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 "We are accompanied along the way by American Olympian Jeff Galloway, whose books and articles on marathon running have inspired thousands of runners to accept the challenge of running one." |
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Joe Ryan, Athens November 2007
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From the Plains of Marathon Over 2000 years ago a long runner sped through the countryside of Greece to announce an unexpected Athenian victory over the invading Persian forces. This was the warrior, Phidippides, who immediately upon announcing his famous words of victory “We have conquered!” collapsed and died. Today, this famous distance run from the gentle rolling hills of the little village of Marathon, about 25 miles north of Athens, is celebrated by runners all over the world and is known simply as “the marathon”. It is a challenging distance run that has been standardized at 26.2 miles (42.2 km), and is an event all serious runners want to attempt at some point in their running careers. And so on Sunday, November 4, 2007, at 7:15 am I find myself on those Plains of Marathon about to begin my trek to the city of Athens. This is a marathon I have wanted to run for many years. This is the one that has inspired all the others, even the famous Boston marathon. Today I will join over 4000 runners from about 40 countries who have also come to run this original and historic marathon course. For some time now, buses bearing those runners have been arriving from downtown Athens and soon the staging area is filled with runners outfitted in bright running gear. Prominent among the crowd are the neon green singlets of the Canadian Joints in Motion team. These are runners from across Canada who have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Arthritis research, and have committed to running this marathon in honor of someone suffering from this painful condition. Colorful helium-filled balloons, imprinted with the logo of ancient Greek marathon runners, and floating gently above the starting corrals, add a festive atmosphere to this event. So too does the public address announcer, who in several languages, tries his best to provide us with our final instructions. “ Hurry, please”, he says, “you must be quick and put your personal belongings on the trucks. Go now, do not wait! Please go now. Be most fast!” I check my watch - it is still an hour and a half to the start of the race! Guess I’d better hurry!!!! While awaiting the magic moment for this marathon to begin, I try to imagine what this area must have looked like in 490 B.C. when the Persian and Athenian armies faced each other on this very plain. I take some pictures of the distance hills and wander to where the Olympic flame is burning brightly. Helicopters are now beginning to buzz overhead with official photographers so I know the marathon is about to get underway. Soon the countdown begins and the colorful balloons are released! The moment I have waited for since I ran my first marathon many years ago has finally arrived. The starting signal is given and the crowd inches slowly forward towards the timing mats. We must cross those and have our bib numbers recorded so that we can be officially included in the race. My friend and fellow JIM participant, Irene Barry, will be running with me today, so we have agreed to begin our marathon at a conservative pace. A third Newfoundlander, Candace O’Regan, will run at her own pace some distance behind. The course is flat for the most part with just some gentle inclines, so very different from the hilly courses we have run back home in St. John’s. As we run through the lovely countryside, a number of small Greek villages are passed. I find it odd that there are very few spectators on the route, but then I remember the Greeks have been running marathons for hundreds of years so what’s one more!!!! Around the 4 km mark I look for the burial mound of the Greek warriors killed in the Battle of Marathon but I can find no trace of it and there are no signs posted to indicate where it might be. I learn later it is some distance back from the route we are following. Irene and I have agreed to do a walk break every 14 minutes to refuel and take our gels, but every now and then she surges and runs some distance ahead of me. Then she remembers we are running this marathon together and checks her stride. Occasionally, I hide myself behind taller runners and watch with amusement as a momentary look of panic crosses her face as she thinks she’s lost me in the crowd!!! And then the goddess appears!!!! A beautiful young lady dressed in the traditional white Greek costume embroidered with gold!!!!! I am so awe-struck I confuse my Greek and Roman mythology and think she is the goddess Diana. But she’s really Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love!!!! This goddess becomes my inspiration and I hurry Irene along so we can keep pace with her. At one point the goddess consents to have her picture taken with me, a mere mortal. We even have a little chat for about 5 km, until Irene becomes impatient and brusquely tells me to come on!!!!! However, the goddess also decides to pick up the pace and continues to maintain contact with us until we reach the 35th km. No marathon was ever so easy for me with this kind of inspiration. The fact that she was really a young lady from Memphis, Tennessee, and is now living in London didn’t bother me at all. The weather this morning is ideal for running. There is not a breath of wind and the homely smell of wood smoke from the olive groves hangs in the air. At one point there are a few sprinkles of rain to keep everything nice and cool. Irene and I make sure we hydrate well but occasionally I caution against drinking too much at each water station. These are located every 2 km and unlike most major marathons where cups of water are provided, here it is bottles. I find this a terrible waste as most runners only take a mouthful or two from a bottle and then toss the rest. One must also be careful not to step on a discarded bottle or a twisted ankle may be the result. As we make our way toward Athens, we note the red-tiled houses built into the hillsides. All of them seem to be some shade of white with balconies overhanging the streets. The road signs are of course all in Greek but every now and then we see one in English. Occasionally we stop and take a picture of each other to help us later remember this historic marathon. Along the way race at roughly every 5 km organizers have erected huge archways with the marathon logo. These serve to remind us that we are getting closer and closer to the finish line in downtown Athens. The kilometers continue to pass as we keep a steady pace and try to enjoy this beautiful marathon. We think of all our running friends back home and dedicate each kilometer to a number of them. From time to time, Irene begins to give in to the fatigue, but I take her through some relaxation and visualization exercises and soon she recovers and regains her running form. The key to running a good marathon is to stay relaxed and focused and to keep a smooth rhythm in one’s stride. Maintaining good running form is particularly crucial in the closing stages of any marathon. Somewhere around 30 km., an elderly Greek lady standing in her front yard applauds as we run by. I applaud and thank her in turn and then blow her a kiss. Immediately her face breaks into a beautiful smile as she blows a kiss back to us. Little kids along the roadside hold out their hands to be touched as we run past so I take a moment or two to high-five a few of them just to see their delight. Soon the final few kilometers of our marathon are behind us and then as we round a bend there is the majestic Olympic Stadium on our left. As we approach the entrance to this magnificent building, Irene pauses to put on her lipstick while I take a picture. My watch reads 4:30 as we enter the straight way. And then there is that emotional moment as we cross the finish line, our marathon behind us. For most marathon runners, this is a terrific moment, a joyous moment, a moment of triumph, a moment to treasure forever. Running the traditional and historic marathon course in ancient Greece makes it even more poignant for us on this day. Phidippides’s words, “Rejoice we conquer!” flash through my mind and I steady myself to ensure I do not collapse like that poor Greek soldier!!!! A few metres beyond the finish line, a beautiful finisher’s medal with a blue and white ribbon, the traditional colors of Greece, is placed round our necks. This will be one to treasure forever. A gold mylar blanket to help keep us warm after our fatiguing run is also provided to us along with some refreshments. After checking in with our Joints in Motion coordinator we make our way back to our hotel for a quick shower. We are accompanied along the way by American Olympian Jeff Galloway, whose books and articles on marathon running have inspired thousands of runners to accept the challenge of running one. It is still hard to believe that we are here in Greece and that we have just completed the original marathon course from the Plains of Marathon to Athens. We have indeed followed in the footsteps of that legendary Greek warrior who sped through the countryside so many centuries ago to announce those immortal words, “Rejoice! We conquer!” This has truly been a memorable and exciting day!! Joe Ryan, St.
John's, Newfoundland, March 2008 |
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