Palma Marathon 2024

The plan to run a marathon was hatched while “re-hydrating” in a sunny beer garden following the Dunoon 10k. As many of you will know the marathon distance hasn’t been a burning desire for me but following an off-the-cuff Edinburgh Marathon in May I thought doing one that I had actually trained for might be an adventure. With Frances also surprisingly feeling the need to “re-hydrate” on the Prosecco the plan developed into a short-break marathon and Palma seemed to fit the bill. Much further on in the evening when we were fully re-hydrated (!) we also decided to take 3 pensioners with us. The scars of the marathon heal much quicker than other scars and there will be no more mention of that latter decision, just to say the pensioner airport experience isn’t one I want to go through again.

So my training plan was hatched, one based on increasing my modest weekly mileage but not one that would consume my entire life. The target was 3hr30, or just inside to get an Age Group Bronze time. In fact after a bit of planning ahead (something that I rarely do) I realised that I would be running the Great Scottish Run Half, Palma Marathon, and Brampton 10-miler in the space of about 6 weeks. 3 age group times could be the target.

I actually enjoyed my relaxed approach to a marathon training schedule and it was really only the 10k-Tuesday that I struggled to be motivated for. The GSR turned out to be a good run and I should maybe have thought about holding something back but when it’s all going swimmingly you tend to just go with the flow. A 1hr30 was well inside the bronze time so the first target was ticked off. Now to Palma. 

We flew out on the Saturday for a Sunday race. I’ve ran the Half Marathon version of this event back in 2011, interestingly in 1hr31 at a time when I was probably running faster times at that distance. (Note the suggestion the course isn’t fast - I’m getting the excuses in early)

There are 8000 runners over the M, HM and 9k (apparently they reduced from 10k to take out a hill, but have returned to 10k for next year). It is really a Half Marathon event as only 1000 people were doing the full distance.

The morning started well as the hotel put on a runners breakfast. I had been told not to bother booking a taxi as they will only take a few minutes. When it took them a few minutes just to answer the phone I feared the worst. No taxis. Not to worry there’s a bus stop at the bottom of the road. Everyone had the same idea - rammed ! Bus after bus passed full up. “Completo” on the front of the bus was not what I wanted. My stress levels were through the roof. 40 minutes before the start of the race and I’m still in the resort. I contemplated hiring a bike just as a bus pulled up and opened its doors to let somebody off. I threw my bag at Frances and dived on, whipping off my warm up top and launching that as well just as the doors closed. So that was me, dressed in running kit, no money, no phone, no sunglasses, no hat as I waved at Frances and the bus pulled away. I did have 6 gels and a handful of salt tablets though. It was a nose-to-nose bus journey but I made it to the race with 20 minutes to go. I wouldn’t recommend such a stressful pre-race plan but it turned out pretty good. No queueing for bag drop etc, just a light warm up and into the pen. I should have said that the race was an 08:00hrs start which coincides with sunrise, so it was still dark as I headed for the pen. A nice social pen and a good atmosphere. I struck up a conversation with an Italian group who said it would get warm very quickly (at this point it’s still not fully light). I had a sort of game plan but decided to try and bank some time early on. The course is 2 loops. The first 11k is flat and very exposed to the sun. The second part of loop 1 is through the old town which offers some shade but is much more undulating. 

So off we went, the usual chaos at the start but settled down ok. The first of the turning points at 5k and I could see I was well behind the 4hr pacer. Why have starting pens then not put the pacers in them ?

After 5k I was on pace but now running direct into a low sun. Luckily Frances had made it through and I was able to retrieve my cap. My first gel at 10k/50mins then every 6k/30mins. I also took salt tablets at roughly the same rate. The plan was to try and keep roughly on 5min/km pace through the undulating old town section. At least it offered shade although the cobbled streets had their challenges. Hundreds of years of traffic had virtually polished the cobbles to a gloss finish. As we approached a sharp left-hander the guy on my inside lost his footing and took me out at shin height - a straight red without the need for VAR intervention ! Down I went, rolled a couple of times and back on my feet. A bit battered but all in one piece.

Aside from being assaulted everything was going to plan and I was still running comfortably and within both the pace and heart rate target.

The first loop had been busy but I was passing people. As the HM people were heading to their finish and the marathoners branched off for loop 2 it suddenly got very quiet. There was nobody in front or behind me for 20m. I had a bit of a mental dip at 21k which was just the contrast of it now being so quiet. The plan was to get inside target pace for the next 10k although by this point the heat was well into the 20’s. At 30k I was working but well inside target time. The hill at 34k was the first of the pace dips. At another quiet section I missed a turn in the alleyways but luckily the guy behind shouted before I went too far off course. A few splits were up and down depending on the elevation but at 37k I was burst. It should only have been a Parkrun home but even my last gel wasn’t making any difference.

Another few hills but the last 2k should have been more runnable. Even the closing 200m from 42k seemed like a drag.

I finished with a chip time of 3:30:58, a PB of some 15 mins but not the bronze age group time that I wanted.

The post race event area was great with everyone sitting about in the sun. I met up with the family and relaxed with a beer.

So what went right and wrong? Pretty much most things went well. At 37k I was on pace for 3hr28 but managed to lose 3 mins over the last 5k. I have a list of excuses at the ready.  Was it the undulating old town, the cobbled streets, the heat, running too hard at GSR? Maybe all of those in part. In reality probably my relaxed approach to marathon training and a lack of miles might have had something to do with it … !

Thoughts of the event ? Friendly and well organised. Not a mega event so less chaos but a really good one to combine with a short break. It’s probably more of a Half Marathon event as that’s what the majority of people do.

Will I do another marathon? The age group time is an itch that needs scratching but not sure I have the time or dedication that the training requires. I enjoyed the training block through the summer that you get with an Autumn marathon but any future attempt would have to be on my terms and not sure that’s compatible with my ambition ! 

Hasta luego

Stephen