02/09/2025
Marathons always test you and this one felt no different! This really was a race of two halves.
Race Debrief Brighton Beach Marathon Melbourne ⏱ 2:54:05 – new PB
Up at 3:45am, half asleep, trying to force down oats, bagels with PBJ, electrolytes and a Red Bull before a 6am gun was never going to be a perfect morning for me! Running the first 30 minutes in the dark was also new, but actually pretty exciting.
The route for this one is two laps along the coast with around 210m elevation. Lap one was smooth - quiet roads and only 600 marathoners spread out. By lap two it was the polar opposite. Thousands of half marathoners joined in, no system in place, so at 25k it turned into weaving, dodging and missing drinks at congested aid stations.
I’ve been focusing on my nutrition more than ever and fell I nailed this part. Seven Maurten gels and Precision tabs every 30 minutes - about 75g carbs and 500mg sodium an hour. No stitch, just steady energy.
I honestly wasn’t expecting a PB given the elevation was double Barcelona and four times Valencia, but three months of consistent training showed up. Strongest I’ve felt over the distance, even with the hills and the chaos.
Now the focus shifts to the Kosciuszko 100km Ultra in November. Here we go again!
