 1hr 12mins and 21secs, and only 6 short seconds off from my best time at Paris. The first thing I had after the finish was some beer conveniently given out some yards away from the finish and was even placed before the water and food stations! Never has beer has never tasted so good before. And I did go back to the start area to collect the t-shirt I threw off.
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