Run for "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES"

[Spambot]

...or bike, swim, hike, walk, kayak, climb, etc.

The Challenge​

Starting today until August 2nd—pick up a sport or fitness activity (if you haven’t already) and participate in a race.
It can be any kind of race: it can be your local city 1 mile fun run, 100 meters swim challenge or bike through your street - as long as it has a start, a finish and other people participating.

Why? We all know physical activities have benefits, but I guess I really need to name them, so here it goes:

---

FEEL BETTER! ​

Stop hating yourself - hate me instead! While you’re out there sweating your ass off, you won’t have time to think about all the wrong choices you made in Iron Maiden Survivors. No, you’ll hate the idiot who convinced you to do this - and I’ll gladly take the blame.

BECOME MORE INTERESTING!​

Let’s face it - your fantasy setlists aren’t impressing anybody. Your sports achievements? Yeah, those won’t impress anyone either, but at least now you have two subjects to talk about!

OUTLIVE YOUR ENEMIES!​

There’s nothing more satisfying than living a healthy life, showing up at the funeral of someone you had a dispute with, and smirking over their tombstone, thinking: "Call Brave New World overrated now, punk!"

---

Still not convinced? Fine. There will be a raffle.

How to Enter:
Simply participate in any kind of race (any sport, any distance, any time) and gain 1 entry.
Since this is a public forum and everyone values privacy, we’ll go with the honor system.
You don’t even need to name the race, place, or date - just post something like: "Ran 5K last week, took me around 30 minutes."
Thinking of cheating? Let me remind you of what your teachers told you when they caught you with a cheat sheet: "You're only cheating yourself."
But honestly, I wouldn’t blame you - not after you see the prizes.

---

PERSONALIZED MEME!
Imagine opening your messages on MaidenFans forum and there it is - personalized meme. Without a watermark! I'll take a full 5 minutes of my day and try to find the moment you disgraced yourself the most on this forum and turn it into a masterpiece.

LYRICS FOR YOUR OWN SONG!
For this endeavour, I'll partner up with my companion ChatGPT @Diesel 11 and we will come up with a song about your achievement written in the style of the artist you despised the most. You didn't know how much you needed this in your life until I told you, did ya?

HANDWRITTEN LETTER OF APOLOGY!
Do I need to say more?! Handwritten, written by my own hand, you will be addressed and asked for forgiveness with a letter written by my own hand, handwritten. Are you still reading this or did you already sprint out of your door, preparing for your race?

---

tl;dr - Literally "Run for Your Live" - Maiden themselves are telling you to do it.

---

On a more serious note, this is an attempt to share my love for running and trails, something I’ve picked up in the past year. After years of doing nothing, I finally got back into running, took on some incredible races, dropped bad habits, and - somewhere along the way - started feeling better.

I know it seems hard, dull, and maybe even pointless at first. But trust me - there’s something about crossing a finish line, whether you're gasping for air after a 5K or casually strolling through a charity walk, that gives you a real sense of accomplishment. And that feeling? It sticks. Even better, you might find yourself craving more (like I did).

What starts as a single race could turn into a habit, a challenge, or even a passion. And if not? At least you gave it a shot - and maybe walked away with a ridiculous meme to show for it.

Now, go find your race. I’ll be waiting at the finish line! (metaphorically, of course)

 

[Azas]

"Call Brave New World overrated now, punk!"

pfft, it is overrated, imo. And I do brisk walking four to five times a week (7-10 km)
But i am doing this alone and will continue to do so.
(i posted here basically because of that Brave New World remark. I guess, i took the bait )

 

[Diesel 11]

LYRICS FOR YOUR OWN SONG!
For this endeavour, I'll partner up with my companion CharGPT

You coulda just asked me.

 

[Spambot]

And I do brisk walking four to five times a week (7-10 km)
But i am doing this alone and will continue to do so.

That's great, honestly. Especially with that distance. But, BUT! May I make one suggestion?
Do continue your walks, pace and distance that suit you, but please try some other direction. Otherwise you might arrive at a place where there are people actually agreeing that BNW is overrated. And nobody wants to be there.

You coulda just asked me.

