February 20, 2011
I finally made peace with Standard Chartered Hongkong Marathon and finished with a new personal best of 5:04:34.
Photo credit: Eugene Cabusao (w/ my Mom and Dad)
I ran Hongkong sans any sports gel as I left my stash in Cebu after switching travel bags. I survived on bananas and biscuits provided by the organizer. It was so cold I had to wear a garbage bag at the starting line and two layers of tops, arm warmers and Michael Jackson gloves.
But runners used to training in the tropics generally run better when racing in cold countries. You can’t say the same for runners used to running in the cold who find themselves racing in the tropics.
Hongkong Marathon is a qualifying race for Boston. For the Pinoy runner on a tight budget, this is the cheapest venue to try and become a Boston Marathon qualifier. But it also means you have to learn to run faster and stronger on a mercilessly undulating terrain. (Think three bridges, three tunnels and multiple flyovers in the last 5 kilometers.) I will be back in two years, this time to chase 3:40 for ages 35-40.
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