Race Recap: 21Km Run - Manila Marathon 2019

Manila Marathon 2019 - a come back attempt after almost four decades since it was first held.

1982 was the inaugural year of the Metro Manila International Marathon. The original course started at the Quirino Grandstand and took the runners through Roxas Blvd all the way to the Coastal Road for the first u-turn. They then turned right on Buendia and another right along Ayala Avenue where they hang a left when they hit EDSA. They ran through EDSA and made their way to Ortigas Ave for the next u-turn. They traced their route back to Buendia and turning right immediately when they reach Roxas Blvd. The 42-km race finished back at the Quirino Grandstand. The inaugural race was won by an East German, Waldemar Cierpinski with a time of 2:14:27.

I have not dreamed of even attempting a full marathon and I wasn't planning to sign up for one in the near future. So we won't be talking about the 2019 version the 42-km event, instead I'll recap the 21km event that I joined. 

Race Course
The race started in Mall of Asia grounds along Seaside Blvd. The first left turn is on Hilario then making a u-turn in the end to go back to Seaside. After a left hand turn on Seaside you'll hit Macapagal Blvd which will take you all the way to Vicente Sotto (where Star City is). A short left, a u-turn and another left will take you to Roxas Blvd. The next u-turn is in front of the Quirino Grandstand and you make your way back to the Buendia flyover. After making a u-turn at the bottom of the flyover you trace back your route along Vicente Sotto, Macapagal, Seaside Blvd, Hilario and then finally a last u-turn in front of Conrad Hotel to bring you in to the finish line.

My Race

With a 2:00 AM gun start it was hard to determine if you'll stay up or sleep very early. As the gun start time I made my way near the starting line securing a spot a few rows behind the Elite. This is a good place to start because the Elite runners will burst out of the gates leaving you with space upfront and not needing to weave your way through slow runners. If there is a faster runner behind you they will be the ones doing the maneuvering to pass through.

The first 5 kilometers was an easy run. I felt good and I felt strong. Looking back at my Garmin Connect, I was where I wanted to be a 6 min/km pace. The next 5-kms I felt that my strides were still the same. I chose not to look at my watch so as not to pressure myself from hitting a certain pace. I wanted to run on feel and hopefully I hit my ideal pace. I reached the u-turn fronting the Quirino Grandstand and shortly after I just had to take a quick break. I found myself walking for around a minute to catch my breath and reset. Unfortunately, this will be a recurring scenario in the race. After a minute I started running again and I knew that my pace was now off. And I knew that this will be a long day for me. 

Heading back along Roxas Blvd I was just thinking get to the next u-turn (Buendia) and it'll be more than halfway through the race. Stopped by a water station to hydrate and pour some water on my legs and core. When I finally passed PICC heading to Buendia I was surprised that the course will climb the flyover, go down, make a u-turn and another Buendia flyover climb. By this time my pace has significantly dropped to 7:30 mins/km and I couldn't find the right cadence to get back to an ideal pace.

By the time I got back to Macapagal Blvd I can feel my legs were heavier than I felt in any race before. Even when I was cramping during my 70.3 Ironman in Davao, my  legs did not feel like this. It's an understatement to say that it was a struggle from here on. I probably took 5-6 more walking breaks before getting to the final turn on Seaside. I thought I was near to completing the race, but as I made it past the left hand bend the stretch of road going to Conrad Hotel stared back at me. The worst  thing is the finish line is on the other side. This means taking on that stretch of road, making a u-turn and heading back for the finish.

While I was trying my best to run the last stretch I was spent. I was exhausted more than I was ever before. My 6 min pace continuously went down...7 mins, 8 mins and down to 9 mins. For some reason though I knew my lungs were still very much capable. I wasn't having a hard time breathing or my heart felt like exploding. The conditioning and endurance was definitely there. What I'm missing were my legs. No matter how I tried to push my legs just did not respond. What I lacked was muscle endurance! I probably took another 3-4 power walks before finally gathering all the energy left in me to keep that 8-min pace. 2-hours 26-minutes after I started I was finally crossing the finish line.

Post Race Thoughts

• I was hoping to better my previous 21 km finish of 2 hours and 21 minutes. I guess that will be for another day
• I thought I had prepared for this race. But without a bigger race to ahead it was hard to keep your focus on the training (I was preparing for my first 70.3 Ironman when I ran my first 21-km race)
• There are some races that you are golden and there are some races that you don't have it in you.
• Why can't we have a 21 km or 42 km race that doesn't start in the middle of the night. It is hard enough to run a half or a full marathon, why add to that by having a gun start of 12AM and 2AM.
• I've ran the 21km twice and both in the Mall of Asia grounds. Both times major parts of the routes were pitch black. Organizers should plan more about getting some temporary lighting in those areas (Hilario, Macapagal, some parts of Roxas, Roxas Blvd just before Buendia) too avoid any injuries or accidents.
• Running a marathon (half or full) is never to be taken lightly, participants do their share by preparing. Organizers should also ensure (and make it a top priority) of the runner's safety. This means proper race route, ample hydration and enough marshals on the route.

The 2019 edition of the Manila Marathon wasn't exactly a rousing come back. It was mediocre at best from the way it was organized to the number of participants who joined the race. Definitely a lot of room for improvement if this will be held again next year. I hope that Proactive Sports gathers enough feedback from the participants to try and make it a better and bigger event. 

Credit goes to ProactiveSports Management Inc (IG: @proactivesportsph) for all the images used in this blog