Fixed!

 

[____no5]

The Challenge
Starting today until August 2nd—pick up a sport or fitness activity (if you haven’t already) and participate in a race.
It can be any kind of race: it can be your local city 1 mile fun run, 100 meters swim challenge or bike through your street - as long as it has a start, a finish and other people participating.

Long runs on Sundays count?

 

[Spambot]

Long runs on Sundays count?

I would probably consider counting those if it was for someone who isn't running usually.
You want to tell me you don't have a single race lined up in the next 5 months?

 

[____no5]

You want to tell me you don't have a single race lined up in the next 5 months?

No nothing, I’m having an extremely challenging year, I manage to (kind of) run 50km every week but nothing like the quality miles I used to log. As a matter of fact my motivation is so low that I cannot even run for 1km straight if I am alone. I will walk, then run then walk…

When I’m running in a group, I can still do 30 -35km at 5:50 but if I’ll try to go faster, I am struggling to keep 5:20 for 5km and my heart goes 160 when less than a year ago I could run a full marathon at that pace at 150.

Having said that, since the start of this week I’m trying to stand up on my feet again and make a race end August theoretically hoping for a sub 1h40 half marathon.

The only thing that I’m doing right for now is to not quitting. I’ve learnt with the time that during hard times I have to at least maintain the habit alive and keep faking it until I make it.

 

[Spambot]

In a proper dick move, five days before the tour kicks off, I’ve decided to ignore all your dozens and dozens of entries and make this whole thread about me. I realized I haven’t posted my entries here yet, so I’ll start with my first one of the year: a trail race called Škraping.

After conquering a marathon last year, I figured it’s time to try something different - trails. Trail races are still running races, except instead of roads you get technical terrain. Depending on the race, that could mean anything from 5 km to 100 miles, and terrain ranging from beaches to mountains to hellscapes.

For my first trail race, I picked the first one I’d ever heard of - Škraping on Pašman Island, Croatia. It’s been running since 2006, and the name comes from the word “škrapa,” meaning sharp karst rock. (You'll see what I mean in the photos below.)
I signed up for the Challenger category (~25 km), while my friends picked the Active (~12 km).

The welcome package was solid (definitely worth the entry fee) and included a map. What I didn’t realize was that each category had its own set of checkpoints, which you had to reach in any order. Since we had different routes, we decided to check in with each other along the way.

Spoiler

Me and my friend checking the map. Sadly, no one told me I don’t know how to read a map.

So, on a cloudy Saturday afternoon, off we went. I headed out first, aiming for the farthest checkpoint. First hill went fine. A couple kilometers in, I found myself alone, not tired, and full of confidence. Then I hit the coastline - and hit my first real problem.
When they said “karst technical terrain,” they meant it. I can deal with rocks, mud, and rough terrain. But this was something else. Jagged, uneven stone with sharp drops and no rhythm. I know how to walk on škrape. I have no idea how to run on them.

Spoiler

Wanted to write “kilometers and kilometers of this,” but let’s be honest - “miles and miles of this” just sounds sexier.

---

The next stretch of the race felt like a cartoon. I kept jumping aside to let people pass me. There wasn’t much room on the trail, and with 800 runners total, I quickly went from leading a few folks to watching a parade pass me by. I kept expecting a crawling baby or someone on crutches to overtake me next.

As if that wasn’t discouraging enough, my friend kept sending me messages from the finish line. Meanwhile, I was still trying to reach checkpoint three. That’s when I started doubting myself "Am I this out of shape?" Turns out, their category had a totally different route - no škrape at all. Mostly dirt trail. Ten kilometers. Figures.

At one point, I saw runners going the opposite direction and panicked — was I lost? My friends were already posting photos of post-race meal and beer. I got to admit - I was thinking of giving up.

Spoiler

---

​

All-you-can-eat beans and sausage. All-you-can-drink beer. Included in entry fee. Are you sure you don’t want to try Škraping?

