54 000 runners

That was participants record for Paris Marathon. With such a number of runners that marathon become 3rd biggest one in the World, behind New York and Chicago. Huge. That is only word I can think of now. Starting with size of the expo and finishing with length of finish area. On expo we were talking to Warsaw Marathon team and they told us that for the first time they got such a high stand number (something above 400). And that was just for stands which contains nutrition or info about other marathons. There was second part of expo where you could find just a running equipment. Over 3 hours spent there. Pasta party took us just 10 minutes, rest was just walking around and exploring options. Tons of brochures about marathons, new Compress Sport running pants (don’t know how to call them) was the outcome of expo. After expo we headed to hotel, hit the bed or laptop. Saturday was a very quite day if won’t count over 12 km of  run. Including bucket list experience which is was to run under Eiffel tower. Did that. After run and quick shower walk around Paris. We saw a all the thing I saw during my morning run. We saw little bit more. Ended up with 18 km walk which lasted over 7 hours. Baguette at the end of the day and next day marathon…

Evening before marathon we have checked where I should access the starting line. Worked out that from hotel to starting line should take about 17 minutes. Small breakfast in the morning, shower, nerves and go. Before start, just in case, I wanted to use toilet but there was so little amount of them for all these runners that even standing in the queue for over 30 minutes I wasn’t lucky. I was fortunate and didn’t need to stop for toilet. My wave should start at 9:15 but seeing all these runners in the same wave I was just wondering how long it will take me to start. All I knew was that elite runners started half a hour before my wave. You could feel the buzz. Runners were very excited. You could see plenty of them wearing other marathons t-shirts. Nice, Malta, Berlin, Amsterdam, you name it, someone was wearing one. They have released each wave in couple of parts. I think mine was divided into 3. I was in second one, started about 9:22. Start was on the Champs Elysees towards Concorde and Bastille. First 2 km slightly downhill. I couldn’t feel it being focused on trying to avoid slower runners (damn you 3:45 wave – purple). I the back of my head I had an idea that in some time I will be in front of all these runners from my wave… Ohhhh, I was so wrong. There was constant see of heads in front of me. Kilometre 5, 10, 25, 42 huge crowd. I was running in France before, so I knew that French supporters are not too noisy. In Paris was louder but comparing amount of supporters on the side of the street I was expecting huge roar. Nothing like that. To be honest, I think that supporters from other countries, who came with runners were the ones who made the noise. Only once I was able to make people to cheers louder even that I did ‘make some noise’ move at least 4 times including at finishing line (that was an odd one, no reply). Anyways, from 6th km till 12th we were running via Bois de Vincennes passing by Chateau. I was feeling really good, with still so many runners to overtake in front of me 😉 Now, the route put us towards Eiffel Tower on the bank La Seine river. First Bastille again, followed by glimpse of Notre Dame cathedral. Now I was on the road I knew. Day before I was running here. Voie Georges Pompidou under your feet, Musee d’Orsay on left, Eiffel Tower in the background. Still in great condition, couldn’t feel cold and flu, legs were fresh. I think that it was excitement. Passed tower, passed another ‘thousands’ runners and there I was in the Bois de Boulogne. 8 kilometres in the forest and towards finishing line on the Avenue Foch…

I was feeling fresh all the way. On the finishing line I was smiling. I have seen runners exhausted, fainting, puking – they give it all. But must compliment the medical teams. They were brilliant, helping all these runners who were suffering. For me that run wasn’t any struggle, I was enjoying the whole way. Looking at the beautiful city during run and thinking about another visit already. Cause it was so nice I cannot say if there were any inclines. Maybe some in the tunnels? Don’t know. For the first time I was running in such a big race. Everything was big – expo, amount of runners and the finishing area. After getting my ‘meal’, medal I was heading towards end of the area. I couldn’t fund my Wife. I know that I was over 25 minutes earlier than predicted but still… I went up and down four times and still couldn’t find Bozena. Was little bit nervous but was hopping that she went to hotel at this stage (was 1 PM already and in 7 hours she was flying out). Actually I was nervous about my Wife and her sense of directions. I shouldn’t have been. She found the hotel and was trying to organise the rescue mission already when I have opened the door. Happy ending to nice run. Only thing which we both regret was that we couldn’t spent more time together there…

Roll on next marathon… roll on France… allez les bleus…

P.S. Have seen one girl runnin with brilliant slogan on her t-shirt:

‘French people are so hardcore they eat pain for breakfast.’ You will know what I’m talking about.

Pictures…