Moscow marathon 2011

It was a sunny day on Sunday, perfect for some light exercise. My mission, was to run 10 km in the Moscow marathon, not a long way but long enough for a beginner. I met with some friends at the starting point. A band was playing brass band music and the atmosphere was happy and relaxed. We left our backpacks in a tent and pinned on our race numbers onto our running tops. Everyone began to run from the start and people cheered and smiled as they began the marathon. At the start of the race there were a lot of people running in a tight untidy pack, we had to be careful not to crash into people in front of us and to the side of us. After a while, the chaotic pack thinned out and the smokers and unfit were left far behind. We cruised ahead and chatted at the same time enjoying the race and the challenge. We were not running to be the best or to be the first but we were running for fun and for the experience. This is how it should be. Life is competitive enough, chill out and relax.

A man ran past me carrying a large sack of sugar on his shoulders. Maybe he was running for a good cause or for his sins? Another man ran in front of me without any shoes on, perhaps he had forgotten them or maybe he was just crazy? A pretty girl ran in front of me wearing tight black shorts and a low cut running top, I fixed my eyes on her two buns that swayed from side to side and up and down. I ran behind her like a dog after a butchers van, she inspired me to run which is rather ironic since one of the sponsors of the race was for erectile dysfunction, something dear reader that I don't suffer from. The route was a bit boring. It was along the river and just did loops of the same route. If you ran the full marathon, you would have to run three loops, if you ran 10 km, it was just one loop and all run on easy flat ground.

I felt good, like a sex machine and was running on a full battery charge. Body in perfect tune like a top sports car or maybe just a Russian Lada. It was interesting to see the different people running, old, young, pretty, fit, thin and fat. It was my first marathon and I loved it. When we got to the finish, after just an hour, the smooth flow of people suddenly stopped like a Lada going up hill. A bottle neck of body traffic amassed at the finish line as people waited to collect their fake gold medal and free gifts. People stood in line to collect a medal, then a certificate, then a key ring then a cake and drink (that they had run out of), then a plastic carrier bag to put it all in. I don't know why the organizers didn't just put it all in one plastic bag and hand it to people? It would have been quicker, again we see the famous Russian logic and Russian organization. Apart from the last part and the finish fiasco, the race was excellent fun and I recommend anyone who is fit to try it or at least try a marathon somewhere, sometime in your life. You don't have to run the whole thing or be competitive, just do it for fun, for a charity or for yourself.

© All Rights Reserved.