5th – 31st Marathon de Paris – 15th April 2007

Paris last weekend was unseasonally hot and sunny, especially Marathon Day. The weather was very hot and humid, conditions over 20c degrees and 68% humidity at 8.45am. This was my first time to run in these heat conditions. When the marathon started I ran well for 20km which averaged out at 20 minute per 5km but after 20km my liver began to hurt and that me slowed me down for the next 10km, then afterwards, I felt a little bit better and so I ran normally all the way to finish line. At half- way stage, we had to drink 0.5 litres of water every 5km because heat getting worse up to 28c degree which made us sweat like I was in a sauna.

Results:
Oliver – 03h 13min 57s (Position 1740) – 21km: 1h 29mm

* 35,000 athletes competed

The course is bit unappealing, the spectators made the atmosphere very good but it was disappointing at the finish area because spectators and the Marathon runners all went into the same area causing lots of overcrowding, which meant that I couldn’t find my family and friends so I had to meet them at my hotel. One of my friends Toby Burton ran in marathon too that he completed finished 03h 34mins (Position 4647).

In the evening after a well earned meal and beer, we went to top of the Eiffel Tower and it was beautiful to see the tower with a diamond flash all over.

Next race:
20km Brussels – 27th May
Stockholm Marathon – 9th June

Oliver Westbury
www.justgiving.com/oliverwestbury

Tip: Recommend you to check their city weather so you will know how to cope with the heat on Marathon Day.