Singapore, 4.30am

It is always hot and steamy in Singapore, even at night, and I should have known better, I’ve been there many times before. On the marathon morning I started sweating as soon as I left my air-conditioned hotel lobby at 3.30 am to walk to the start line.

I don’t like to hurry and stress before races and always wake up about 2.5 hours before. This gives me enough time to eat some proper breakfast, dress up and check all the things I have to take about a hundred times. That’s why in Singapore I had to wake up at 2am. Haha, my husband was joking that maybe I shouldn’t go to sleep at all. He was almost right... I was so excited I could barely sleep and got up at 1.30 am!

Marathon start was scheduled from 4.30 am in 6 pens A to G sent in 5 waves separated between 5 to 20 min one after another. I was starting in a second wave in pen C. Yes, I have totally overestimated my abilities of running in the heat.

Marathon start line on Orchard Road looks absolutely magical this time of year. Christmas decorations and fairy lights are everywhere, even above the street. And than it’s you, in the heat, with thousands of other sweaty people trying to put on a brave face. Don’t even think about what’s coming, just enjoy the moment.

Before you know it the gun goes off, then you wait for your wave to start and... run. First through the dark and empty city. No crowds cheering up, only volunteers standing on the side showing you directions. It’s quiet, you can hear rhythmic tapping of runners’ steps. At 5km you reach Marina Blvd and catch a glimpse of Marina Bay Sands, than a few turns around Gardens by the Bay on open, empty roads. More turns and a bridge to Marina Golf Course. It’s dark, really dark, just a few additional lamps put up by the organisers are not enough to light up the course, but everybody is alright somehow. Soon you reach East Coast Park, 12, 13 and 14 km... and first signs of the sunrise. Now the heat is really starting to get you. At 15 km you see that amazing group of elite runners passing in the opposite direction... ‘OMG!’ you think, ‘they are already on 31km, how is it even possible’.

The sun in coming up... the heat... exhaustion... runners around you are starting to take walk breaks. It is so good that water stations are every 1.5 - 2km now, you can pour water all over you body, and on your head... anything to cool down. It’s harder and harder, until 33km you just run on a narrow footpath through East Coast Park, almost to the Changi airport and back to the city. Then wide, open streets again, in the full sun. Legs are heavy, water doesn’t cool any more... ‘How on earth I can be so slow?’ you think. ‘Just don’t give up! Don’t give up! You can do it! Just one more step!’ keep repeating like mantra in your head.

After hours of trying to convince myself that I am not going to lie down now and no, I am not going to quit, finally a sharp turn and 41km marker. ‘Yes, I can do it! I can finish this horrible, horrible race!’ I say to myself, and with the very last bits of energy I charge to the finish line. Never, ever happier and prouder of myself. I totally rock!

At the finish line it is all waiting for you; water, bananas, finisher’s t-shirt and a huge medal, as big as your proud ego.
‘I am never going to run another marathon again’ I say.
...until just a few minutes later, when I check the results and realise just how long it took me to finish.
‘I swear, I’m coming back next year to show this Singapore what I’m really made of!’

See you next time!