Runners in a hurry

Recent articles have been concerned mainly with attracting new participants (walkers as well as runners) to take part in the Malta Marathon and Half Marathon.

This is the major focus this year, to widen the appeal of the event to everyone, from all walks of life, interested in Health and Fitness as a lifestyle.

Yet, at the same time, let me not lose sight of the fact that some very committed individuals devote a very great deal of time and energy to running the events as fast as they can.

Within the events on Marathon Day there is scope for participants of all interests; from those celebrating health to those counting every second.

As organisers, it is our wish to encourage participation at both ends of the spectrum and to that end a small award ceremony was held recently to distribute prize money and vouchers (sponsored by Urban Jungle) to Maltese athletes who had either placed in the first three Maltese (male or female) in either the half or full marathon, and also those who had earned prizes for finishing inside specific time targets in the full marathon.

The time bonuses are awarded to all those who finish within the time limit (eg: with a finishing time between 2:50 and 2:59:59).

Over the years we have found that these bonuses have worked well as a motivator to encourage runners to grit the teeth and keep going in the final miles instead of backing off and jogging in.

Let me give these athletes the full due earned by their accomplishments and name them now:

Marathon (first three Maltese males and females)
1. Jason Martin; 2.Richard Chetcuti; 3.Johann Galea.
1. Carmen Hili; 2.Marisa Muscat; 3.Mary Grace Demicoli

Marathon time between 2:40 and 2:49:59
Joseph Abdilla, Drew Lang, Brian Magri, Jimmy Sacco.

Marathon time between 2:50 and 2:59:59
Jesmond Zammit, Rodney Cassar, Kevin Muscat, Martin Agius, Anthony Barbara

Half Marathon (first three Maltese males and females)
1. Jonathan Balzan; 2. Kevin Zammit; 3. Stephen Borg.
1. Joelle Cortis; 2. Angela Sammut; 3. Doreen Vella.

Walk-a-thon interest

Further to the article and schedule published two weeks ago, already some emails are arriving from those interested in taking part in the Half Marathon Walk next year.

A common question comes from a number of people who are already walkers; they wish to know if it is necessary to follow the schedule from the beginning, or is there a schedule for the more-experienced?

The simplest advice I can offer is to view the 24-week schedule published and see what length of long Sunday walk they are capable of already on a regular basis.

For example: if they currently walk 60 minutes regularly on a Sunday as well as a couple of shorter walks during the week, they might consider beginning the schedule at week-5.

If in any doubt, begin with slightly less than you know you can do, and increase slowly from there. Do not be over-adventurous and begin at a higher level than you know you can handle and perhaps quickly suffer some pain or injury that forces you to stop exercising.

Remember, there is lots of time between now and Marathon Day.

Inspiration

Already two readers have written to me explaining that they were so inspired reading the exploits of Astrid Fleri Soler running the 90km Comrades Marathon in South Africa that they are determined to take part in next year's Malta Half Marathon.

This is great news and if there are other first-timers out there similarly inspired, drop me an email and let me know how you are doing.

I've just come across a local runner who makes it a point to run events in strange parts of the world; desert marathons, mountain marathons, offroad marathons. I'll get more details and write about him next time.

Until then, be careful out there and enjoy your training.

johnwalsh42195@yahoo.it