I did the Boston (UK) marathon back in April, and that really hadn’t gone to plan with all the wind and rain on the day. It was probably one of the wettest races I’ve ever done (though maybe not the wettest run overall) as I think it may have been worse than Chicago. It was at least colder anyway, as I remembered Chicago still being warm despite it raining throughout. After Boston, I’d gotten so cold that I’d had to sit shivering next to a radiator in a pub for a while before heading home. With Larnaca on my race calendar I felt it was more likely to be a very hot race, but I was still going to train properly for it like I would any marathon. It may not be as warm as Jordan marathon, but it’d still be a warmer marathon than I’m used to. This should in theory mean a much slower race too as I’d need to be moving slower, so would be spending more time on my feet - the training block reflected this. The end result, I hoped, would be a stronger start to spring marathon training like I used to get in the pre-pandemic days. It could be what I need to get back to where I was.

The training for this race consisted of several half marathons, and in general my long runs and speed work did not go well at all. Anything that required effort felt like my breathing was off after just a few miles. It was probably my worst marathon training block ever, even worse than my first one in terms of consistency. There weren’t even that many attempts at speed work this time, although I’d say the Copenhagen, Cardiff, and Leicester Half Marathons had gone relatively well as a step forward with seeing a trend of general improvement. Though their success had come at the cost of not doing any more runs longer than a half marathon. The only 20 mile run I’d done was the week before Cardiff: six weeks ago. It hadn’t gone that well, but I had at least finished it.

Today I’d just need to do the best I could. Autumn marathons have never gone well for me anyway, but at least this would provide a base for training for my spring marathons in Manchester and Rwanda.

When booking this AirBNB we’d balanced finding somewhere quiet with how easy it would be to get to the race start today. This meant we wouldn’t need a drop bag, and could use the facilities at the AirBNB before the race - leaving out as late as possible. Carmen needed to meet up with the other pacers so we left out around 05:50, to reach the Sun Hotel lobby for 06:00.

It had been raining heavy overnight, and I’d been sure I’d heard thunder, but when I checked outside just after 05:00 it had stopped. Just as we headed out, the rain started again, and got heavier and heavier as we got closer to the race village. Within a minute of leaving the AirBNB we’d seen a flash of lightning and a few seconds later we heard the low rumble of thunder. It was a concern that Carmen would basically be a lightning rod once away from any buildings, such as by the salt lake.

Puddles of water were forming quickly and getting deep, our shoes were sodden by the time we reached Athinon Avenue, and I could feel that despite my poncho, the bottoms of my running shorts were getting wet too. I was starting to wish I wasn’t running the marathon. Even running the half felt like a big ask in this weather.

When we made it to the hotel, two of the pacers were already there, and I hoped that the warmth of the lobby would start to dry things out. If my feet could stop making a squelch sound as I walked, maybe I wouldn't get blisters from running this race. It was unlikely anyone would be completely dry by the race start though. After a few photographs we were asked to leave by the hotel staff, just as we were leaving anyway. I’d seen more flashes of lightning out to sea, but the rain here had stopped. It was about 06:45 now, so I decided to risk packing my poncho away in Carmen's drop bag before she dropped it off. As she did that, I made my way to the start pens.

I didn’t want to be too close to the front as I knew I’d be a lot slower. I was maybe ten to twenty metres from the start line, and all but one of the marathon pacers were in front of me. The five hour pacer was about a metre behind me. I thought maybe I'd positioned myself too far back after all, but in theory this meant I’d probably got some overtaking to do early on. It could mean a slow start that would help me avoid overdoing it too soon.

The race started about five minutes late, I think as the wheelchair race start first as it normally would, but wasn't advertised as such. It was slow going to start with. There was a timing car just in front of the start line, stationary. I'd later heard that it had stalled, which is what may have caused the late start. Within the first few hundred metres I passed a couple that were power-walking. There's nothing wrong with walking the marathon, but I think having started at the very front was a mistake as it meant everyone trying to move faster was needing to find a safe space to pass them, and the stalled timing car wasn't helping.

Thankfully I think most people were patient, and once off Finikoudes it started to open up. Once I'd passed the corner with the police station on I was I started to find more space, and then overtook the 4:00 pacer (the legendary Paul Addicott). My goal was for him to now not overtake me before the finish.

This road was familiar from us having walked it several times over the last few days. The first mile took me past Kosti Palama, the street our AirBNB was on, and further north along the road than we'd so far been this trip. The first mile was slower than intended, and I’d started to compensate for it in the second mile, trying to get a 07:30/mi average for as long as I could. After the first water station, I passed the portable loo there and felt that maybe I should have stopped. I didn’t want to go backwards though, so maybe I would for the next one.

