Melbourne Half Marathon

On Sunday 15th October 2023, I ran the Melbourne Half Marathon and set a new personal best, finishing the course in 01:40:03. This was my second official half marathon race of this year (having completed the Wings for Life World Run in May, which you can read all about here). However, this was my first half marathon which I'd say I actually followed a training plan from 12 weeks out, and had more structure and organisation as to how I was going to hit the 1:40 mark. I'll cover both the 3 months building up to the race, and also what race day felt like in this blog.

Training

For the past few half marathons that I've run, I would say I didn't have much organisation to my training. I would go out 1-2 times each week and run, and also be in the gym. That was pretty much it! I think that can suffice as far as a "training plan" goes for when you're starting out and are looking to finish your first 21.1km. But each minute you cut down from your time gets incrementally harder to do so. That's where a structured training plan comes in.

The Melbourne Half Marathon was partly sponsored by Bupa, who put on an in-person training series to prepare for race day. I signed up not knowing really what to expect, but so glad I did! For 12 weeks, you would train with other runners twice a week, using a program that had already been designed for you to get you race ready. The total weekly distance would be organised in a way that builds you up to running a half marathon, whilst also ensuring you don't overdo it during training. A week would typically consist of a shorter and longer run, with the option to also do some interval/speed work instead of the short run. The training series also had the benefit of being backed by various sponsors, meaning fuel (in the form of energy gels) and hydration (water & Gatorade) were provided at each session. Training as part of a structured program means you know exactly what each week is going to look like for you for 12 weeks, making it easier to fit around my schedule as a final year university student on exchange (who was finishing up their degree and writing a thesis at the same time!).

But what I think I enjoyed most about the training for this half marathon in particular was the sense of community and support from fellow runners. I usually run alone, and never really trained with others for long distance events. But having a group of 150-200 runners that you'd see week in week out also gives you a sense of accountability and motivation to keep pushing yourself. Some of those long runs really flew by as you chat and get to know each other. It made getting up at 5am every Sunday for 3 months a whole lot easier, as well as making those Wednesday night sessions after a long day working on assignments or in the labs less laborious. Running is often seen as a solo and individual sport (sometimes in not the best way), but running groups definitely contradict that notion. Particularly if it's your first time running a half or full marathon (or any distance for that matter!), running groups are an amazing community to be part of. They exist in heaps everywhere around the world, so I'm sure there's at least one near you.

Despite having lived in Melbourne since February this year, there's still a whole load of places that I haven't seen in this city. Taking part in this training series came with the benefit of exploring Melbourne on foot, both at day and night, sunrise and sunset. Each week's route was slightly different, keeping the runs interesting, and took us all over Melbourne. I love exploring places like that, as it really gives you a sense of scale and adventure as opposed to using a vehicle. Had it not been for this training block, I probably wouldn't have visited many of the spots before my year abroad comes to an end.

Race Day

The whole week leading up to race day had me feeling nervousness, excitement, and a whole lot of anticipation. 3 months of training came down to this. I think the fact that I was looking for a personal best added that extra anticipation. I made sure that I was carb loading, sleeping well and staying hydrated.

Sunday 15th October arrived and I was up at 4:15 am. I kept my routine the same as it has always been (don't try anything new on race day!) - a bowl of porridge, the same breakfast that I had been having before all my long runs. The tram at 5.45am was a rush hour for runners - my kind of crowd! It was about a 30 minute walk from Flinders Street to the MCG. There is definitely a sense of inspiration as you see thousands of people awake at these 'ridiculous' hours to willingly run, which fired me up even more.

Once settled at the MCG and after using the bathroom, they were televising the elite marathon race on the big screens. There was a slight drizzle in rain, which thankfully stopped before my start time at 8am. After dropping off my bag, I made my way to the start line. What should have been a brief 10-minute walk turned into a 20-minute journey due to the sheer volume of people - so always leave yourself extra time! I found a spot not too far from the front but not as close to the 1:40 pacer as I wanted. My plan was to use the pacer as a guide to make sure I don't drop off pace.

At 8am, we were off! The initial 500 meters were just navigating through the crowd to get into a good position for the pace I wanted to run at. Finally settling into a rhythm, I aimed for a steady 4:30 to 4:45 pace, cruising through the car-free streets of Melbourne. The atmosphere was electrifying, and I made it a point to absorb every moment. This is what you don't get in training, the hundreds of people who line the streets to cheer you on. The course’s flat terrain and minimal wind made for an enjoyable run. My legs began to feel the strain after the 16km mark, so maintaining pace was harder. The final 400m of the race actually led you on a lap of the inside of the MCG — a memorable moment running into a stadium where the lower tier is filled with spectators.

Meeting fellow runners I had trained with at the finish line was a wholesome moment. Although my legs felt like jelly immediately after, the rest of the day was surprisingly manageable. It was the same old as before the race - eat, sleep, hydrate and stretch.

Thank you to the Melbourne Marathon Festival for putting on such a great event on the 15th of October. I had an amazing time, set a new PB and look forward to seeing what other running challenges will come up in the future!

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