Sunday 21st October 2018 Amsterdam Half Marathon No 17 Netherlands

Sunday 21st October 2018 Amsterdam Half Marathon No17

Richard 02:06:43 Jackie 02:10:35

I was asked recently by a non runner how the runs were timed and explained there was a chip in the bib that was activated by a mat when crossing the start line and then at 5km 10km 15km 20km and the finish . He was impressed but amazed when I told him that within 10 seconds of finishing you receive a text with all these stats. Not that it 7happens with all races but certainly in Amsterdam .Amsterdam was a big event 58,000 participants over 2 days .13,000 on the Saturday and 45,000 on the Sunday. It's a fast course good road surface and flat. Jackie was on top form and got a PB which she was delighted with .

There was something very special about this run and it was the finish in the Olympic Stadium . With 2km to go I got a genuine feeling of excitement which grew as we got closer to the stadium . Entering the stadium and hitting the track was a experience I will never forget and could only imagine what it must be like for a winning athlete arriving to the roar of a full stadium . Even today there were plenty of people inside and a little roar ha ha .

The stadium was built for the 1928 Olympics and is still in use today.It was used for the 1962 European Cup Final between Benfica and Real Madrid which Benfica won 5-3 , and more recently for the 2016 European Athletics Championship.

This statue outside the stadium has caused a bit of controversy over the years
due to its similarity to the Nazi salute but it was built in 1928 and is the official Olympic salute.I would personally replace it as the Olympic salute isn't used any more.In the 1936 Berlin Olympics there was confusion over who was saluting the Olympics and who was saluting Hitler.

There were 1500 volunteers in Amsterdam and all these events rely on volunteers.

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