BERGEN MARATHON (29.04.23)
I'd been looking forward to visiting Norway since I started running in 2015. As they weren't in the EU I knew I was always going to leave that visit for a good while but the opportunity to run in Bergen and visit the scientists working on ME trials at Haukeland Hospital was too good to refuse. Before I set off for Norway I was lucky to be featured on 2 podcasts about my running, one with Running Tales and one with the Norwegian ME Association. I also managed to interview 2 people with ME living in Norway; Kristine Nilsen Oma and Luna Anette -here's what they told me.
I landed in Bergen on the Thursday afternoon (race start Saturday 8am) and was lucky to get some sunshine to explore Bryggen and the harbour area. I took the light rail to Haukeland and had a sandwich and an hour's chat with Profs Mella, Fluge, Elme, Tronstad and Dyrstad. They told me about a very small pilot study that they're working on with a cancer drug that is showing promise, just funding required to scale it up and see if it works. From there I took the cable car to the top of Mount Ulriken and had a hot chocolate and Skillingsboller (Norwegian cinammon roll) as it snowed outside, absolutely breathtaking views of Bergen and nearby fjords.
After I had got back to the hotel I felt pretty shattered and my glands were up. I barely had enough energy to go out to get dinner and started feeling pretty rough. A feverish, sleepless night followed and when I eventually woke up to force down 2 bananas and some pastries I had a throbbing headache and couldn't stop sweating. I trundled over to the start through driving rain without an old jumper or coat and tried to wake up my fingers. I had a quick call with Cat and Lucy at home but couldn't really hear them over the on-stage warm-up next to the start line. Only 300 marathon runners or so, it felt like a small race and there was some decent support at the start despite the nasty conditions.
Start
After withstanding some serious shivering the race got started at 8am as the rain briefly stopped. Runing away from the centre and stunning Bryggen area with its colourful wooden facades the course passed through Beffen Bradbenken, a ferry point followed by the working dockyard. The crowd was fairly bunched up but there was soon space to get into a rhythm as the course entered the first 2 flat miles before the inclines began. There was some light snow flurries as the route weaved about on Bontelabo street before beginning to climb just aft Sandviksveien through Gamle Bergen; an open-air museum consisting of 50 houses around a town square, pretty cool. I grabbed a half-filled cup of water at an aid station here and started to attack the first hill which was a switch-back at Nyhavnsveien with another one just below the psychiatric clinic. A brass band hiding under a marquee accompanied a pretty steep climb that I knew I wouldn't look forward to later on lap 2, it just went on and on and I could now see the sea and docks of Bergen from above. Despite the fact it was 2c I started to feel quite hot in my own head, whatever virus/illness my body was fighting, it was not appreciating the quickened breaths on the hills. I was the only one I could see in just a t-shirt and shorts, perhaps a mistake as my body was working hard to keep warm and deal with the endurance but nothing I could do now, at least my fingers were waking up a bit!
After another corner the course joined Fjellveien which was a really pretty tree-lined path that felt more trail than road and there was some scattered support from people outside their houses shouting 'hei hei' (hello I think). Fjellveien is a 4km trail popular with hikers that skirts Mount Floyen and there were a few people out and about now that the snowy rain had stopped cheering the runners through. More elevation along the path and the rain was back but I knew we were near the highest point and there would be some decent downill towards Haukeland. Fjellveien gave way to tidy suburbs and things quickened up as the downhills brought relief and I felt strong. Some more twisty cornering before running through the garden yard of Sosterhjemmet and another aid station where I grabbed some banana pieces and dark chocolate. I ran around the front of Haukeland hospital and past the graveyard, up another small hill where there was some enthusiastic marshalling before another drop towards the Kronstad district on the western side of the city. Skirting Store Lungegårdsvannet, a giant (disappointingly non-picturesque) lake it got pretty windy as we ran in a cycle lane up to a traffic cone switchback at the massive swimming pool ADO Arena. About 10 miles done in 1hr 30, not too bad given the climb and my fragile head but I knew I was in for a tough day as more cold driving rain arrived.
