Hi all
There was a little outing on Good Friday down to Walton-on-Thames for the Intrepid Key Challenge event, run by Phoenix Running it’s along the tow path, out and back – for 8 laps. While lapped events aren’t everyone’s favourite, for this event it was perfect, a number of different reasons, firstly it meant you were never far from the aid station – equipped with cake (mountains of the stuff), sweeties, ice-lolly’s, and given how hot it was water, plus it meant everyone that travelled down could see the runners in and out of the aid station, while sitting in a pub garden – on a bank holiday when temperatures reached hot o’clock, not a bad place to be.
The reason for the trip, my 100th marathon….. I did my 50th back in December 2018, and delays due to Covid, then injury (I was out for most of 2021), finally after a few false starts (dam injury) I finally booked my 100th for the 15 April 2022 (Good Friday). It was an incredibly special day, made wonderful by my husband, the event, my friends who all just made it feel really special. These events, you only have one 100 celebration per event, so it’s very much your day, you get a 100 bib that all the runners have signed – a lovely memento to keep, plus you get a 100 bib to wear, which means all the other runners know it’s your 100th marathon.
The actual event was wonderful, I started for the first couple of laps with Andy Boorman and Ana-Maria Green, Ana found her whizzy feet and during the middle section went much quicker, resulting in her catching her up so she was one lap ahead. What was lovely was that as the laps progressed, friends arrived, so you’d come into the aid station to be created by more people who’d made the special trip down just to be with me on this day. By lap 7 we were joined by Kay Bugeya and her daughter Amelia, then for lap 8 the numbers grew, as Ali & James Horne, Ana-Maria, Holly Mantelow and Joan Woodward all joined us for either the whole or part of the lap. It was just so nice to be surrounding by friends who’ve all at some point since 2005 (my first) been part of that journey.
The whole thing was then capped of by the Race Director doing a presentation and presenting you your 100 club marathon shirt and 100 club medal. It just felt such a special day, we then capped it all off with bubbles, cup cakes (as you can never have enough cake…….) and had a chance for everyone to catch up.
Marathon results:
Amanda Bruneau: 06:02:38
Andy Boorman: 06:02:38
Ana-Maria Green: 04:35:38 (2nd marathon in 6 days – and I believe quicker than Brighton) – absolutely amazing J
Many thanks
Amanda Bruneau