Steve Haywood Health & Fitness

On the 16th October 2011 I ran my first international race after 47 years of running. A group of runners from Otley and Wetherby AC had done this race before and enjoyed the whole experience so my wife and I decided to join them on last year’s trip. Like a lot of big marathons you could do the 10k, half or full marathon and not being at my fittest (recognise the runners excuse) I opted for the 10k. On the short hop to Palma we were joined on the jet by a large team from Valley Striders which started the racing atmosphere going.

After dumping our cases at the hotel we went down to the start of the race on Saturday afternoon to register and get our numbers, chip etc. The start and finish is very close to the imposing Palma Cathedral on the seafront and already the atmosphere was building for the following day. We were all carrying our yellow bags around Palma like a badge saying “look at us we are real athletes”. Well at least I am admitting to posing, why not?

Race day arrived and some of us decided to taxi it to the start as the buses can be rather full. Eventually we were called to the start and loosely penned up according to ability etc, the music was getting ever more inspirational and then we were off. The 10k is very flat, more or less out and back along Palma harbour on the dual carriageway, the half and full marathon split after nearly 10k and go into the city and through the old town along narrow streets and the full marathon goes up the coast and back along as close to the sea as you can get. The weather was clear and sunny last year so we were fortunate as it can be variable at that time of year in Mallorca.

I really enjoyed the 10k despite being out sprinted by a man running backwards and I finished 14th male in the M55 category in 53.02 which was as much as I could do, so job done. The 10k lot then got their stuff together and we went on to cheer the lads and lasses doing the full and half races.

Later at the hotel there was the all night post mortem which was very favourable both individually and collectively and despite one or two little criticisms of the race was a definite thumbs up for the TUI Marathon and its organisers. My wife is not a runner but she also enjoyed the whole build up and race day and there is a distinct possibility that we will be back in 2012, I can heartily recommend it.