Middle
I grabbed more water and chocolate at Nonnekloppen bridge and rang out my sodden headband, it was kind of working but maybe today it just made my head feel heavier! Running under a bridge I had to vault over some massive puddles before a quick lap of a smart looking marina and a thumbs up from the policemen by the park at Nygårdsparken. The track climbed back onto a residential street before dropping down towards through the port area which was a pretty boring section with no crowds and lots of car parks. Over a little footbridge near Nostegaten there were some girls doing acrobatics before the course re-joined the road. The right-hand turn at Munkebekksmauet made me laugh out-loud as it was a very sharp incline up a cobbled street, I dropped down to a walk alongside everyone around me. Now outside my hotel on the 12th mile it was pretty tempting to run in and hide! The path went up again before reaching a school, another water station and then the really nice downhill lap of the peninsula that I'd seen for the sunset on Thursday at Nordnesparken. Up again and then straight down what felt like an endless mile down Strandgaten with all its shops and bars before curving around the harbour to the start/finish line.
I saw Linda in the crowd cheering my name as the 300 or so marathon runners were sent off onto the pavement as the masses of the half marathon race were on the start line waiting to start their race. I nervously kept looking back at them, fully expecting the leaders to accelerate and potentially push through the 20 or so marathon runners that I had around me. They set off and I moved over to the far right hand side so as not to get swept up/hurt and the second lap began. No rain at the start of this lap and the legs felt OK, hips a little tight but everything working fine. Back through the harbour bit and up on to Fjellveien and all the elevation, I got to about 15 miles and felt a bit sick so stopped for a bit and walked whilst I tried to calm my mind. After a few minutes I got back up to a jog, threw some water over my head and changed up the playlist to my 80's classics. Having got around the half marathon in around 2 hrs I didn't feel like I had the energy to repeat that time and I'd instead just try to get around in one piece. There were quite a few (recently started) half marathon runners down to a walk up the hills which I found a bit distracting, it definitely influenced me a fair bit to drop to a walk/run.
End
Downhill towards the hospital once more and it started hammering it down again and there was loads of water flowing down the street! I got to about 19 miles and leg parts were starting to hurt; mostly my problematic right hip and right calf. Past the graveyard and I started adopting Paula Radcliffe's strategy of counting to 100 and starting again (it works trust me). I started trying to calculate potential finish times and think about what I'd be ordering for dinner later and trudged on. As the course returned back to the Arstad borough of the city I was running for 2 songs then walking for 2 minutes and still getting 11 minute average miles which wasn't too disgraceful. It stopped raining with about 3 miles to go and there was a little bit of sunshine (still around 5-6c), a few more people were out on the course cheering on the finishers and I started to do battle with a few other runners around me as we overtook each other regularly.
Once more through the marina and docks I felt pretty done, down to a slow jog and trying to distract my brain from wanting to walk. It was pretty windy and I didn't feel like I was getting anywhere but it was nice to get another look across the water at Nordnesparken. Strandgaten took an eternity again and there were a lot of finished runners walking back in the opposite direction and it gave me a little lift to see the medal I'd be getting shortly. Just 300 metres left and I just decided to push it and try to run fast, I had a tiny bit left in the tank. The crowd at Bryggen were pretty great and there were more 'hei hei's' as I picked up the pace and sprinted towards the line. I didn't have much left to do anything other than clench my fist and stop my watch as I picked up the medal and a bottle of water. I was delighted to have got it done in such rotten weather, feeling well below par and with elevation 3-4 times greater than my usual city races. I met Linda and Martine in the Brian Boru Irish pub around the corner, amazing to have supporters there cheering me on. That one was for Ane, Katrine and Luna Anette along with the people of Norway with ME.
Weather
4 seasons in one day. Heavy rain at the start, 2c followed by hail, light snow, regular downpours and the occasional peek of sunshine. Didn't climb above 4-5c all day.
Ratings
Course: 7/10 - A tough one to score. The 3 miles of hills at the start were very challenging but beautiful.
Expo: 4/10 - The Vikingshallen was a town hall with a handful of running gear stands but no real buzz or variety.
Support: 6/10 - Decent at the start/finish and occasional in the built up areas but largely not many people around, the harsh weather no doubt a big factor!
Refreshments: 7/10 - Well spaced and frequent, cardboard cups of water, sports drink, banana pieces, dark chocolate. Well organised.
