Newcastle Town Moor Marathon

[2-Nov-2014]

Newcastle held its marathon on the 2nd November. Located on the town moor, as you would guess it’s usually windy! It was again this year, but I doubt whether you get it any better in that location in November. It was dry though.

This is organised by the North East Marathon Club, whose illustrious committee includes our own Davina Lonsdale, who is rapidly approaching her 50th (marathon that is!). As with all North East Marathon club events its low cost and low frills. However this doesn’t mean you don’t get the usual facilities if not more than the normal.

It was £ 15 to NEMC members (which costs about £ 8 a year), I think £ 18 to non members, for that you got dry warm indoor changing, a free massage, free tea, coffee, crisps and chocolate (the later being of great interest to the Miss Lonsdale’s and Lemins of the club), a finishers medal and 20 water stations, all with jelly babies and sweets. You could place your own drinks here too if you wished. Real elite runners stuff!!!.

Off you go for 5 laps on mainly tarmac or fine grit paths. It’s flat except for a long drag uphill on grass each lap, which feels harder and harder each lap. It’s not a straight lap either, with plenty of turning in different directions. As it’s on the moor its always breezy, it was again but no more than you should expect. It should be a Pb course if it wasn’t for the turns and windy conditions each year.

As it’s good underfoot I went for road shoes, I’m in between racing flats so it was my Saucony Jazz 13 s, a model you cannot get anymore as Saucony switched to a lower profile shoe in later versions. I set off with Julie Lemin, Natalie Henderson, Adele and Davina Lonsdale. Davina had just done the Castles Marathon the week before with Kielder and Palma in the two weeks before that. Adele probably had been off doing warm weather training in Hong Kong Id guess!!! A much more sensible idea.

Our Dave Kitching helped on the day, marshalling on a cold windy day is never nice for anyone, but it was good to see him each lap. In my case I started off briskly, but faded on the last lap in the main. But overall all things considered it wasn’t bad. I certainly enjoyed it, but was looking forward to Las Vegas on the last lap!.

At the end I was awarded the North East Vets marathon winning medal. (You have got to be in it to win it as they say!) which was a nice surprise. Certainly made up for the fact that the fast lads had ate all the ready salted crisps and left either beef or chicken only at the end. All the ladies had a fab run though, Natalie was after myself then the knitting club came in together.

Susanne Hunter was first over 45 lady and received a very nice glass trophy, nice one after her Castles and Kielder marathons in the two weeks before.

Overall a great event, certainly value for money. I'll ask Davina for more chocolate and ready salted crisps next time though.

Regards all

Iain