19. Valencia Marathon 🎽🇪🇸
Valencia Marathon 2023, this is my recap!
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This week didn't go as planned. I returned from Valencia and ended up in bed within 48 hours with flu-like symptoms, only to find out it was Covid. After 3 years, it has finally caught up with me. I experienced one day of high fever and a very strong sore throat. Today, the sore throat has mostly receded and I can eat. I haven't had a fever for a few days, but I still feel under the weather. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to train this week. Although it wasn't too far from my intention of "reduced service" post-marathon, I didn't plan to substitute my 30km run with not feeling great. But let's go back to the marathon.
Valencia is a great place. In early December, the temperatures are mild, the skies are clear, the food is excellent, and the course is fast and flat. While it may not be a major marathon, it is gaining more attention due to the incredibly fast times being recorded. If you want to participate in a fast marathon in Europe during winter, this is the one to choose.
Between my Battersea Park Half Marathon and race day, I continued to split my training time between biking and running. I believe it's worth exploring further. To make it truly effective, the hours spent biking should be at a certain heart rate/intensity, and the running portion should include specific running workouts and easy runs. I think cross-training between these two disciplines can significantly reduce the risk of injury and lead to better training results.
But the best part of the weeks leading up to the marathon was that Matthew slept through the whole night! We adjusted the amount of powder in his bottles as he needed more as seemed to be getting hungrier. And voila! The little guy went to sleep at 8:30pm and woke up at 6am, what a dream! It was the best sleep I've had in 7 months. This really made a difference - training felt easier, and I was able to get more out of it. Of course, this didn't last, as he is now waking up a couple of times a night again. But hey, I completed my marathon!
I flew to Valencia on Saturday, December 2nd, the day before the race. I had a mid-morning flight from Frankfurt and arrived around lunchtime. Travelling within the EU is much easier than travelling outside the Schengen area (take note, UK!). Boarding a plane and getting out of the destination airport is like taking a bus. After leaving the airport, I took a taxi to my hotel. Although I didn't have early check-in, I tried my luck and at the very least hoped to drop off my bag. Luckily, the room was ready, so I went upstairs and dropped off my belongings. The hotel staff had also prepared a custom t-shirt for all the marathon runners, which was a nice touch!
This was my third time running in Valencia. I distinctly remember the expo being closer to the finish line on the previous two occasions. I believe the event has grown so much that they had to move it to a much larger location, about 7km from the city center. I made my way to the expo and after waiting in a huge queue for 20 minutes, I collected my race number and goodie bag. I also made a quick stop at the Maurten stand to buy some nutrition gels. I purchased 3 Maurten 100 gels and 2 Maurten CAF 100 gels. This was because one of my Precision Hydration pouches with 90g of carbs was confiscated at Frankfurt airport! The other two pouches I had with me were fine, but I'll never know why the third one didn't pass the test.
I didn't spend much time at the expo. It was better organized than Chicago and Frankfurt, but there wasn't anything particularly interesting. I left and returned to the hotel. From there, I made two quick trips - one to Primark to buy an inexpensive jumper to throw away at the start, and another to the supermarket. At the supermarket, I bought a few items for dinner, breakfast, and post-marathon lunch. Back at the hotel, I prepared all my marathon gear, so I could be on autopilot in the morning, and then called it a day.
My start time was scheduled for 8:25am, so I woke up at 5am and had a simple breakfast of oats. I made a few trips to the toilet to take care of my biological needs and calm my nerves. Then, at 6:30am, I headed to the start line. The hotel was conveniently located 1 mile from the start, so I arrived at the bag drop within 15 minutes. Here's where it gets interesting. Valencia does many things well, but the start is always chaotic. When I reached the bag drop area, it wasn't entirely clear where I needed to leave my bag. Others were also confused. We walked back and forth through some bushes until I finally found the drop-off point. I got ready, handed in my bag, and went to the starting pen.
It quickly became crowded once in my starting pen, so I was glad I arrived early. At 8:15am, the first wave started, and we were instructed to advance towards the start line. Then, something crazy happened. At 8:24am, some noise triggered those ahead of me, and we all started running and crossed the line... only to be stopped! We were told to go back, but less than 20 seconds later, we were allowed to go again. It was quite the experience!
After this chaotic start-stop-start, the first 5km were crowded and people even tried to find space on the sidewalks. However, I was unaffected as I wasn't in a hurry and knew there was no need to weave around people. After that, there was plenty of space for everyone. I stuck to my fueling strategy of consuming 90g of carbs per hour and religiously followed it. I took my two caffeinated gels at the beginning of the second and third hours. Aid stations were located approximately every 5km, offering bottled water. Bottles were better than cups, but most runners couldn't drink the entire 250ml of water, resulting in a lot of spilled water on the ground and making each water zone slippery.
I felt good throughout the race, and the first 20km flew by quickly. At km 30, I told myself to assess how I was feeling. I still felt decent, although fatigue was starting to set in. I kept going and soaked in all the support from the crowd. Someone once shouted, "Vai, Francesco, bellissimo!" It was a memorable moment! The support from the locals was unbelievable, and there were very few stretches without any spectators. When I finally reached the legendary blue carpet at the finish line, I was all smiles and loved every moment.
Returning to the bag drop area was a bit chaotic with so many people, but I managed to retrieve my bag, change into clean clothes, and head back to the hotel. After a shower, lunch, and some rest, I made my way to the airport and flew back to Frankfurt.
Valencia is a fantastic race, although it may suffer from its popularity. Nevertheless, it remains a truly fast and outstanding event, even with the botched start! And now... I must focus on recovering from this virus and properly plan for 2024. My wife and I will participate in the Berlin and Chicago Marathons. How cool is that! Those two races are already on the calendar, but the first half of 2024 will see my return to ultramarathons... so stay tuned!
Thanks for this super nice Valencia Marathon Recap. Reminded me a lot of my experience, the same year: https://dasz.substack.com/p/racing-valencia-marathon