Goodie Bag: 7/10 - Really nice training t-shirt, handful of leaflets, nice big orange drawstring bag.
Medal & Pics: 8/10 - Nice turquoise ribbon and intricate city-scape of Bergen on the medal. Speedy photos, c£7 each.
Time Completed: 5 hrs 07 mins, run info here.
I landed in Bergen on the Thursday afternoon (race start Saturday 8am) and was lucky to get some sunshine to explore Bryggen and the harbour area. I took the light rail to Haukeland and had a sandwich and an hour's chat with Profs Mella, Fluge, Elme, Tronstad and Dyrstad. They told me about a very small pilot study that they're working on with a cancer drug that is showing promise, just funding required to scale it up and see if it works. From there I took the cable car to the top of Mount Ulriken and had a hot chocolate and Skillingsboller (Norwegian cinammon roll) as it snowed outside, absolutely breathtaking views of Bergen and nearby fjords.
After I had got back to the hotel I felt pretty shattered and my glands were up. I barely had enough energy to go out to get dinner and started feeling pretty rough. A feverish, sleepless night followed and when I eventually woke up to force down 2 bananas and some pastries I had a throbbing headache and couldn't stop sweating. I trundled over to the start through driving rain without an old jumper or coat and tried to wake up my fingers. I had a quick call with Cat and Lucy at home but couldn't really hear them over the on-stage warm-up next to the start line. Only 300 marathon runners or so, it felt like a small race and there was some decent support at the start despite the nasty conditions.
Start
After withstanding some serious shivering the race got started at 8am as the rain briefly stopped. Runing away from the centre and stunning Bryggen area with its colourful wooden facades the course passed through Beffen Bradbenken, a ferry point followed by the working dockyard. The crowd was fairly bunched up but there was soon space to get into a rhythm as the course entered the first 2 flat miles before the inclines began. There was some light snow flurries as the route weaved about on Bontelabo street before beginning to climb just aft Sandviksveien through Gamle Bergen; an open-air museum consisting of 50 houses around a town square, pretty cool. I grabbed a half-filled cup of water at an aid station here and started to attack the first hill which was a switch-back at Nyhavnsveien with another one just below the psychiatric clinic. A brass band hiding under a marquee accompanied a pretty steep climb that I knew I wouldn't look forward to later on lap 2, it just went on and on and I could now see the sea and docks of Bergen from above. Despite the fact it was 2c I started to feel quite hot in my own head, whatever virus/illness my body was fighting, it was not appreciating the quickened breaths on the hills. I was the only one I could see in just a t-shirt and shorts, perhaps a mistake as my body was working hard to keep warm and deal with the endurance but nothing I could do now, at least my fingers were waking up a bit!
After another corner the course joined Fjellveien which was a really pretty tree-lined path that felt more trail than road and there was some scattered support from people outside their houses shouting 'hei hei' (hello I think). Fjellveien is a 4km trail popular with hikers that skirts Mount Floyen and there were a few people out and about now that the snowy rain had stopped cheering the runners through. More elevation along the path and the rain was back but I knew we were near the highest point and there would be some decent downill towards Haukeland. Fjellveien gave way to tidy suburbs and things quickened up as the downhills brought relief and I felt strong. Some more twisty cornering before running through the garden yard of Sosterhjemmet and another aid station where I grabbed some banana pieces and dark chocolate. I ran around the front of Haukeland hospital and past the graveyard, up another small hill where there was some enthusiastic marshalling before another drop towards the Kronstad district on the western side of the city. Skirting Store Lungegårdsvannet, a giant (disappointingly non-picturesque) lake it got pretty windy as we ran in a cycle lane up to a traffic cone switchback at the massive swimming pool ADO Arena. About 10 miles done in 1hr 30, not too bad given the climb and my fragile head but I knew I was in for a tough day as more cold driving rain arrived.