A lot of this part of the route was uninteresting along this dual carriageway. I looked around to keep my mind occupied, but the only things about really was the Raddison Blu who were the title sponsor, and a large toy superstore called Jumbo. I could see a wheel chair participant ahead dressed as Wilma Flintstone. It was Moneil’s friend he’d bumped into last night after the meal, and I was very slowly gaining on him.

Just over 5K into the race was the first of the turnaround points. A while after that, I saw Paul on the other side of the road, and then in turn each of the other pacers, with the exception of Carmen. It seems I’d missed her whilst doing an out-and-back along another dual carriageway off the second roundabout. This little out and back seemed pointless, but it was a change in direction to stave off the boredom from the main road. The weather had warmed up by this point and I was now alternating between having my cap on to keep the sun out of my eyes, and taking it off when my head was getting too warm.

At 10K in everything was going well, I'd clawed back the lost seconds from earlier, and I'd now gained some too - a potential mistake I'd pay back with interest. After seven miles had passed, I was then running along a road that runs parallel to Athinon Avenue. Unfortunately I decided to walk for a while, and after that I did for some of every single mile that remained.

I soon recognised Zohouri Square, and this was the part of the course that felt the most interesting, and the most motivating. There were spectators along here cheering runners on, and the buildings here had more character.

After several turns, past the agora, and then the church there's the best part of a mile heading south from there until there's a split in the path. Marathon runners would turn left to head north along Piale Pasa, and half marathoners would turn right to begin the journey south to the salt lake.

After the turn I was then running towards the castle, and then went around the side of it between it and the Djami Bebir mosque. This then turns onto Athinon Avenue, I focussed on the start line ahead, and not the sea and the Finikoudes beach. They may have been a nice distraction though - it really was getting humid now as well.

Once back onto the main road I was soon overtaken by Wilma Flintstone for the last time - from this point on they'd get further and further ahead. I then saw Carmen on the other side of the road and saw more pacers on the other side of the road after that.

For the majority of this out and back my main focus was just getting it done. I wanted to stay ahead of Paul still, and this drove me to walk as little as I could manage. After the first out and back it was a while before I saw Paul, so knew I'd got a bit if a buffer still for more walking. I had at least reached half way now. Just another half marathon to go. Looking at my watch, it looked promising I'd get it done in under four hours still.

By the time I reached the short out and back off the roundabout the sun had gone in, and some dark clouds had arrived. As I got closer and closer to the more interesting part of town I started to think I could feel spots of rain. By the time I passed the police station there was no doubt: the rain was back.

This time there were fewer spectators around, most likely taking shelter from the rain, and those pedestrians about here were not paying as much attention to the runners - some walking out in front of us. As far as I know there were no collisions, but it seemed close! As I weaved through the streets it felt like there were no other runners around, there wasn’t that much of a gap between me and others, but the way it weaves through the streets made it feel like I was now alone. I’d somehow made it to 17 miles though, and just had to keep my mind on moving for the remaining 9 miles, and try my best to ignore the rain. I wondered if I would see Carmen when I reached the next bit with two way traffic.

Just before 18 miles I reached the split point again, and this time turned right to begin the run out to the salt lake and back. This stretch did feel colder and windier than I’d had so far. I think the increase in the amount of rain at this point made the difference. Then at around 18 miles I started to round the corner away from the sea, and towards the salt lake. There was a motorbike oncoming now and I was sure there was a passenger on the back with a camera. I saw them kick a traffic cone as they passed it, causing it to slide closer to the pavement on my side. It looked like they were trying to widen the path for those now on the return journey. I was sure Carmen had finished the half marathon by this point, but I’d not seen her since earlier.

At the bottom of the hill I found it confusing where I was supposed to go. They were directing traffic, but not the runners. I hadn’t seen where runners before me had gone. As I got closer I spotted runners to my left, so realised which way it was and carried on, now running alongside the salt lake. To my right there were flamingoes not that far away, and in the distance I could see the Hala Sultan mosque. I’d wanted to see it since my previous trip, and knew that on this trip I’d be running right up to it - I’d be stopping to take pictures no matter how well or bad my race was going. It did seem an awfully long way still though.

Eventually I’d got Larnaka airport to my left, and the mosque not that far away on my right. I got my phone out to take some photos, and then carried on running, eventually turning onto Tekke Road. This road was a bit rougher, and I ran a reasonable amount of it, but still with photograph stops. When I reached the turnaround point at the mosque I stopped to take a photo, and I think the marshals there may have thought me crazy for stopping to take pictures during the race as they looked confused at me. Sadly I couldn’t get a decent view of the mosque from there, so rounded the turnaround point and began the run back.

