Valencia, city of art, culture and running. It was last winter that my friend Susan from Stratford Upon Avon athletics club suggests Valencia as a marathon.
The city is famous for its art and culture and boasts possession of the Holy Grail. A combination of running and tourism made it a great destination to combine both.
As a pre marathon warm up we joined the 5K bimbo run in the beautiful Turia gardens as there are no parkruns in Spain. Looking at the attendees I soon realised that almost all of runners were fit young athletic people which was slightly concerning for two women past their prime. The marathon attracted a good international field of athletes chasing PB's on a flat course.
The logistics of getting to the start line and the organisation of pens meant we had walked around 3-4 miles before crossing the starting mat.The race commenced with a rendition of the Spanish song 'libre' and the music with bands continued throughout the whole course.
Fabulous support and bright sunlight were a welcome treat in December. I loved it all until the usual exhaustion hit me at around 18 miles. Pressing on however I reached what must be the most iconic and beautiful marathon finish line in the world. A blue carpet down an isle of blue water under a blue sky surrounded by outstanding modern architecture.
I finished my 14th marathon in 4:57:13 ( nowhere near a PB on a PB course). Susan however completed her 40th marathon that day. We had much to celebrate over a glass of Agua de Valencia and Paella.
