European running Challenge

 Sunday 28th October 2018 Ljubljana Half Marathon  Slovenia No 18 Will have to be rescheduled due to stay in hospital!!!

It was never going to easy. After Amsterdam we had done 17 half marathons and 7 in a row. On Wednesday 24th October I did a talk at Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club on our experiences so far. I was nervous but got good feedback and everyone liked the content. With a lack of technology I reverted to old fashioned methods and it seemed to work. It was far from perfect but I think I just got away with it and can certainly improve on what was a first time effort. Then our first major problem I hadn't been feeling great and on Wednesday 24th October I went to the doctors and he did a blood test . I got a call on Thursday 25th saying my kidney function had fallen from 90 to 40 . Nothing to worry about but he booked me in same day at North Manchester Hospital for further investigation and further blood tests . We waited nearly all day at the hospital and the outcome was that they wanted me to return the following day for a CT scan . Another full day at the hos...

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 an...

Sunday 14th October 2018 Sofia Half Marathon  No 16  Richard 02:14:17 Jackie 02:20:21 Sofia was now our 6th half marathon since the 2nd September .September and October were always going to be the months that would make or break the challenge . Firstly it is when a lot of the races are scheduled plus now the weather was starting to cool down . We had  one a week booked for 8 weeks on the trot and by the time Sofia came round we were feeling the strain .On top of the races there was the travelling and the sightseeing . Sofia was extra hard as we had a late flight on the Saturday and had arranged to pick up our bibs before the race on the Sunday which started at 10.am . As the flight arrived after midnight we opted to stay at an airport hotel and were up very early to get a taxi to registration . The start of the race was at the National Stadium named after a famous Bulgarian revolutionary hero Vasil Levski.  There was a 10.5 km 21.00 km and 42km with 10.50 rac...

Sunday 7th October 2018 Kosice Half Marathon 2018 Slovakia No 15 Richard 01:57:02 Jackie 02:14:41 Did you know ?  In terms of the number of years held, this marathon is the oldest in Europe and the sixth-oldest in the world. The first marathon was held in 1924 and was run by 8 participants. Inspired by marathon race in the Paris Olympic games in 1924, Vojtech Braun Bukovský (a sports enthusiast and journalist) organized this marathon. The marathon takes place each year on the first October Sunday. The 94th  edition of this marathon was held on 7th October 2018 . Oldest     Boston        1897   New York   1907  (revived 1935)   Greater Manchester Run 1908 (revived 2012)   The Comrades Marathon 1921 South Africa    Kosice Peace Marathon   1924 The run starts in the center and is a big deal in Kosice and running the course it felt like the who...

Sunday 30th September 2018 No 14 Richard 01:58:18 Jackie 02:16:39 So this is halfway we have had a week off since Stockholm but now we have five in a row .We were looking forward to this as its a short flight another first visiting Luxembourg and the weather's getting cooler . The race called Route du Vin has been going since 1962 so this is its 57th year an impressive heritage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_du_Vin_Half_Marathon The area round Remich and the Moselle River was wonderful we were blown away by the scenery and the tranquility . It's very much a tourist area but the season was ending and it wasn't overcrowded as I imagine it would be in the middle of summer . We stumbled across a small owner run cafe/bar/ restaurant and the food was so good we returned for a second night . Pasta was a specialty and it was the best I have had and not expensive .    So everything was great , the area the food the accommodation plus the t-shirt a...

So we are now nearly half way through the challenge and are on course to complete it by 1st April 2019 . It has been difficult to find the races and plans have had to be changed . We were booked for Porto on the 16th September but it clashed with Stockholm on the 15th . The running calendar in Sweden appeared to shut down for the winter after this date so we altered our plans at the last minute .We have now covered the Scandinavian countries Denmark , Finland and Sweden and the three Baltic States Estonia , Latvia and Lithuania .Neither of us had visited these countries before and we enjoyed them immensely. Brexit is now in full swing but doesn't seem to be attracting much interest  with the people we have met, but I guess every country has its own agenda and worries . We have been made very welcome everywhere and the UK has been well represented in most of the races . As far as the challenge goes after 13 races I have had to donate 5 x £10.00 for not completing the half marathon d...