This was my seventh half marathon, but the first one I’ve repeated, and there were good reasons for that. Not only did I need a training race for my first full marathon later this year, but Run Melbourne is also very well organised, with a scenic course that passes many of Melbourne’s iconic landmarks. It’s a very popular running event for a reason!
This time, I achieved a new personal best with an official finish time of 2:11:58. I ranked 2631 out of 4493 in the female half marathon category. It may not be an outstanding result, but I’m proud that I’ve improved with almost every half marathon I’ve run.
A few photos from the race:
I love to run as light as possible, so I didn’t carry my phone and just let the professional photographers do their job!
The full photo package costs $60, but there’s a 20% discount if you purchase it on race day, making it $48. I think it’s worth it. They might not be the prettiest photos (messy hair, sweaty, and completely exhausted), but they capture something more meaningful – determination. These are real moments and fun memories to look back on.
As usual, I signed up for Wave D which was the last wave, as I’m a slower runner. My race started at 7:15am.
On race day, I woke up just after 4am. The train only comes every hour, and if there were any issues, I could miss the race. But if I caught the earlier train, I would arrive too early and end up waiting in the freezing cold. I decided to take the risk and hoped everything would run on time. The moment I saw the train filled with runners, I felt relieved. We were all heading to the same place.
The first thing I did after arriving was find the 2:10 pacer, as I was hoping to finish the race within that time.
I managed to stay with the pacer until around the 17~18km mark, but eventually I couldn’t keep up. I watched the pacer slowly disappear into the distance and I was eventually 2 minutes behind, crossing the finish line in 2:11:58 instead.
Although I didn’t reach my initial goal, I’m proud that I never gave up. There was one hill where I came so close to walking. It felt endless and completely drained my legs.
Once I stopped chasing the pacer and focused on running at my own pace, everything felt much better. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is run your own race.
I must say, the city views were really nice. Passing by some of Melbourne’s iconic landmarks, including Flinders Street Station, Federation Square, the Yarra River, and the MCG, made the experience even more special. It’s a blessing to be able to complete a race in such a beautiful city.
The biggest challenge was the cold weather. I was freezing at the beginning of the race before my body warmed up. In addition, I was dealing with chilblains on the fingers of my right hand, and they were so painful during the run.
Another challenge was the crowd. I found it very packed, especially when I was running closely behind the pacer. With so many people around, it sometimes felt like there wasn’t enough space to run comfortably. I’m not sure whether it was because there were more participants this year or because I was slightly faster than last time and hence running among a bigger group of runners.
Just like my previous races, Ben was waiting for me at the finish line. 🥰 How lucky am I.
Last push to the finish line
Received my finisher’s medal
My medal and race bib
Initially, we planned to have brunch at D1 Hong Kong Cafe in Melbourne Central. However, after searching for a while, it looked like the cafe had closed, which was a little disappointing.
We ended up eating at the food court instead. Ben had a burger and fries from Oporto, while I went for nasi lemak with fried chicken from Marry Brown. 😋 I deserved all these calories after burning more than a thousand calories during the race!
Rewarding myself with nasi lemak with fried chicken at Marry Brown
I think this half marathon is a great choice for first-time half marathon runners. Most of the course is quite flat, with water stations available every few kilometres to help runners stay hydrated. The scenic views along the route also make the whole experience more enjoyable.
I was completely exhausted after the race. It’s hard to believe that my first full marathon is less than three months away. This race was a good reminder that I need to train harder!
