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The final descent
The Snowdon Marathon by One Who's Done It
10th December 2008
Mountaineers are often asked "why did you climb it?" and their answer is usually "because it is there".
Many marathon runners share the same sentiment.
If you are a keen runner, as I am, the challenge sits there waiting, sulkily, daring you to do "just one more marathon". So you do. And at the end you make the same vow, "never again", which you break, when the pain and suffering of the last few miles of the last marathon has long been forgotten.
A marathon is also an opportunity to raise some money for a good cause and an important motivation for a lot of marathon runners, myself included. I am delighted to have raised over £200 in donations from incredibly generous colleagues at Hereford Sixth Form College for the charities Help for Heroes and Macmillan Cancer Support. These charities rely on the generosity of ordinary people who recognise the importance of their work.
The last few miles of a marathon are nearly always painful, you count off the miles one by one and each mile seems twice as long as the last. It really helps when you can focus on the money you are raising for charity; there's no way you are going to quit, is there?
This year's Snowdonia marathon had an added bonus - foul weather! Rain driven horizontally by a howling gale added extra spice to the occasion and a greater sense of achievement (and relief) at the end. A couple of beers in front of the fire of a cosy pub made it all seem worthwhile.
So here's to next time, and thanks again to all my sponsors.
(Ed: I was driving through the Llanberris Pass, where the marathon finishing line was, during the final stages of the marathon and I can confirm the weather was foul - very wet, really windy, and bone-chillingly cold. So well done Neil!)