Last weekend I ran the Rio Marathon. It certainly lived up to its billing "the most beautiful circuit you'll ever run". It reminded me of California...the course followed along the coast, big waves and mountains, all the sights: Sugarloaf, Christ the Redeemer, Ipanema, Copacabana. All good. However as one of my friends pointed out, "you're not in America, anything can happen."

He was right! First, we were in an accident on the way to the start! They bus you from the finish line out to the start. With the race begins at 8am, we left our hotel at what I thought was extremely early 5am. On our way to the park I noticed that our cab driver didn't find it necessary to stop for any red lights. Apparently ALL drivers feel this way at 5am. While crossing an intersection our bus slammed into one of these red light runnering small cars. The car looked to me to be totalled, the driver was bleeding from his head. Cell phones came out, help was summoned and lucky for all of us runners another bus was behind us and we were able to pile on and stand the rest of the way.

The start was pretty easy. With only about 1000 runners, you just walk over and stand whereever you like. I think my chip time and actual time were only about a 2 second difference.

Luckily they had decided to increase the number of water stops to every 3k instead of 5k. Great move, considering that winter in Brazil means temps. in the mid 80's!

With the exception of 2 hills -thru a tunnel and around a mountain, the course was very flat.

If you like spectators, you'll have to bring your own! The only people with any interest in the race were those there to see their friend or relative.

Half of the road along Ipanema and Copacabana beaches is blocked off. Half of that for the marathon and the other half for the rest of the population of Rio to walk dogs, stroll, jog, bike, etc- all oblivious to the fact that it was anything other than Sunday. No one even notices that there is a race going on next to them!

I was here in the last 10 km that I realized that my hope of finishing in a good time--4:15 would have been my goal that day--was slowly slipping away. My stomach had been bothering me all morning, somehow it worsen over those last miles. I also think that witnessing a husky attack one of the many perfectly coiffed poodles out on a stroll didn't help either. Also another wild looking dog almost took me out on the last km. He came dashing across the street out of nowhere after yet another poodle.

I guess this wasn't as bad as the homeless man asking my friend for a sip of her Gatorade on the last mile!

I was thrilled to see the finish line. The setting aside of Sugarloaf is incredible. I wish I could have felt better to really enjoy it. Who knows, maybe I'll be back next year. If you were prepared for the heat, all in all the course was fairly easy and extremely beautiful.

ginger26.2

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