The Family Ness

Photos:
1. Our hotel room where there was pay 4 view tv!
2. The Baxters Pasta Party the night before the big one.
3. Emma glides through the finishing line under 4 hours
4. My marshaling duties
5. Trying to entice Nessies out of hiding


Well we both made it to the marathon but only Emma ran it. The old back trouble (now the left leg and groin) ruled me out. Emma however got to soak up the excitement of the pre race pasta party and expo, whilst I felt like a fraud and joined in. There was a big sign up asking for volunteers so rather than pass the next day by doing nothing but feeling sorry for myself, I put my name forward. Early night Saturday at our nice hotel...not before trying out the sauna swim jaccuzzi! Then it was a 7.00am continental breakfast for the marathoners at the hotel. Quite good really but I felt for marathon marshals like me, the full English would be more useful. Sadly that wasn't on until 7.30am so I had to over indulge on Danish pastries to get my moneys worth.

8.00am saw around 50+ buses leave in convoy to take all 2200 runners to the middle of nowhere to start the race. An impressive sight it was too. Meanwhile I reported for duty and was given my orange 'race crew' t-shirt and started off taking bookings for the 5km race. Then it was a tea break, followed by light duties of moving goody bags. This earnt me promotion to marshaling status, where I was deployed to mile 24 of the route. 'Always a lot of conflict here' said the chief marshal. It was at a junction, one of the few on route, and on a road used by those church going folk who coudn't give a toss about the marathon and insist on parking on the main route. Miserable sods, unlike those at Musselburgh who when it's the Edinburgh marathon, offer tea and coffee to spectators, runners and marshals. I had a couple of hours before the first runners would reach me, so I went for a quick 12 mile bike ride to see what was happening further up the route.

Back in position the first of the 10km runners flew past, followed an hour later by the first marathoners. Then the first conflict of the day arose when an old git wanted to park on the road I was patrolling. 'Why?' I asked. 'Because I park there every year'. Despite my newly found authority of a yellow bib, he proceeded to park there. Then arrives a coach load of Spaniards with a non English speaking driver who also wanted to park there, shortly followed by some other foreigners on a bus too big to get down that road. People trust marshals. One woman came to check when her husband was likely to pass, so that she knew how much time she had to run up a huge bill on his credit card. Others shared their medical problems, and some asked for directions. I didn't even know there was a castle in Inverness.

Steve from Dunbar came over after completing the 10km, and we went up to mile 23 and a half to see our wives pass through. Both looked good and on target for a sub 4 hour run. Then we dashed across the river via bridges to catch them at 25. I then used my power bib to get me into the VIP area and snap them both coming through the finishing line. Emma did an impressive 3:56 for her first marathon. I really did feel like a fraud as I was now limping badly. The toll of standing all day was being paid, my back was killing me. i just pretended to be one of the runners for sympathy. Then it was in for a massage and a complimentary meal, and back to the hotel. A great day was had by all and I really hope I can make it next year. Come and join us if you can.