Middle
I grabbed more water and chocolate at Nonnekloppen bridge and rang out my sodden headband, it was kind of working but maybe today it just made my head feel heavier! Running under a bridge I had to vault over some massive puddles before a quick lap of a smart looking marina and a thumbs up from the policemen by the park at Nygårdsparken. The track climbed back onto a residential street before dropping down towards through the port area which was a pretty boring section with no crowds and lots of car parks. Over a little footbridge near Nostegaten there were some girls doing acrobatics before the course re-joined the road. The right-hand turn at Munkebekksmauet made me laugh out-loud as it was a very sharp incline up a cobbled street, I dropped down to a walk alongside everyone around me. Now outside my hotel on the 12th mile it was pretty tempting to run in and hide! The path went up again before reaching a school, another water station and then the really nice downhill lap of the peninsula that I'd seen for the sunset on Thursday at Nordnesparken. Up again and then straight down what felt like an endless mile down Strandgaten with all its shops and bars before curving around the harbour to the start/finish line.
I saw Linda in the crowd cheering my name as the 300 or so marathon runners were sent off onto the pavement as the masses of the half marathon race were on the start line waiting to start their race. I nervously kept looking back at them, fully expecting the leaders to accelerate and potentially push through the 20 or so marathon runners that I had around me. They set off and I moved over to the far right hand side so as not to get swept up/hurt and the second lap began. No rain at the start of this lap and the legs felt OK, hips a little tight but everything working fine. Back through the harbour bit and up on to Fjellveien and all the elevation, I got to about 15 miles and felt a bit sick so stopped for a bit and walked whilst I tried to calm my mind. After a few minutes I got back up to a jog, threw some water over my head and changed up the playlist to my 80's classics. Having got around the half marathon in around 2 hrs I didn't feel like I had the energy to repeat that time and I'd instead just try to get around in one piece. There were quite a few (recently started) half marathon runners down to a walk up the hills which I found a bit distracting, it definitely influenced me a fair bit to drop to a walk/run.
End
Downhill towards the hospital once more and it started hammering it down again and there was loads of water flowing down the street! I got to about 19 miles and leg parts were starting to hurt; mostly my problematic right hip and right calf. Past the graveyard and I started adopting Paula Radcliffe's strategy of counting to 100 and starting again (it works trust me). I started trying to calculate potential finish times and think about what I'd be ordering for dinner later and trudged on. As the course returned back to the Arstad borough of the city I was running for 2 songs then walking for 2 minutes and still getting 11 minute average miles which wasn't too disgraceful. It stopped raining with about 3 miles to go and there was a little bit of sunshine (still around 5-6c), a few more people were out on the course cheering on the finishers and I started to do battle with a few other runners around me as we overtook each other regularly.
Once more through the marina and docks I felt pretty done, down to a slow jog and trying to distract my brain from wanting to walk. It was pretty windy and I didn't feel like I was getting anywhere but it was nice to get another look across the water at Nordnesparken. Strandgaten took an eternity again and there were a lot of finished runners walking back in the opposite direction and it gave me a little lift to see the medal I'd be getting shortly. Just 300 metres left and I just decided to push it and try to run fast, I had a tiny bit left in the tank. The crowd at Bryggen were pretty great and there were more 'hei hei's' as I picked up the pace and sprinted towards the line. I didn't have much left to do anything other than clench my fist and stop my watch as I picked up the medal and a bottle of water. I was delighted to have got it done in such rotten weather, feeling well below par and with elevation 3-4 times greater than my usual city races. I met Linda and Martine in the Brian Boru Irish pub around the corner, amazing to have supporters there cheering me on. That one was for Ane, Katrine and Luna Anette along with the people of Norway with ME.
Weather
4 seasons in one day. Heavy rain at the start, 2c followed by hail, light snow, regular downpours and the occasional peek of sunshine. Didn't climb above 4-5c all day.
Ratings
Course: 7/10 - A tough one to score. The 3 miles of hills at the start were very challenging but beautiful.
Expo: 4/10 - The Vikingshallen was a town hall with a handful of running gear stands but no real buzz or variety.
Support: 6/10 - Decent at the start/finish and occasional in the built up areas but largely not many people around, the harsh weather no doubt a big factor!
Refreshments: 7/10 - Well spaced and frequent, cardboard cups of water, sports drink, banana pieces, dark chocolate. Well organised.
Goodie Bag: 7/10 - Really nice training t-shirt, handful of leaflets, nice big orange drawstring bag.
Medal & Pics: 8/10 - Nice turquoise ribbon and intricate city-scape of Bergen on the medal. Speedy photos, c£7 each.
Time Completed: 5 hrs 07 mins, run info here.