Comrades Marathon - Julia Curtis

For me it was also a long day at the office, as it always is. I had not done an Up run since 2006 and had forgotten how hard it is. I started off hoping for a 10h30, as I'd had such a good run last year. 20 to 30km into the run I had my usually wobbly, just the mind trying to bend itself around the still 60 odd km's to go. However, I kept plodding on, knowing that when I got to half way, I should feel better, psychologically at least.

I was running with my dear friends and training partners - club mates Lindsay and Adri - we stayed together until sometime after half way, where they slowly pulled away from me. I just didn't have the legs to keep up with them. We were trying to pass the two 11 hours busses, and the girls slowly disappeared from my sight.

Shortly after they left me, I saw our seconds along the side of the road, and had a bit of a melt down…grabbed a sarmie, shed a few tears, then gave myself a talking to…pulled myself towards myself and carried on.

At the top of Umlaas Road I started to feel better and then a short while later I saw the two 11 hour busses! I had thought 11 hours was out the window, but now I had renewed hope. I'd catch the back one, then they'd leave me, I'd catch them again, and they'd leave me. This continued until just before Little Polly's, where I managed to catch and overtake them both and left them behind :)

I walked / ran Big Polly's as I wanted a little time in the bag for the last 8km. Having done Polly's and then just crested a small hill in Pietermaritzburg, I saw Lindsay and Adri at the top of the hill. I shouted at them and caught them, I had had no idea they were so close to me. Running into the stadium together was amazing, the crowds made so much noise we couldn't even hear ourselves talking. It was amazing and special to cross the line with the friends I'd trained so hard with. We finished in 10h48. This was my 6th medal.

A long, long day, but sooooo rewarding!