Tony, Ken and I, together with our wives and young Dallas Mewha, moved out of our Motel at about 6.05am. It wasn't as cold as last year but we rugged up anyway. There were lots of people heading to the starting area, and other runners were doing their warm up jogs and exercises. I did a few short runs to stretch the legs and then joined the other entrants at about 6.25am. I didn't want to join the queue too early as I would only get cold and nervous waiting for the scheduled 6.30am start time. At 6.30am, race announcer, Benny Pike, said two minutes to go. Ken was right behind me and Joan Darlington about two metres further back. Now, I was slightly nervous, but I knew that feeling would subside as soon as we started running. The pistol fired and 42.2 kilometres lay in front of us.
I concentrated on staying out of trouble early and in doing so, maintained a good pace. In fact I later found I was running a little faster than planned. We passed the Hi-Ho Motel and turned right and then left. There was no tangent running in this congestion, but that would change a few kilometres on when everyone started stringing out somewhat. I completed one kilometre in 3 minutes 58 seconds and two in 7 minutes 59 seconds, yet I felt really comfortable at this pace. A runner in bare feet went past me (he finished in approx 2Hrs 45Min), there had to be one idiot again this year. I had passed Allison Coleman now, but hadn't spotted Bruce Bate or Ken. There was a good crowd at Surfers Paradise and plenty of Japanese amongst them.
At every drink station so far, I grabbed a cup of water, sometimes managing only a few sips before tossing it away. This part of the course was very familiar to me, having run this marathon in 1987 and 1989 and the half marathon in 1988. We passed Main Beach and turned left towards the Gold Coast Highway. Last year we had turned right, but a course change here was the only major change this year. We then turned right over the Southport bridge and here it was a little tighter room wise, as we didn't have access to the whole road. At the 8 kilometre mark, my time was 32 minutes 24 seconds and I felt great. A lot of other runners said that they were going too quick, perhaps it was just the perfect conditions prevailing.
It was around about 8.5 kilometres that I recognised Ken's voice right behind me. He hadn't seen me yet but he soon did as I asked him what had kept him. He said he wasn't feeling all that terrific, a bit of pain in one leg. We ran together for three kilometres then he moved ahead but only 20 metres or so. I had him in sight until 21 Kilometres. Perhaps I should have joined a bunch to help pass the time.
I seemed to be running behind two guys for some kilometres now. One didn't look like a good runner. I remember seeing them at about 25 kilometres, then they went ahead. But I caught them at 30 kilometres as they were slowing significantly.
There was a slight detour at Sea World where we did a circuit of the car park before rejoining the road to the Spit. It was a damn nuisance doing this, I thought at the time. I hoped this reduced the long run down to Burleigh Heads at the latter part of the race. The Half Marathoners had just turned around before Sea World and were heading back to the finish line. Ken was still just ahead of me running with a group of three or four. I hadn't spotted Bruce, Don or Phil. I later found out that Don and Phil had come down with the Flu and did not compete. It seemed, as usual, an eternity before we got to the Spit. We ran a bigger arc here than last year. I still felt great and felt as though I would hardly blow a candle out. Joan Darlington was one or two kilometres behind me and looked to be labouring, although I suspect she wasn't really.
It was at Sea World that my right calf muscle started getting sore. I had experienced the same thing two weeks prior but got over it rather quickly then. And prior to that, my left calf muscle gave me trouble for a good week or more. Two months prior to that I tore the fibres in my Achilles Tendon. All I could do now was to hope it didn't worsen.
We rejoined the half marathoners now and a good clear passage around us was a rarity. I passed the 21.1 kilometre mark in 1 hour 27 minutes 27 seconds, very happy with that effort and I could still see Ken who was 27 seconds in front of me. Traffic was heavy now and from here on I found myself meandering all the way to 500 metres from the half marathon finish point. This is where we took a different route. Water was imperative at this stage and I made certain I got some at each station. I waved to Alice Dickinson and her sister, Dorothy, who were staying at "The Carlton" this year. My calf was rather sore but not stopping me from running. I just had to blot it out of my mind.
At 25 kilometres, Roz was waiting to take a photo and give me a cup of "Maximum." It was a pretty weak solution, I remember saying to myself. Roz asked if everything was OK. I mumbled that my calf was sore and I took off again. Dallas Mewha was also there to photograph his mum and dad. Tony would have finished the Half Marathon by now. (He ran it in 1 hour 31 minutes) Our route saw us bypass the finish area. We turned right, ran the block and came back on the Old Burleigh Road, a few hundred metres past the finish line. I felt reasonable here, but did not have the same sparkle I had earlier. About 3 kilometres on, I saw the eventual winner (on protest), Alan Carmen, heading towards the finish area. The Japanese runner half a kilometre in front of him was being coached by a Japanese guy on a bicycle, and he beat Alan Carmen home, but rightly, was disqualified for being paced and coached. Paul Ashford wasn't much further behind the leaders and he finished in a great 2 hours 29 minutes.