---

​

Still, I decided to keep going. I climbed a hill (which was a checkpoint) and pulled my shit together. Had an energy drink, a snack, tried to figure out the rest of the route, and switched playlists. Up to that point I was listening to Dream Theater's "Parasomnia" which just came out. No wonder I couldn't keep my pace with fu***** Portnoy and Petruccy and their 7/8, 15/16, ¾ and what nots. So I switched to Senjutsu. Instantly better.

Spoiler

Me pointing to checkpoint 1 at the end of the cape , where I left my self-respect.

---

With Bruce yelling about walls, I ran downhill to the next checkpoint. For a moment, it was even fun. But of course - škrape again. Almost all the way as the eye could see. I considered cutting across the route, but people around encouraged me to stick with it. “No point in doing Škraping if you don’t run on škrape,” someone said. Fair point. So I kept going.
They left me behind in half an hour.

Spoiler

This one must’ve been taken by drone. I swear I didn’t see another soul for miles. I also apparetnly lost my beard.

---

​

Eventually, I caught up with a guy who looked about as broken as I felt. We got to talking races, family, life, how we ended up here. Then, out of nowhere, a woman called out, “Hello? Is anybody here?” She jumped out of the bushes and asked, half-frantically, “Are you guys Škraping?!” We said yes and continued on as a trio. (She looked like she’d been out there since Škraping 2024.)

Strange thing is, in moments like this: lost in the middle of rocky terrain, tired, borderline hallucinating - you form real connections with strangers. You open up about things you don’t even tell close friends. Maybe because nobody sane ends up here.
We reached the final checkpoint and found plenty of supplies: snacks, cake, energy drinks. After a quick break, I said my goodbyes and ran the last 2–3 km alone (they decided to continue walking slow pace). It was rocky, but compared to what I've just passed it was pretty runnable.

Spoiler

All smiles and devil horns at the end. It's mandatory.

Four hours later, I crossed the finish line. My wife and friends were waiting, along with a warm bowl of beans and a cold beer. We laughed, and I swore I’d never do this again. An hour later, I saw the guy I ran the last stretch with. Like the end of The Dark Knight Rises, we made eye contact and nodded. In my head, I was Christian Bale. (No offense to Michael Caine, I just think Bale’s nod was better.)

---

So, that was my first trail race. Definitely bit off more than I could chew. Definitely thought about quitting. Definitely concluded this isn't for me.
Unfortunatelly, I have an awfull short term memory and I did something similar a month later.

 

[____no5]

Nice touch the Simpson -like portraits. What App did you use to generate them?

 

[____no5]

I would probably consider counting those if it was for someone who isn't running usually.
You want to tell me you don't have a single race lined up in the next 5 months?

I have officially started preparation for Harbin's half marathon, target time anything below 1h40 minutes (4:43/km pace), August 31st.

The race is post August 2nd but the preparation already started. Does it count?

 

[Brigantium]

I'm having a riding lesson on Sunday. Is horse racing eligible for this challenge?

 

[Spambot]

Nice touch the Simpson -like portraits. What App did you use to generate them?

ChatGPT, free version, uploaded a photo and did a couple of prompts until I was satisfied.

I have officially started preparation for Harbin's half marathon, target time anything below 1h40 minutes (4:43/km pace), August 31st.

The race is post August 2nd but the preparation already started. Does it count?

Why the hell not?

I'm having a riding lesson on Sunday. Is horse racing eligible for this challenge?

Can you run for your life riding a horse? I rule it eligible.
(note that that would be two separate entries so be sure to take horse's credentials)

 

[Spambot]

Not even a month had passed, all the pain and inflammation were gone, and I was already at my second trail.

This one was called „Life on Mars“, located on the island of Pag (Croatia). The name comes from the terrain which, in certain summer months during sunsets, resembles the surface of Mars. Also, (I might be misremembering something) but when the first race was organized back in 2017, a couple of months prior, David Bowie had passed away - so the race was also a homage to him (he was even on the finisher’s medal).

Spoiler

If you hue the photo all red, and remove sea, and photoshop Mars surface, and remove people - it looks exactly like Mars!

I applied again for the Challenger category (25 km), and this time I went alone. The weather forecast predicted rain for weeks, but when I arrived I realized not a single drop of rain would fall - instead, it was going to be scorching sun. No sunscreen, no hat, and only my driving glasses. Lovely.

