2019 City2Surf Race Report – Scott Alder
Race Date: August 11th Results: 2019
Pre-race
With lakemac half 2 weeks later and plenty of other races in the weeks and months before it, I’ve done little in the way of specific race prep for this event, save for taking it easy in the last couple of days before it. I did set myself some goals though.
- An improvement on my only other City2Surf run in 2014 with a time of 58:40.
- To finish in top 1000.
Three of us head down at 4 am, Gordon, area manager from work and Steven, another mate who is a very good runner himself in my age group. We arrive at Bondi Westfield to park at around 6 am, plenty of time to get to the start and gear drop. Wisely we all put jumpers or jackets in the gear drop so we don't freeze at the finish. Thankfully the tall buildings have blocked the wind, its cold but calm. Some cursory warming up and loo stops. With a bit over ½ an hour to go I drink my pre workout 101 and go straight to the Red Start area, working my way through the crowd to get as close to the start, its game on for me and I'm keen to do my best.
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Incredibly, as I get as close to the front as I can I hear my name called, right there are 3 more top people I've the privilege of knowing, Lee Williams, Matt Redman and Mark Byfield (from the Central Coast) We all shake hands and chat away, myself jumping up and down and running in place to continue warming up. Not too cold with all the body heat. They can tell I'm pumped and ready to run, Lee predicts I will do 54 to 55 mins, I think no way, not that quick.
Start time approaches, the Elite Wheelies are off, jumpers start flying through the air, I shed mine too, and beanie goes into my pocket, revealing my running kit which is Flyers singlet, and long compression tights and Altra Paradigm 4 shoes, and a belt to carry my phone. In the Garmin watch I have “race an activity” set up with my 2014 race, as I go it will tell me if I'm behind or ahead and by how much. We wish each other well.
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The Race
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Countdown then GO! It takes about half a minute to cross the start line as we slowly accelerate. Takes me about another minute to get up to 4 minute pace then beyond. Soon the cross city tunnel looms into view, as we pass under a bridge there’s a band on it playing, the bagpipes sound so crystal clear and loud. Yes this is the City 2 Surf, the biggest fun run on the planet. Watch shows I'm a few secs behind, but only early. Though the right tunnel is less crowded I elect to go left, finding come clear space along the side to open the throttle.
We shoot out the other side, on these short downhills I hit 3:30 pace, and now I'm ahead on the watch. I catch up to a fellow Flier, and shout “Go Flyer” as I pass. So much going on by the roadsides, bands, music , heaps of cheer squads, I take it in but it’s eyes front powering on, the watch showing I'm now piling on time ahead, 30 secs becomes a full minute, this spurs me to push even harder.
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I come up to Richard Palmer, we exchange greetings, and Richard shouts “Race line! Take the race line!” Though I was mostly doing so I make a conscious effort to do so, moving across the road to smooth out the turns, as Richard does the same.
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Finally Heartbreak arrives, confirmed with a timing line.
The pace slows, down to 4:30, I push harder to get that heart rate up, it stabilizes at 145 bpm, there are plenty of good hill climbers who do pass me even though the watch tells me that compared with 2014, I'm positively devouring time now. Only on one short section does the pace drop to 5 minute pace, then it’s back into the 4:45’s. Lots of cheer squads making the pain easier for all of us tackling the hill. Brilliant stuff. There's a nice lookout with a view of the Harbor Bridge, I take a good sideways look but needless to say I don't stop and take photos! |
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The top arrives heralded by another timing line. Heartbreak hurt more than in 2014 as I hit it hard, and it was trying to hit back. Onto a downhill and the pace reaches 3:20, but doesn't last long as more little hills come. We get out first good look at the ocean, watch says I'm more than 2 minutes ahead and with my improved downhill running it’s growing second by second.
I see another Flyer ahead, one of the super successful women's team who came first in the teams results. She’s powering along and it takes me a long while to finally catch up and pass on greetings and encouragement.
On the downhills I just love it, up to 3:20 pace and passing quite a few. More nice views of Bondi getting closer and closer. Watch time ahead now over 3 minutes! This is turning into something special for sure.
On the downhills I just love it, up to 3:20 pace and passing quite a few. More nice views of Bondi getting closer and closer. Watch time ahead now over 3 minutes! This is turning into something special for sure.
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We level out and are hit by gusty headwinds, pace slows to over 4 in parts, but not far now, less than a km, we take the 180 degree turn, and people are starting to sprint now as we all ramp up the effort, finally the final turn onto the finish straight. Now where is the actual finish?
Ahh there it is, and wow look at the timer, its displaying 54 something. Its 54:45, I think to myself “don't you click over to 55 till I reach you” and absolutely put the hammer down, nearly everyone else does too, timer shows 54:50, 54:55, all out sprint, 54:59 as I cross!
I pull up and know I've really pushed it in that finish dash as I sneeze twice, only ever do that if I've really pushed it hard. Almost straight away I meet my mate I came down with Steven Wells who just beat me in my age group. Lots of congrats and handshakes.
Ahh there it is, and wow look at the timer, its displaying 54 something. Its 54:45, I think to myself “don't you click over to 55 till I reach you” and absolutely put the hammer down, nearly everyone else does too, timer shows 54:50, 54:55, all out sprint, 54:59 as I cross!
I pull up and know I've really pushed it in that finish dash as I sneeze twice, only ever do that if I've really pushed it hard. Almost straight away I meet my mate I came down with Steven Wells who just beat me in my age group. Lots of congrats and handshakes.
There are plenty of Flyers about, and soon they assemble for group photos, now I’ve achieved the pinnacle of my running career, I’ve made the famous Post C2S Flyers Group Photo as I join the group.
Out with our phones as we all start uploading our runs. It’s there I get a shock, one goal I never bothered setting was running this event at sub 4 average pace, for me it couldn't be done, but there it was, and official result was 3:55!
We head over to the gear drop to get our jumpers as we feel the chill. I'm in a bit of a daze with no idea how I managed a result like that at the age of 54. I take my post run whey protein drink and jelly beans for simple sugars.
We meet Gordon who put in a super effort with a dodgy hammy that was taped up but he finishes okay. In a super credit to the race organizers the wait time for buses was next to nothing, with military precision the buses come in and pick us up bound for Bondi Junction. Most get on trains to head back to Sydney we head to the car to change, get wallets etc. then upstairs for brekky while we look up the official results, then homeward bound.
Reflection
Lee Williams pre-race prediction of me was so accurate it was scary, 54 to 55 mins, net time official was 54:32, almost dead center of his prediction:
- Goal of finishing in top 1000, actual rank 475.
- 50-59 age group rank 16 from 4062
Soon our social media is full of happy reports of people thoroughly enjoying the C2S, PB or not it’s a brilliant event, and a huge number of running clubs and groups were there. It’s a super well organized event, amazing for the near 80,000 people there. Its great reading through Strava and FB of people’s exploits in the run.
Thanks to all the fantastic running groups and clubs, to Gordon and Steve who provided me great transport and company there, and to all the other great people I know in the running community. Well done everyone.