I wasn't particularly looking forward to the run south to Burleigh heads, it seemed to take forever to get there. A lot of runners were really starting to feel it now and were slowing considerably. This is the stage where one finds out if training for the event has been inadequate and/or, if one has run too fast up 'til now.
At 30 kilometres my time was 2 hours 5 minutes, so I had to run the next 12.2 kilometres in under 55 minutes to break the three hour mark. On a normal training run that wouldn't be a problem but I had already run 30 kilometres so what lay ahead of me was not what I would call a normal training run. I was definitely slowing down now and my thighs and hips were aching. By now we had turned on to the Gold Coast Highway. We had to negotiate an incline, not real steep, but it hurt at this point of the marathon. I could see that some runners had bypassed this path and ran on to the roadway adjacent, thus avoiding the incline and conserving energy.
I was tempted to do this but played safe, just in case race Marshall's were there. Off the Gold Coast Highway and back on to the Old Burleigh Road and the journey to the turn around point. It took some time before I could see where runners were rounding the drum and heading back in my direction. I was very thirsty and anxious for a drink. Ken passed me going the other way, he looked to be running OK but full of concentration. I calculated he was about three quarters of a kilometre in front of me.
I was ever so pleased to finally round that drum and it was all one way home from here. A kilometre or so up the road, I stopped to drink and Bruce Bate passed me. He didn't stop, but yelled to me to keep going. I was screaming out for this drink so I wasn't going to sacrifice it to join him. I kept him within site for the next 4 or 5 kilometres then lost him.
Out on to the Gold Coast Highway and up that bloody rise again. Boy, did I slow down going up that point. The decline though, was welcome but I still couldn't run any faster. I made sure I had a good drink at the next 2 drink stations. I picked up 2 cups and drank them both. I also walked while sipping the, perhaps for 50-100 metres. It was at the last drink stop that Allison Coleman went by me, about 2 or 3 kilometres from the finish line. At the drink station prior, I had got the fright of my life. A guy behind me, obviously feeling himself about to stop or hit "the wall", yelled out -"Don't you dare stop now," as well as some other indecipherable mumblings. I looked ahead and spectators were looking my way and no doubt thinking -"what's that guy on about."
There was one Japanese runner who amused me. One minute he would run past me at a good rate but with very short steps. A few minutes later, I would pass him as he was walking along looking kind of stunned. This happened two or three times over the final three kilometres.
Greg Darlington passed me as he headed south. He said to me, "You've got it", meaning I would break the three hour mark. But I knew at this point that I would not break that magical three hours. My legs were so tired, my hips were aching badly and the tops of my thighs were likewise. Three kilometres is not far normally, but at the end of a marathon, it can feel like twenty kilometres. I tried to convince myself that it would all be over in about fifteen minutes. How I wished for the time when there was only 100 metres to go and the crowd are cheering on from both sides of the road. I would look pretty well expressionless, no real signs of emotion, but deep down, I would be as proud as anything to be there. There is one kilometre to go now and I could see the finish line up ahead. However, I would not cross that line for a few minutes yet as this year, we had to detour around a few blocks to the left and approach the finish line from the North. I could feel a small smile appear on my face and I was starting to really enjoy these last few minutes. People on the footpath were clapping me and the other runners, appreciative of the effort we had all put in. Had Ken made it and most importantly, had he finished in under three hours? I am not sure how my speed ratin was, I was probably doing about five and a half minute per kilometre pace. The second last street was about 200 metres long and I felt great although my appearance probably defied my feelings. The last corner emerged and there were people absolutely everywhere. I turned right and as I did, I heard my mate, Tony, yell, "Clonan, don't tell me you're sick". That was music to my ears and I acknowledged with a "thumbs up" from each hand as I ran away from him towards the line. I had felt a little off during the last two weeks and I had mentioned to Tony during that time how I had been feeling. I honestly wasn't feeling 100 per cent, I had been experiencing a slight sick feeling and dry throat. Anyway, it was anything but a sick feeling as I had 150 metres to go and the clock ahead of me showed 3 hrs 4 minutes 30 seconds. It was a tremendous feeling as I was about to complete my third marathon. I heard ,y name called out, but I could not really distinguish who the caller was. Roz was there but so were a few thousand others and I will never forget the atmosphere. I wanted to better 3 hours 5 minutes but my pace had to quicken. I usually ran harder over the last few hundred metres but this year I didn't. I only ran hard enough to stop the clock under 3 hours 5 minutes and was very pleased with the effort which was a personal best by 6 minutes. The pain in my body was there but the elation at completing the marathon in a good time far outweighed that. Pain subsides but that time will stand forever. Ken completed the run in a fantastic 2 hours 58 minutes. Perhaps I can emulate his run next year.
1990 Gold Coast Marathon Finish Photo
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