Spoiler

Matt Groening personally sent cease and desist this morning so instead of being Simpsonized - I became Ghiblified.

I have to admit, the start package could’ve been better, and the race had an eco stamp, meaning no food, snacks, or drinks at checkpoints (there was only one point with fresh water, though). The terrain looked technical almost all the way, but it was nowhere near as tough as the last trail I ran.
So, in the early morning hours, more than 1,000 runners gathered in the small village of Metajna. For this one, my playlist started with Pink Floyd’s „Meddle“, then took a hard turn (or was it?) to Blood Incantation’s „Absolute Elsewhere“. It came out last year, but I discovered it just a couple of weeks before the race, and it’s been on constant rotation ever since.

Spoiler

I swear, we were not on a mission to destroy a ring. We were on a mission to destroy our knees.

I have to admit, I held myself together well for the better part of the race. The nature was amazing, and the course they planned for the Challenger route was more than interesting. Every kilometer or so, the scenery changed, as did the elevation. At one point, the elevation changes weren’t so sudden, the path became wider, the clouds ran away, and the sun collapsed down on me over a stony wasteland.

It may have been around that point that I heard something in Blood Incantation’s album that reminded me of it, and then I switched to the Hans Zimmer soundtrack for the movie „Dune“. Holy fu*** shit. What a trip. At that moment, I felt like I could hike like that for the rest of the day. And I did, for the better part of it.

Spoiler

Somewhere around here I thought about quitting and hailing Sandworm for a ride, but momma didn't raise no quitter!

After the 17th kilometer, we descended and followed the shoreline. I knew what was waiting for me, but until I reached it, I still hadn’t made up my mind. The Life on Mars trail has a part called Via Ferrata - it’s a section of the trail that goes through the sea for about 100 meters, with water at about hip level. There’s a cable you can hold onto above the sea (but if you do, you’d be disqualified), and there’s a way around — but it’s a couple of kilometers longer, and nobody really uses it.

Spoiler

The poor brave souls went first and showed me the way. "This is the way" they said. I thought they were Mandalorians - they turned out to be Slovenians.

At the moment I arrived at Via Ferrata, a couple of Slovenians came up behind me, slightly tipsy, blasting music from a Bluetooth speaker. “Yeah, let’s go!” Two of them ran into the sea with their shoes on right away. “How deep is the sea?” asked another. I knew that a girl in front of me was about my height, and the sea level was at her thigh at that moment (the rocks blocked the view, so you couldn’t see the entire sea part).

I took my shoes and socks off, took my phone, put everything in my bag, and raised it above my head. And I was lucky I did that. First, the sea wasn’t freezing (it might’ve been around 10 degrees Celsius at that time of year), but the contrast from the scorching landscape was immense. My leg muscles cramped immediately. I could only take small steps, and as I took a turn, I saw a group of people with their heads wet. WTF?! I took a small step and ended up in a deeper part of the bay - sea level up to my neck.

Spoiler

I'm smilling here. I wasn't smiling couple of moments later.

You know that saying “my heart skipped”? For the first time, I felt that - but not metaphorically. The sudden change just expelled air from my lungs, and for a moment, I felt my heart beat, stop for a second, and then continue. I hurried out and tried to dry myself as fast as possible. I drank a gel I had with me (although those beers Slovenians kept offering looked tempting) and continued.

I must admit, my pace dropped significantly after that. First, the wind picked up, and I worried I might catch a cold or something since I was still wet from the sea (except for my shoes). Second, I don’t know if it was the sudden temperature change or the technicality of the terrain, but my legs started cramping badly. And from what I gathered from the map (I did my homework this time), there were at least two tricky uphills left. So, I mostly walked.

Spoiler

At the start of the race I would say "Look at that fu***** uphill!" At the end of the race I would also say "Look at that fu***** uphill!
It wasn't in the same tone, tho.

Another reason why I didn’t rush was the race setup itself. There were three categories, and the two shorter ones (15 km and 7 km) started later. However, the last couple of kilometers were the same for all categories. So, during those last few kilometers, there were professionals trying to keep their pace and beat their times but couldn’t - because there were amateurs in front of them. At the same time, there were people trying to enjoy an easy walk but couldn’t - because professionals were nervously swearing behind them. I understand both camps, and honestly, it looked like something that could’ve been avoided with just a little better timing schedule.

