European running Challenge

Leopoldilauf Half Marathon Sunday 18th November 2019 Austria No 20 Richard 02:08:32 Jackie 02:10:51 This trip to Vienna followed the week after the Czech Republic but it gave me time to recover and I was feeling better . I still had the stent in but my waterworks had definitely improved . This race was run by LCC -Vienna  a running club based in the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna . " The LCC Vienna is Austria's most successful running club with numerous top and amateur athletes and a very strong junior research group. The club is also host of numerous LCC races, where in addition to many classic Prater runs also the annual New Year's Eve run on the Vienna Ring Road. So far, the LCC Vienna has organized over 500 (!) Events, where a total of more than 250,000 runners have participated. The Vereinslokal (LCC Center) is located in the E. Happel Stadium (sector C / D). The local infrastructure with cloakrooms / showers can be used by all runners - even...

 Saturday 10th November Pilsen Trail Half Marathon   2018 Czech Republic No 19 Richard 02:28:09 Jackie 02:28:07 Hilly. I shouldn't really have done this race as I still had a stent in my ureter and had only just had the catheter removed . But the plan was to run together and take it easy and I could always quit if there were any problems . I did find it ok , we did take our time and even stopped to take photos , though I found the downhill more uncomfortable . I had had enough by the finish but was delighted to have completed it . The finish , I had definitely had enough     The race was part of a trail series around Pilsen in the Czech Republic , which is 100km from Prague . I imagined Pilsen to be a small place but it has a population of nearly 200,000 and is the birth place of Pilsner Beer which is quiet a claim to fame . It is also a popular tourist town attracting walkers , cyclists and of course runners to the nearby country side . ...

 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...