So who spent Sunday morning glued to the TV/computer screen watching the Berlin marathon? With a hopefully-minor (denial is a healing force, right?) calf niggle, the sum total of my Sunday running comprised 2km hobbling around junior parkrun before dashing back home to watch the fantastic finish of the race. Imagine having the sheer willpower to come back from behind not once, but twice, having already run the best part of 26.2 miles at about 4 min 45 sec mile pace. No, I can’t either. Kipchoge is a legend, and deserves a world record even if circumstances and weather have conspired against it.
Though talking of legends, Yuta Shitara – who came sixth – is shaping up as one. He ran 2:09:03, a new PB for him. Impressive enough, before you take into account that he ran a half marathon last weekend in 60:17 – a new Japanese record – and a 28min 56sec 10km the weekend before. I don’t know what he does for recovery, but clearly we all need to emulate …
And, of course, there were the non-elites – though obviously any member of the Guardian Running Blog Club is an elite. Look, I’m the team manager, I decide these things. A huge well done to all the regulars who raced at Berlin yesterday, and of course elsewhere. I confess to feeling rather jealous of the post-Berlin meet up (the first time in three years I’ve not been there) and I hope you all had fun. Full stories, race reports and tales of what Asta got up to after several pints below the line, please.
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