conquering my first Marathon

1- the Soweto Marathon, Soweto, South Africa,2 November 2014

“The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” 

I will never forget the above words (by ― John Bingham, No Need for Speed: A Beginner's Guide to the Joy of Running) stuck on a big board as I was struggling going up one of the last few hills on the Soweto Marathon, 2014 route. I had been walking for about 3 kilometers. I had nothing left in the fuel tank. I had started believing the legend around the Marathon distance. Legend has it that the first man ever to run the Marathon distance, Pheidippides, ran about 26 miles from Marathon to Athens to deliver a message of the Athenian army’s victory over the Persians. He arrived in Athens, shouted “Nenikikamen” (“Rejoice we conquer”) and collapsed and died (https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/Legendary-Runner-of-Marathon-Pheidippides)

I had sprinted the earlier downhill parts of the race. I was completely out of it and believed I was on the verge of my Pheidippides moment. However, the big board screamed right into my face, heart, veins, legs, head, every part of my body. I do not know where I got the energy, but boy I gave it one last push and it was a strong push. It was a big push. I crossed the finish line after 4h19 of pavement pounding. 

My live Runtastic tracking on the internet had stopped around 38 kilometers. Agatha was tracking my journey on the internet. She later told me that she had seen my pace drop drastically after 30 kilometers. When the live tracking went off, she was worried that I had conked out. Little did she know that in the running circles, it is mind over body. The body will do whatever the mind says can be done.

My buildup to the Soweto Marathon had started about a week earlier. I could not contain the mixed feelings (excitement and anxiety). All I talked about during the week was running my first ever marathon. I boasted about the many half marathons I had completed in past few months. I explained my plan to anyone who cared to listen. The plan was simply to go out there and cross the finish line alive. Many told me of how challenging the Soweto Marathon was, but I did not care. I had challenged myself to complete a marathon and wanted to complete this one in less than four hours.

I was at the race venue by 03:30 am. I was very early and had to drive around asking security guards if I was in the right place. I think there were less than a dozen cars in the parking when I eventually found the parking. I had read all sorts of horror stories about parking problems at the race. I had 42.195 kilometers to worry about. I was not going to add parking issues to my problems. Therefore, I was there super early and ready to go. I had to wait patiently and watch the parking fill up until 05:30 am when I left my car for the start line.

Later that the day, I documented my mind over body moment on Facebook. As you know, if it is not on Facebook, it did not happen!!!

This is what I had to say on Facebook:

“I set my mind on completing my first ever marathon (42.2km) this year, and today I did it. I did not finish below the 4hrs (finished in 4h19min) I had targeted. But I am proud of it. The history books will show that on this the 2nd day of November 2014 Farai Razano completed his first marathon and qualified for the Comrades Marathon 2015. I did not get a sub 4hr finish, but I gave it all. I tried and I think I succeeded. For, the only real failure in life, is the failure to try. — at SOWETO MARATHON.”

That was it. I had the courage to start and my long social running career had started. At that point, completing the iconic Comrades Marathon (“The Big C”) was the goal. But as they say, “the high you go, the higher you shift your horizon”