Paris Marathon

News and piccies in from Tony and Kathie Gates who took part in last weekend's Paris Marathon.

"It was a great weekend. We arrived in Paris in the early afternoon of Friday and went straight to the Expo, picked up our numbers and bought a couple of t shirts. Then it was onto the Hotel which was 200 yds from the Arc de Triomphe (close eyes and drive for the gap time!). Booked in and a quick tour of local area - great evening meal.



On Saturday it was up for breakfast and we did all the tourist bits - the Tower, tour bus etc then back to the hotel and a Pasta meal.

On Sunday we were at the Arc for 8 o'clock with crowds gathering (met some runners from Bournemouth). The weather was really hot. The race starts and we get to the line by 9 am (so much rubbish left at start - T Shirts bottles etc). The sites are fantastic. When we got to the nine mile stage the drink stations had run out of water (people searching the ground for any half full bottles). The French fire brigade were hosing runners down to keep them cool and I managed to get some water from a tap at the side of the road. (Us brits can push as hard as the French if we try). Water bottles reappeared after the 21 mile stage by now ambulances were giving oxygen to runners all along the route. Anyway I finished in 5hr 19m and Kathie in 5hr 36m. Back to hotel and out on the town for a cruise on the Seine and up the tower back to the arc for evening meal.



On Monday after breakfast we packed up and left Paris at 10.30 and on to Calais to stock up with wine and champange and then home by 5pm.

A really fantastic weekend"



Thanks for the report Tony and this WebEd is glad to hear from you. I was in Paris at the weekend and was aware that there had been at least one and possibly two fatalities on the route (strangely enough no reports in the press!!) but didn't want to dwell on this until we'd heard you'd both got round safe and sound! Chairman Albert and Sara have experience of this event and have also seen problems with water before - when will these guys ever learn??

Marathon fever

WebEd has been globetrotting in Paris, Frankfurt and Birmingham (you wouldn't believe the problems I've had with making myself understood! And, to think, it's only 150 miles up the M40/M42!).

My apologies for the delay in posting congrats to those who took part in the Rotterdam and Paris Marathons. The weather took the headlines for all the wrong reasons in both cities with a couple of fatalities reported in Paris where runners had to endure 28 degree heat. No news yet from Tony and Kathie - so if you're reading you two, let us have your race report and a couple of piccies! Tony finished in 5.19.18; Kathie in 5.36.13 - and in those temperatures that took some doing!

In Rotterdam, organisers had to halt the race by advising runners to walk to the finish - once again, the heat was the problem. Peter finished in 3.52.25 - read Peter's race report above.

And so to this weekend and to those who are taking part in the marathon, make sure you're hydrated, carbo loaded, fit, rested and raring to go!

Ladies Captain Rachel Davies writes:

"I hope that the training and carb-loading are going well. If I see another bit of pasta ........!!!!!

The big day can be very daunting for runners and gruelling for the supporters who run around London hoping to catch a glimpse of someone they know, so I think that we will all deserve a drink at the end!

If you fancy a post marathon drink or cup of tea, you'll find a few Waddies propping up the bar and nursing smelly, blistered feet in the "All Bar One" in Leicester Square. (More details here)

Good luck to everyone!

See you on the train (if I seem a bit quiet, I'm not being rude - it's because I'll be refuelling on cake!) or in the bar.

Rachel xox