Great Wall Marathon!!

Check!  In May (sorry it's a few months late!), I completed the 2012 Great Wall Marathon in the blazing speed time of 7 hours, 3 minutes and 29 seconds. I ran with Beth, a good friend from Dhaka, who finished and said 'we just ran a working day.'  So true.  Beth was actually the motivator in convincing me to run this race.  That story goes like this . . .

December 2011, my apartment, small group, post dinner, post a few hours of casual drinking, post appearance of the magic mic karaoke machine, Beth and I discover that we're both runners.  Both have completed 3 marathons a piece, and both would be interested to run another.  I mention my two dream runs 1 - the original marathon route from Marathon to Athens, and 2 - the Great Wall Marathon.  And the seed was planted.

Of course we took an "Ohio" photo
on the wall. The woman taking the picture was from Mansfield!

She and I spent the first few months of 2012 either planning for, recovering from, or just running.  (See previous post on Ready to Run).  And took the short 5 hour flight through Kunming (Kun where?) to Beijing in May.  There we met LeRoy, our travel organizer (you have to enter the race through a tour company) and joyfully took in the clean streets, organized traffic and modern architecture that is Beijing. After one night in the capital, buses caring the 2,000 participants made their way to Jixian about 3 hours outside of Beijing for 'inspection day' where we got pre-race instructions and walked the 3k section of the course that was on the wall.  While I think this was for their liability, it also gave us an opportunity to see what we had really gotten ourselves into.

Inspection Day. When it started to get real.

Excited to be checking out the course!

After a day of rest in Jixian, visiting some monks tombs and outdoor markets, race day morning had arrived!  We boarded the o-dark-thirty bus in order to get to the start line on time.  My favorite part of my marathoning experience is that final 30 minutes leading to pressing start on my digital watch.  Loading up with sunscreen, pinning the race bib, storing the 5 GUs I'm planing to take in the next several hours and thinking about the months of training and miles logged that have all led up to these next few hours.  I replayed some of my training runs in my mind and tried to tap into my yoga breathing and just enjoy the moment.

The 'before' shot of the 2012 Great Wall Marathon

With fear that I would not be able to finish, I had studied the course map and elevation so was mentally prepared for the first 5k uphill, and not just a rolling hill, this was a serious elevation change to get us up to the Wall (which would then also be the last 5k of the course, all downhill).  I knew that we would climb down the same elevation at 8k in the form of steep stairs (goat trail) and then back up the same stairs at the 34k mark (mile 21).  With this elevation in the back of my mind, I happily walked most of the first 5k. Then we were on the Wall!!  It's hard to describe in words the breathtaking beauty, crisp air, and surreal feelings of taking the first few steps.  Even though we'd been there the previous day, it was still a magical moment.  The only negative part was that the full and half marathons were started at the same time.  Although beginning in 3 waves, we all converged about 1k into Wall running on a section that was so steep it required single file.  We stood waiting to go through this pass for about 35 minutes.  A bit disheartening for marathoners who have been tapering for 3 weeks and ready to bust out of the blocks like a racehorse (yeah, forget that part a few lines up about me walking). We did make it through, across the wall, and down the steep goat trail at the 8k mark.  By the time we were finished with the first section of the wall, we had run 9k in 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Beth and I around the 6k mark before standing and waiting to go single file.  

A section of the Goat Trial on
inspection day. Hands down the
hardest part of the race. 

The next section of the course, 9k to 33k, was round the small towns close to the wall.  If the elevation of the Wall itself wasn't enough, there were some major hills in there!  And some trail running which was a nice change from the pounding of the concrete. When we arrived back at the base of the goat trial, I was pleasantly surprised at how good I felt after running for 6+hours and 30+ kilometers. Unfortunately, I was the exception to my fellow runners along the goat trail.  Though it was impossible to actually 'run' up it, I walked up with the same cadence and speed as I did going down at 8k.  Every 5th step or so had someone sitting, head in hands, sometimes laying perpendicular to me, sprawled out across the steps, and one poor soul was vomiting. It was a mental challenge not to be thrown off by the scenery.

After making it up the goat trail, we were home free, just a few kilometers across the wall and down the 5k incline (now a decline) that we came up at the beginning.  I breathed a bit easier and more confidently once we were up the goat trail.  This time the Wall running was different,  much less crowded, the sense of accomplishment creeping in with a side of exhaustion.  It was inspiring.  Beth leaned over the Wall at one point and said "I can't believe we ran all of this. . . .twice."

As an avid Ohioan and football fan, I am not proud of the Heisman stance I produced above. Can you even tell what it is?? I blame the fact that it was the 35k and 6.5 hour mark.  Beth's Zeus pose, however, is one for the record books. 

I highly recommend the last 5k being downhill to any long distance course planner.  Just put it in 'coast' and combine with adrenaline and you're sailing on to the finish line. To say finishing produced a sense of accomplishment is an understatement. Around 900 full marathoners entered the race, 595 finished.

The 'after' photo!!

Marathon friends at the Gala Dinner

The Great Wall Marathon falls into the category of marathon tourism.  I'll always remember the race as we do with all of our marathon accomplishments and particularly the thrill of running on such a significant world object.  What was nice about this race - in addition to the crazy, amazing, feeling of running on the Wall - was the camaraderie. Since we went through a tour company, we were with the same group of folks on buses, inspection day, and touring through Jixan and got to know the inspiring individuals we were running alongside.  Which was a pleasant change from the usual show up at the start line and speak with a few folks along the route, and each go on our merry ways.  Members of our tour came from New York, Portland, Guam, Alaska, Mexico, California, Utah, some first-time marathoners, some it was their 20th, military servicemen, bloggers, and financial analysts. Conquering the Wall was quite a bonding experience.   To boot, the Marathon organizers a gala dinner (above) followed by an after party below - again, race organizers take note!

Beers at the Great Wall Marathon after party. So proud of us for finishing. 

If anyone is considering distance running tourism - I highly recommend the Great Wall Marathon!