HomeSydney Marathon 2025
A marathon I should not have run.
Six weeks out, my body was perfectly clear in its opinions on the matter.
After a hard run at GC2025 muscles, tendons, and joints were all unequivocally against the idea.
But the ticket was in hand (as well as flights, accommodation etc).
After pulling out last year (due to injury) I was determined to run, come what may. The inaugural status of the event as a Major did not help.
Instead of a nice gradual build, I'd been reduced to short slow runs, desperately dodging injury exacerbation while not giving away condition.
I was successful in my attempts to avoid scratching the run.
The tradeoff was having to run with insufficient preparation, and a lot of pain.
Enjoyable parts of the run?
- The traversal of the Harbour Bridge.
- The run around Pyrmont and the city center.
- The final leg down to Mrs Macquarie's Chair, culminating in the finish at the Opera House.
- The interactions with friends, as they ran past. A quick word of encouragement worth a box of pain killers.
- Tasha and the kids cheering at the 10km and 41km marks 🥰.
Everything else was an exercise in focus, bloody minded determination, and pain management.
I write this on race day plus one, doggedly ignoring the indignantly reproving cacophony of complaints from gluts, hamstrings, adductors, blistered toes, and lower back.
They'll survive. I have future plans for them.
So ends my marathon campaign for 2025: Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Sydney.
It is enough. Time to rest, rebuild, and scheme for the 2026 campaign.
