A Seven Continent Journey

29th June, 2008 : Finish Time 4:31 hrs

Woke up early, infact did'nt sleep as well as I had hoped for. Breakfast was served at 5.00 am. Took a mini bus from the hotel to Attero De Flamengo. It was still dark, the excitement in air could be felt. Looking around I could see many runners from around the world. Attero De Flamengo would also be the finish line, for later in the day. We boarded a bus to take us to the start line. As the bus sped through the city, the sunrise over the Guanabara Bay was a sight to remember. There was a police escort provided for the transport buses. It took some time to reach the start line at the Macumba Beach. I estimate there were 1500 to 2000 runners. The Sun was still coming up, could see many wind surfers practicing their skills. Fortunately the temperature was quite pleasant probably around 55 degrees F .


The start was at 8:00 am, I quickly settled into the race with easy pace. The initial 12-13 miles are flat, with sun directly in front, sun glasses are a must. I was also breaking in my new shoes, and quite early in the race realised that this won't be the day to get my personal best run. Contrary to my experience in Paris Marathon the spectator support was almost absent. Water stations seemed well manned approx. 3 km apart. Water is served in small sealed cups.


The 2nd half of the run proved to be tougher, involved 2 hills and running through a tunnel between approx. 13th and 21st miles. This segment is probably the reason for the Rio Marathon billed "the most beautiful circuit you'll ever run". It certainly lives up to its reputation. The course followed along the coast, with big waves, beaches.... the famous sights like Christ Redeemer, Sugar Loaf. The view of Sao Conrado Beach was amazing.

Running down hill into the Ipanema was a welcome sight, but by now I was battling left foot pain. I hit the"WALL" . My half marathon split time was approx. 2hrs, the chance of a negative 2nd half split was not even a consideration. The temperature by now was approx. 75 degrees. It was quite crowded along the Ipanema and Copacabana beach. Most of the crowd was out for the Sunday Beach Sun, quite oblivious of the ongoing race. I was thrilled to cross the finish line. The setting beside the Sugar Loaf Mountain was incredible.