A marathon under the sea in Amsterdam, I knew it but by gpx trace will later confirm it.

I’m travelling alone this year, but one of my friend from last year in Vilnius is hosting me. He can’t run but can cook and I had the best pasta ever the night before so I can’t complain.

I arrived in town Friday evening and the race was scheduled for Sunday morning. The perfect time for me to have a last drink two days before the run. I did plan to stay sober the week before, but I completely failed on that, the result of a pretty cool week going out every day almost with my friends. Long story short I’m in a good mood before the race.

Saturday I did the way home to the run start and picked up my registration stuffs. People from everywhere, taking pictures, still smiling, a good atmosphere.

6:30am race day I’m awake about three hours before the race. Just the time to have a big breakfast and to digest. About 45min before the official departure I’m in the stadium from where we start and will come back later. People are slowly warming up, the challenge is to stay warm without using too much energy and for that matter all plastic bags are transformed into poncho for runner.

During the race

9:29am we are all packed, the plastic bags and other capes are flying around and we start! I’m running with the group 3h00/4h00 this time.

The first 25km are fine actually, I’m in my pace, feeling good and should be under the 4h on my watch. The weather is good, the energetic gel taken every 10km have some effect I believe. Also some spaces start to appear between the participants as the first exhausted people.

Passing the 33km I had have a small blister under my right foot and need to slow down, even walk a few meters. This area is really the twilight zone of the marathon race.

Needless to say that until 41km it was a bit difficult, but then seing the sign “last 500m,” I gather my last source of energy and run over at least 100 people which is always a great pleasure for a final time of 4h1min30sec.

Many people on the side encouraging us, sometimes you could hear your name - it’s written on your bib - which gives you a mini kick or energy to keep going, pretty cool!

After the race

It went better than my first marathon experience despite a time still above 4h, had to stop to the pee stop after 10k, had just one blister, but no stomach pain.

Like last year the 12h to 24 hours following the event are a bit painful, you live in slow motion but you are happy. There is a great feeling in you body after all, to have accomplished something, I felt good for days and I want to run another one!

Map of the race

Using folium I managed to overlay the gps run traces on the top of a map, and you can interactively zoom in and out.