The last part of the race had us descend back to one of the beaches and then use a promenade for the last two kilometers. Again, stunning views and atmosphere. I reached the finish line after about 4 hours - it honestly felt shorter (the combination of scenery and soundtrack made time fly).

Spoiler

I'll quote Frank Herbert here: "Behind this nice beach there is a bowl of beans waiting for me."

After a bowl of beans (which seemed obligatory at these kinds of races, I guess), I headed home. Sadly, no beer, but at least I opened my bathing season this year in March! (I don’t usually enter the sea until June, and even then, the temperature has to be above 30 degrees outside).

So, that was two trail races in the pocket for this year, and more to come. I had planned to go to one right in the middle of those two but luckily changed my mind. Last year, I applied to a Spartan race (also in April) but I had to postpone to 2026 because I didn’t feel remotely ready.

However, there was a race at the end of April I was looking forward to.
More on that tomorrow.

 

[____no5]

PBs to be broken in August

 

[Spambot]

PBs to be broken in August

View attachment 42384

Is that a pistol hanging out of your pants or are you just happy to see me be in this thread?

 

[____no5]

No, just AI screwed up by drawing a third leg, I prompted her to correct it, she just ignored me and rendered identical drawing.

 

[Spambot]

Just like albums or movies, I believe you can be nostalgic about races. Of course, the first ones always hold a special place in your heart, and that’s the case with this one - Zadar Night Run.

Held in my hometown, this April marked 10 years since a bunch of enthusiasts started this nighttime story on the Zadar Peninsula. One lap around the peninsula is 2.5 km, so for the race, you could choose 1, 2, or 4 laps (2.5 km, 5 km, and 10 km, respectively). Two years in, the starting line moved to one of the city gates called “Foša,” right next to where I went to high school.

Spoiler

Pic taken with my potato phone. I swear, as soon as I buy a better phone, my posts will become 100% more interesting!

Anyway, this was one of my first “proper” races, and back in 2017, I managed to do the 10 km course in 51 minutes (something I can’t even imagine doing now, no matter how much I train). I did a few more races after that, but as the years passed, so did my excuses — rain, kids, pandemic - you know, the usual. In the meantime (I think three years ago), they also added a half-marathon for the first time.

It seemed like a no-brainer this year: there were around 100 contestants last time I checked, it was in my hometown, I usually run that route (the half-marathon goes beyond the peninsula and follows the coastal line of the city, a route I occasionally run), and I was planning to go to the race anyway. I had already completed a half-marathon under two hours last year, and I’d run to my hometown city before (another half-marathon outside of the city that finishes on the peninsula), so I figured I’d check in at 9 PM and just have fun.

Spoiler

Photo taken from their FB. I can only count to 100 in English, which means there must be more people here.

First of all, the race became so popular that there were 400 contestants in the half-marathon alone, and 1000 in the other races around the Peninsula. One of the reasons (aside from the fact it’s held at night and through a beautiful landscape) is the organization (it might come up a again in this post, I can’t praise it enough. This race grew so big in such a short time and still managed to keep its quality.)

So, I was talking to my friend (who was starting 15 minutes later in the 10K race) and arrived at the starting zone just as the countdown began. We descended from the Peninsula to the industrial part of town. Since I came late, I ended up at the back of a 400-person-long snake and followed their tempo. “Ah, my pace is probably better than those at the back - I’ll pick it up,” I thought arrogantly, and I sped up.

But as soon as the first U-turn approached in the industrial part of the city, I already saw the lead runner coming the other way, followed by a police escort. Then another 100 runners. 200. 300... For fu**’s sake, did I really start that slow? I’ve got to speed up a bit more.

Spoiler

Part of the Peninsula where the shorter races are held. In the background is the coastline used for the half-marathon.

So, I skipped all the refreshment stations, grabbed no water, stopped for no bananas. Just kept running, thinking I was dragging my ass. Then I took a glance at my smartwatch. I can’t remember the exact time/tempo, but I realized I was running way faster than usual. Fu**.