It was about another mile to the next turnaround point, and I felt I did manage to run a reasonable amount of it. When I saw the next water station coming up I was actually running. Someone on the opposite side of the road crossed back to the side I was on, and having not seen me, one of the volunteers stepped in front of me with her back to me, and I was a second away from ploughing into the back of her. If I hadn’t been tired enough at this point to be moving much slower I wouldn’t have stopped in time, as it was though I was about a centimetre away from having knocked her over when I stopped.

I got going again, ran around the turnaround point, and then had to dodge a bicycle who cut across in front of me. When it passed I settled back into a run, and this time kept it going for about half a mile, when I saw Paul on the other side of the road. It felt like he was a lot closer than I realised. I’d still got 3 miles left to go, and about forty to forty-five minutes to do it in. That seemed doable, even if I walked most of it. I didn’t want to though.

I still tried to run as much as I could, but when I got back to the hill up from the salt lake back towards the coast, I walked that - there was still just under two miles to go.

I kept running in short bursts, even though I felt I wanted to run most of what was left. I decided that when I got to where me and Carmen had run to on Friday, I’d run from there to the finish - no excuses. As the castle came into view I was running now, and was starting to overtake a few people for the first time in hours.

I finally rounded the last corner and it felt like I’d suddenly got so much more energy. I started to speed up to sprinting pace, and as I started to overtake a few, one runner looked back, saw me about to overtake, and sped up himself. I ended up in a bit of a sprint finish battle with him. Every time I sped up, he responded, but the distance was still getting smaller. There was maybe a metre between us as we crossed the finish line. We shook hands after the finish, and at the time I never noticed the colour of his bib.

I’d finished 206th out of 669 finishers; a shockingly bad position for me but I felt I couldn’t have done any better than that today. This was with a time of 3:46:32, which as far as my times go is my second slowest road marathon. The only road marathon I’ve done slower was my first, and only by about eight minutes. I think the takeaway from this is that I wasn’t ready to run it - I’d not done enough longer runs, and I’d made a mess of speed work too. They were two things I’d need to rectify for my spring marathon training block. The only positive here is that the time I got was on a humid day, after having a few days with very little sleep due to a cold; so maybe it’s not the worst result.

Carmen called over to me, so I went to talk to her before carrying on. It wasn’t until we were being handed medals that I saw the other runner getting a 10K medal, and realised I’d been trying to out-sprint someone doing less than a quarter of the distance I’d already covered.

I then got a bottle of water, a banana, and a carton of mixed fruit juice which I drank whilst sitting on a bench. We then headed back, trying to avoid the worst of the crowds. I did want to get something to eat, but at the same time I wanted a shower, so we headed back to the AirBNB first. We put some washing on before heading back out. When removing the key from the AirBNB, the light and the wall sockets turn off automatically within seconds, but the fridge stays on. We hadn’t realised that the washing machine would turn off too, so this was interrupted, and would have to restart when we got back.

We went to Zorba’s Bakery one more time, and decided to get a Spanakopita which is a pastry containing feta and spinach. It’s the same as what Carmen had tried from Cafe Nero before. It was nicer than the feta-only option. We also got a doughnut each and headed back to eat our very light lunch.

We spent the majority of the afternoon sitting around the AirBNB, and catching up on the series 18 finale of Taskmaster. After it had gotten dark, we then headed out to Alasia for our evening meal. IT’s the furthest we’d walked for a meal all holiday, at around two kilometres. Carmen was a little surprised at how well my legs were coping post-marathon, but I think in truth the fact they’d done a lot of walking in the race had made a big difference to their recovery.

I was hungry when we reached the restaurant so was happy to have whatever sounded like a big traditional meal. Lamb and potatoes is surprisingly one of their common meals in Cyprus, so I went for that, and this came with a bowl of salad, and a plate of pita bread between us. Carmen had gone for the calamari, now daring to eat seafood now that the race was over. I tried a bite of it, and thought it tasted like a slightly rubbery cod. My lamb was slow cooked, and peeled straight off the bone, and there was no shortage of meat. Our meal came to €39 between us with a drink each, and a tip. It seemed quite reasonable for a traditional restaurant by the sea.

As we left the restaurant we realised it’d started raining whilst we’d been eating, and a thunderstorm was out to sea. We took our time moving from shelter to shelter, trying not to get too wet. Some people were walking around as if there was no torrential downpour, and some holding umbrellas as if they weren’t a danger in a thunderstorm.

Eventually we made it back to Finikoudes, and stopped by an arcade along Athinon Avenue where we played some basketball and air hockey. When we left there it’d stopped raining in time for our walk back to the AirBNB. We had our desserts from Thursday when we got back, and then relaxed for our final evening in Larnaca.