Marathon 7 - Sydney
We’d survived Singapore. The one we’d all been fearing for months because of the conditions. The final run now in Sydney would surely be a happy and enjoyable occasion.
As we touched down on Australian tarmac (our final and 9th flight in 7 days) the captain announced it was 36ºC outside. Errr…. how what please? Being hit by the heat getting into a taxi at the airport was like being punched by a 20 foot tall Mike Tyson. It hurt the whole body. It left you stunned and confused and afraid of what was coming next. This was not going to be the relative walk in the park we’d built up in our minds.
The start line was in Centennial Park in downtown Sydney. Once again the crowds were out but this time there was something different about it. As with spectators from the days before, the same encouragement and curiosity as to how we were holding up were there but today there was an unspoken excitement that soon it’d all be over. For 5 of us anyway. Dan had missed his London marathon due to incapacitating pain from an ankle injury but he was back. And this being his 6th marathon, he intended on running one more tomorrow to complete his 777 Challenge.
Amongst the supporters was our main sponsor 1Above who’d helped keep us properly hydrated through this mission and the inspirational John McLean who having lost use of both his legs in an accident 25 years ago was once again walking and planned to walk the final few hundred meters with us. The set up was perfect. We just needed to repeat what we’d done every day for the past 6 days and successfully complete our Adventure. But that was easier said than done.
We sweated and plodded and pushed through the heat. Small injuries from the week accumulated into debilitating pain. Nobody was going to escape the hardship of Sydney. Time seemed to tick slower than ever before, as did the passing of kilometres run. And the hilly sight-seeing journey down to the iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge was perhaps a little ambitious. Was this thing ever going to end?
Taking inspiration and motivation from our supporters, from what we’d already achieved and probably most importantly from each other, the picture of the blurry 777 finish line in our minds finally started to become more and more clear. We’ll all tell different stories of what we were thinking and concentrating on as we ran those last kilometres but needless to say emotions were running high.
Tears of joy. Tears of pain. Tears of relief.
It was done. (Or was it? Dan?)
Results:
Dan Honour: 3hr38
Rob Bell: 3hr39
Ben Goodburn: 4hr05
Gareth Williams: 4hr16
Steve Vials (Road Captain): 5hr05
Pete Bocquet: 6hr06
Addendum
Still well within 7 days, Dan ran his final marathon the morning after the rest of the team were done. For the most part, it was a lonely affair. No one to run with. No spectators cheering. The only saving grace was the weather which took a major turn over night. Going from a humid 37 degrees to an almost chilly 21 degrees with wind and rain was the stroke of luck needed to get through this.
And so, 16 hours later, Dan also became part of the “777 Club”
Result: 3hr32
