This is my first post for 2010 and it is about my second overseas marathon!
This must have been the toughest marathon I have ever done!
According to HK local papers more than 55 people were hospitalized for heat related injuries with 3 people in critical condition. Personally, I saw a Caucasian man lying on the street side with medics attending to him using a defibrillator. Scary!
Throughout the course, it was slopes galore! Well, the picture (left) from a local HK newspaper aptly showed what I meant. This picture was taken near the end of the course.
The elevation of the course was crazy! The chart below shows the Course Elevation.
The course climbed up to over 80m above sea level at Stonecutters Bridge and Ting Kau Bridge and went below 30m below sea level at the Western Harbour Tunnel near the finishing point. Therefore, throughout the course, I would have climbed up and down over 100m! Unlike Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon which might have been one of the flattest marathon courses in the world.
Climbing up and down slopes along the course caused me to cramp as early as 25km into the marathon. I had to resort to run-walk method to complete the race. The weather and pollution was something that I needed to get used to too. There was also an added pressure from the race organizers imposing cut-off timings at various points of the course and those not meeting the cut-off time will be ushered up double-decker buses awaiting at the various points. There were plenty of double-decker buses and I was determined not to board them!
I also chanced upon this review of the marathon from marathonguide.com that echoes the same view as I concerning the course.
Another thing that upset me at the beginning of the race was that my GPS watch failed to function. Therefore, I could not get readings of the pace I was doing and the distance I have covered. This affected my pacing as I needed depend on intuition.
I was very happy that my friend and I completed the race before the official cut-off of 5:30. I completed the course in about 5:03 (Net Time).
I wonder if I have to courage to come back next year... We'll see...
Next Race: NE Run
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