I came to this race with no goal in mind, and here I was burning out my legs - and I wasn’t even 10 kilometers in (out of 21.2). So I decided to slow down and just ease through the rest of the race. Halfway through, everyone was spread out across the road (which was completely closed off), and I could finally enjoy the run. But I always felt like someone was breathing down my neck.

I turned around and saw a man in a screeching-bright shirt with a matching bandana, one arm strapped inside his shirt. He tried to wave or say sorry or something, but still he was less than a meter behind me on a completely open road. I switched to the other side, but I could still feel him. Turned around - yep - half a meter behind me.

Spoiler

Like some villain from a kids’ cartoon - the kind only the main characters can see but adults don’t believe exists.

I should mention that I always run with earphones, so I couldn’t hear him, but I felt him every time. (Speaking of headphones, I didn’t prepare properly and just typed into Spotify “Metal Marathon Playlist.” What I got was one of the worst playlists ever, made by someone clearly stuck in 2003. 90% of it was nu-metal I’d never heard of, and the other 10% was St. Anger - but none of the title track or Frantic. Go figure.)

After switching sides didn’t help, I sped up a bit to shake off “my nemesis.” But it felt like that Spielberg movie Duel from 1971 - the one where a guy in a car gets harassed by a truck that keeps following him. I don’t know the etiquette for these races, but I do know there was plenty of road to run on. So I pushed harder until I looked back and finally didn’t see the matching shirt and bandana.

Besides the great organization, I have to applaud my fellow citizens who came out to cheer. I’m not used to that kind of support. Even bigger races in Croatia often get complaints like: “Closed road again?! Fu***** runners.” And I get it. But as one runner said: if New York, London, and Tokyo can be closed for hours, why can’t a city with fewer than 75,000 people? Anyway, there was no bad mood here - I even noticed some groups of people came specifically to the coastline just to watch and cheer (like that marching band near the last U-turn-— kudos to them!).

As we reached the Peninsula, I knew there were only 2 kilometers left, and I started feeling all my mistakes. First, I usually wear a sports dry-fit shirt, but this time I wore a cotton one (from Zadar Night Run 2017). Second, aside from one energy gel I brought with me, I hadn’t had a drop of liquid and felt parched. Third, the fast start had drained me and my legs felt like they were made of cement. But I hadn’t taken a single pause during the whole race, and there were just a couple of hundred meters left. Surely I could finish without a problem.

Spoiler

I don’t know why ChatGPT always draws me smiling. I’m not a smiling guy. Especially not when running.

But! Just two small turns before the finish line, I sensed something. Turned back - and lo and behold - the bright yellow bandana was not only behind me, he ran me over! After spending kilometers breathing down my neck, he passed me just before the finish line. Well, I had two options:
1. Run him over.
2. Die trying.

Since I’m here, option 1 happened. I could almost feel my soul leaving my body at the finish line. But it was worth it (I guess?) because I broke my half-marathon record. Since last month, it now stands at 1:55. Not that I was aiming for it, but there it is. Thank you, yellow high-mark bandana man.

Met up with my friend after, and we went down to the local brewery. Believe me, beer just tastes better after a race. I don’t know how (science), but it does. The second beer tastes even better than the first, and if you’re talking about Star Trek, I believe the third one might taste even better. (Still needs a few more studies to prove it.)

Spoiler

Don’t let the pic fool you, the medal is from 2025 and my tan is better than that.

So, that was my third race this year: what was supposed to be a fun run ended up being a personal best.
But it didn’t matter - a couple of weeks later, I had a really fun race, which turned out to be the biggest race ever.

 

[Spambot]

During high school and college, I used to love going to the local training ground, doing rounds on the track with earphones plugged into my MP3 player (which could hold a whopping 128 MB of music). The only people you’d see running around the city were club athletes and the occasional weirdo. But for my hometown, everything changed in 2014.

Zadar became one of the cities in the world to host the Wings for Life race: a unique running competition that starts at the exact same time globally. In each country, one city hosts the race, from Australia and Japan to Canada and Chile: everybody starts at once. This year, Wings for Life broke the record with 310,000 participants - the biggest race ever.

