Race Report by Kathryn Fairfield
I’m 50 in November 2029 (look shocked 😉!) and a couple of months ago I compiled a list of 50 things I want to do/achieve/experience before I turn 50. The list is varied and some are relatively easy to tick off, and others far more involved, time consuming or challenging. As you may imagine there are a few running based items on the list including improve my Parkrun PB (currently 22:07), run a race abroad, run an ultra with Kenny and improve my marathon PB I set in Belfast on the club trip in 2024 – 3:39:57.
I entered Yorkshire Marathon in July and decided at that point this would be my first attempt at getting a new PB. Training started well and doing it self-coached I was putting all my Coach In Running Fitness knowledge into my plan. It was going well until it wasn’t. My ulcerative colitis and associated conditions weren’t behaving and my plan got ripped up. After my holiday in September where my only real training was a very early carb load I managed to cram a few decent long runs in then had a two week taper of sorts.
I hadn’t really told many people at the club I was doing the event as I didn’t want the additional pressure of people asking how the training block was going and was happy to be fairly under the radar. I also knew there was a tracker and felt stressed out about people potentially tracking me!
Anyway, the weather forecast for Sunday 18 October was looking perfect, starting off about 8 degrees and getting up to 13 with next to no wind and no rain. I decided against writing any splits on my hand, which I’ve done for my previous marathons, and just go by feel. In my head I was hopeful of coming in sub 4 hours as I knew the course didn’t have any real hills to speak of, and I would’ve been content with that given how the last few weeks had been.
The course itself starts and finishes at The University of York. I love York and have been there numerous times since childhood so I knew the course would be lovely. Kenny and I walked from our Airbnb to the campus which was about 35 mins and as they had sent the race numbers out two weeks in advance there was no huge pressure to be there particularly in advance of the 0930 start. The event village was quite sprawling as they made the most of the different parts of the campus and there were lots of toilets including urinals for the women and men – always a highlight to keep the queues moving along!
There were no proper ‘pens’ but there were signs to line up near if you wanted sub 3 (maniacs) sub 3:15, sub 3:30 and so on and also pacers. I decided to join the group near the 3:45 pacer and after a quick cheerio to Kenny we were being counted down. As with all bigger events it takes a while to get into your own rhythm and I decided that the first 3 miles into the city centre, and past the beautiful York Minster, would be my settling in time and then once we headed into the countryside I would find a pace and try to keep it steady. The crowd support in the city centre was electric but I am in my happy place when it thins out and I can get lost in my own thoughts and music. We were soon on some lovely country roads through tiny villages and farmland and I felt brilliant. I didn’t look at my watch often but the couple of times I did, as it beeped for another mile, I was pleasantly surprised and slightly nervous at the pace. There were water stops, and toilets, every 3 miles on the course and the later stations also had electrolyte drinks and gels. Around 8.5 miles there was a bit of an uphill which was actually welcome as it allowed different muscles to get involved for a while!
There are two switchbacks on the course the first at Stamford Bridge which is about halfway. This is also one of the drop off points for the spectator bus so as expected it was very busy and noisy. My name was on my bib and I was aware of lots of people shouting me on which was nice. So many people also had sweets and orange segments to hand out, and some of the signs were hilarious and probably not for repeating here. At this point, due to the two way running traffic, I also became aware of realising I was far nearer the 3:30 pacer than the 3:45 one – eek! As much as I liked this section as soon as we were out the other side and it returned to peace and quiet I immediately relaxed back into my stride and decided it was a good thing I had ‘banked’ some time as the struggle bus would be along soon and I’d be climbing aboard.
The next switchback was between 17.5-18.5 miles. Kenny and I had not really discussed his spectating plan and I had seen him briefly as I left the city centre and suggested he maybe try to be around 18 miles as that would then give him enough time to get back to the finish. So as I ran towards the turning point, which seemed like it would never come, I was delighted to see him on the other side of the road and I could also spy some Percy Pigs in his hands (already open obviously!). This next part is going to make me sound a bit weird but stick with it……..I judge a good run on whether or not I see a Border Terrier. Our beloved Bramble was being looked after up here so the pressure was on and I had not seen one yet. So it was to my delight that after the turn and before I saw Kenny I saw not one but two lovely Borders! I then got to Kenny and managed to wrestle some Percy Pigs out of his grasp, have a quick hug and a selfie and also I’m told shouted at him “why the **** am I running so fast?” I took off again felt absolutely buzzing. Once the crowds thinned out again it was back to peaceful country roads and my own thoughts, and that’s where the mental maths started.
I checked my watch several times waiting for it to say I had been running for 3 hours, as that would be an easier sum for me to work out. When it did I calculated that even if my pace dropped right down, or I added a wee walk every now and then I would likely come in under 3:40. I was then completely distracted by this and began checking every few minutes. When I got to 24 miles and we were back towards civilisation everything was starting to hurt, but this is when I welcomed the crowds and their shouts. There weren’t many other women running near me, and certainly no ‘older’ ones, so I think I was getting more shout outs than the guys. Either that or people just love the Harriers vest! After the 25 mile marker I realised that the last part of the course was going to be up the hill that Kenny and I had walked up first thing, which I said had better not be part of the course. FFS. It was probably similar to the hill we run down at Dunfermline Parkrun so not the worst but definitely a bit of a cheeky last challenge. Once you reach the top though you are treated with a fast flat, then downhill finish. You go under the arch where we had begun our race and it’s 400 metres to the finish line. In my head I was like Amy Hunt sprinting for the line but that’s not quite what the photos depict!
The medal is absolutely lovely and the goodie bag had an Erdinger alcohol free beer, a protein bar, crisps, sweets, a Vimto gel, electrolyte tablets and a coffee bag. The event also has a 10 mile race and a marathon relay so an excellent, inclusive race. Perhaps one for a future Harriers away trip?
