Oban Half Marathon 4/10/09
At the finish of the Oban half I was trying to rip open a plastic box of fruit salad while trying to find words to describe the mismatch between the race publicity that warmly described the new flat course and my actual experience of the race. This was bitter gall to me in particular since Oban is the hallowed venue of my half marathon pb in 1996. As the race was closed down for several years I’ve never been back until now and hoped I could put in a decent time. About 11 out of the 13 miles were the same as before but a section of newly-laid cycle track had been included taking the race off the scenic coastal road at around mile 9 into the hinterland of Oban.
The Porty contingent consisted of me, Willie, Jacqui and Rachel plus her man Alex from Musselburgh RC. All of us had travelled up either one or two days before to make life easy. Banquo’s ghost on the day was Bert. He had intended travel on Saturday but then changed plans when offered a seat in the Hibs directors’ box for Saturday’s match. The plan was to drink nothing but Perrier and drive up early for the midday start…
Friday night and Saturday deserved a meteorological ASBO with driving rain and gale force winds sweeping relentlessly across the Highlands. Jennie and I had gone up to Glencoe a day earlier than the rest and I hardly slept a wink on Friday night due to rattling slates. Miracle of miracles, Sunday dawned with the sun shining, no wind and no rain.
The race is hosted by the Atlantis leisure centre right in the centre of town where the race starts and finishes. The course is a peculiar shape with runners spilling towards the harbour and onto the promenade within a minute of the gun and then heading south along the (more or less) flat coastal road for about 3.5 miles before turning around a cone and heading back.
Conditions were pretty much perfect with stirring views across the bay including a MacBrayne ferry surging in, no headwind, a friendly sun and when you needed it, plenty of shade from the cliffs. Willie, Jacqui and Alex shot off to the cone and as they passed me on the way back I sensed that they were all running strongly. I felt pretty good myself and clocked the first , second and third miles at about 7:30 pace so I was looking at a sub-1:40 half if only I could keep it up. I’m usually a slow starter so I had my doubts but I thought I’d press on and see if I had anything left in the second half. Rachel was not far behind and looked set to restore some confidence after a long spell of injury and a disastrous Haddington half in the heat of August.
Back around the new Ferry Terminal and out again in the direction of Ganavan. There was a slight breeze at this point, just enough to cool but not impede. This was going to be my day, or so I thought. My first intimation of trouble was when Willie, just exiting from the new section of trail, shouted: “Keep up the pace on the hills!” I immediately thought, Hills? What hills? Hell, I had it in writing: ‘Flat course’ it said. But when I saw the first of several signs saying CAUTION STEEP HILL I knew my fantasy sub-1:40 race was fast turning to ashes. A long, slow climb is demoralising but several short, steep hills can be just as bad when even the downhill is an effort. Negotiating this tarmac trail was like running from one end of an aircraft carrier to the other end and back while pitching up and down in heavy seas. The 7:35-ish pace I had kept all the way to mile 9 evapourated and I didn’t recover to anything like it even in the flat closing stages.
But hey, cowboys don’t cry and in fact we all ended up with half-decent times…that just might have been better. Willie walked off with the 1st SV trophy in 1:23, Jacqui pulled just over 1:30 and second female demonstrating that her preparations for the New York Marathon in a few weeks time are well on target. Alex was just behind Jacqui and 3rd Vet, I managed a season’s best at 1:44 and Rachel was obviously getting back to form, puffing in a minute or so later with those Byronic words I had been searching for: “FLAT COURSE, MY ARSE!”
Report Douglas Young
Photos Jennie Willies
In addition here is a photo Jacqui sent in taken first thing race day of the perfect conditions, overlooking Oban...