Spoiler

Walking to the start line via Muraj (City Walls)

What makes it unique is that there’s no finish line. Thirty minutes after the race begins, a “catcher car” leaves the start line and gradually speeds up every thirty minutes. Once it passes you, your race is over. That format makes it just as fun for first-timers as it is for seasoned pros. You can run 50 kilometers or half a mile - it doesn’t matter.

But what really matters is the race’s purpose. Every cent of the entry fee goes to the Wings for Life Foundation, whose goal is to find a cure for spinal cord injuries and paraplegia. That’s why the race motto is: “Running for those who can’t.”

Spoiler

Entrances to Zones 1 and 2 via the gates of St. Chrysogonus

Back before the first Wings for Life race, I did a preliminary run in my hometown but missed the main event for some reason. As the years passed, I must admit I wasn’t too eager to participate. In those early years, there were over 5,000 runners which turned me off. Plus, since the race has to start at the same time everywhere, in our time zone that means 1 PM, and after a couple of kilometers there’s zero shade.

So after 10 years of avoiding it, I finally decided to participate, with no goal or time/distance target in mind. I met up with a couple of friends before the race, had a drink, looked confused over their BBQ jokes and went to my assigned zone on the Peninsula (there are four zones, depending on your previous results or marathon/half-marathon personal bests. The race starts in Zadar and follows the coastline south toward Šibenik).

Spoiler

The horde, the heat, the awful soundtrack from the speakers

Since the race is massive, popular, and straightforward, I decided to put on something massive, popular and straightforward: AC/DC’s Live at River Plate (2009). I saw them that May in Vienna, and it was one of the better concerts I’ve attended (certainly one of the biggest, attendance-wise).

At exactly 1 PM, the 8,000-strong horde began moving. The first couple of minutes were mostly spent walking in place, like penguins in a nature documentary waiting their turn to jump into the sea. After about five minutes, you could finally start running, but people were flying in from all directions at all kinds of paces. It wasn’t until the third kilometer that I found my rhythm and could enjoy the race.

I didn’t push myself, but I also skipped the refreshment stations, they were overcrowded. We passed through two small villages where locals had turned on sprinklers and blessed us on the scorching asphalt. Honestly, I expected to run around 15 km, and just as I was getting to that point, I heard people behind me shouting: “Here it comes!!!”

Spoiler

The fuc**r catcher car came sooner than I expected**

I turned my head and saw a small motorcade of cars led by a police escort. I tried to pick up the pace, but there was no real point. So I took out my phone and tried to snap a picture with one of the catcher cars. I felt like I could’ve done better, but I wasn’t exhausted at all. Some people around me immediately sat down on the ground, hyperventilating, while others ran straight into the sea to cool off. I just headed back to meet my friend.

Spoiler

During the race there are small poles with distance markers, but someone had already nicked the 15 km one, so a sprayed number on the asphalt had to do.

Before the race, my friend’s colleagues kept joking that they just needed to make it to the 12th kilometer because there’d be BBQ there. I figured it was an inside joke or maybe they knew about some private party. But to my surprise, when I got to that point - there actually was a free BBQ for participants (and of course, beans and sausages).

I was honestly shocked because it hadn’t been advertised anywhere. Turns out, it’s kind of a “public secret.” They don’t promote it widely because they can’t cover all the costs (most of the work is done by locals in Sukošan), but the organizers do help bring it all together. So, after a couple of plates of meat and a beer, I hopped on one of the free buses that took us back to the starting line.

Spoiler

Couldn’t really capture the whole thing while trying to fit the sea into the frame

From a race I actively avoided (thinking it wasn’t for me) to a race I’m genuinely looking forward to next year.
If for nothing else, at least I know my participation fee goes to a good cause.
(And now I also know there’s BBQ at the 12th kilometer.)

 

[____no5]

@Spambot How many races have you done this year??

 

[DJMayes]

I recently did my first race for over a year - a local 5/10 mile trail course around a local working farm. I have another local 10k tomorrow - I needed new T-shirts!