Well here I was at the start of the race by the Arc de Triomphe. The race began on the Champs Elysees and ended on the nearby Avenue Foch. I was pretty Foched by the time I finished. It went well for 18 miles until I ran low on energy. My fault - I hadn't taken in enough food before the event, partly because it started at 8.45 in the morning, which meant getting up very early, and I was knackered even before I began! It was also very warm - I run best with frost on the ground.
However, I struggled on and completed the race in 4 hours 23 minutes thanks to the bananas and slices of oranges available at the aid stations. As the race neared its end, these became the focus of a kind of feeding frenzy.
It was a beautiful course that straddled both sides of the Seine. We ran past the Hotel de Ville, the Tuileries, the Bastille monument, the Louvre, the Palace of Vincennes, the Eiffel Tower, Musee d'Orsay to mention but a few of the lovely sights. In the Bois de Boulogne we were even applauded by some of the Lady Boys in their mini-skirts and high heels. I don't think they did much business though.
In the tunnel by the Tuileries, the organisers had staged a spectacular light show with rock bands playing. It was great. In fact, there were bands of drummers almost every 5kms - African, Indian, French - it gave the whole race a certain kind of rhythm.
The crowds were huge and extremely noisy. I'm convinced the French are a lot noisier than us Brits - good for a marathon. Whenever someone in the crowd recognised a friend in the race, they'd scream and often join in running with them for a few yards. The competitors were from all over. I saw South Africans, Australians, Americans as well as countless Europeans.
It was a great experience and one I enjoyed (for the most part anyway).
I'd like to thank you all for supporting me - I am close to my target figure of £1,000 for Afrikids. If there's anyone who hasn't sponsored me but who wants to, here's the address.
http://www.justgiving.com/Bob-Chaundy1
Thanks again,
Bob
