Twenty-five years ago, 968 runners participated in the inaugural Prague Marathon. Today, there were 10,600 of us.
A 9 AM start means the sun is up on the wlak to the start…
But it’s a brisk morning
FYI – if you can’t fix it, feature it! Mad Cow? That’s what we’re selling!
It’s 37 degrees but feels like 30 according to my phone.
The start line festival
That is a walking Mentos stuffy.
It’s hard to see in this shot (more to come) but that’s the famed Prague astronomical clock.
Old Town and new running.
That’s a band playingdown the blue carpet.
The blue carpet — the start… and finish… of the Prague Marathon.
The pre-race festivities are in full swing.
Statue-esque.
The Astronomical Clock.
The astronomical clock and me.
I’m in C corral.
An elevated shot from the stairs over the start line.
Different elevated shot. I’m a human drone!
My corral was right under the makeshift pedestrian crosswalk.
This is McKenna (I think that’s his name… hard to hear over Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” rockin’ out over the PA). He’s from China, does 7-8 marathons a year now, has dropped 20 kg in a year thanks to running, and was doing his first international marathon having mostly run in his home country of China.
Getting close to start time.
Packing us in.
It is the final countdown. 3…
2…
1…
And we’re off…
The streets of Prague
Gods, my hair is looking terrible these days.
The Charles Bridge!
5 KM — I passed this yesterday! I know where I am!
10 KM – That seems fast on the photo album… but let me tell you, it took longer than a click of the mouse.
Street running.
Back where we started… but not done yet.
Moving right along…
Where the streets have no name… well, they do, but I don’t know what they are.
This is when the 3:15 pacer passed me. Probably around mile 8 or 9,
It was nice to run a city race that made you feel like you were running in the city…
This feels like something I should know the name of… maybe tomorrow when I tour the place like a tourist rather than a runner.
Halfway mark!
Never in the runner high or flow, but mentally putting together a decent race for the first time in months.
Back through the runnel.
Gratutious selfie.
The streets of Prague.
As always with KM marked courses, the 26 is a blessing and a curse… it comes faster than a mileage marker… but man do I wish right about now it WAS 26 miles and not 26 KM.
Keep it together, Kevin… just get it done.
You’re in Prague, man.
Home stretch… though I’ve slowed considerably.
The blue carpet! The blue carpet!
A “beautiful” finish?
Walking the chute to the food.
Even in a post-run delirium, they couldn’t fool me. There’s no camera there… unless it’s an invisible camera? Dammit! Now I look a fool!
Not much food at the end…
I was told there would be ice cream… but maybe I didin’t need that after all.
The tale of the clock. I slowed as we went along but for the first time in ages I felt like maybe with the right receovery plan maybe I could get close to a BQ time again. Maybe. But I’ll take maybe rather than “woe is me” any day.
