Run Melbourne is a very popular event with over 20,000 runners each year. The route is mostly flat with the options for 5km, 10km and 21.1km. I think it is especially great for someone new to Melbourne as you can enjoy the iconic city view and head past some of Melbourne’s most famous landmarks.

I completed a half marathon (21.1km) here on 16-Jul-2023. It was a big achievement for me as I have not run a half marathon for 6 years… and I made my personal best this time! My official time was 2:20:14 which was 11 minutes faster than my previous best record.

 

On the race day

There were multiple train disruptions on that weekend, and luckily Ben drove me to another train station. My race started at 7.30am but I had to leave home at 5.30am to catch the only train. I reached there at about 7am.

Due to the large number of runners, we had to choose our starting time (Wave A to D) when signing up for the race. I started at the last wave and stood as behind as possible, because I knew I was slow like a turtle and did not want to block other runners. 🤣 It felt good to run past quite some people along the way though.

Tip: if you do not like to run with a jacket, then wear an unwanted jacket and just hang it on the fence when the race starts – the organiser will donate all those clothes to the charity. It was really cold in the morning and many people did this including myself.

When I was running I liked to listen to music and also had the workout app opened so I knew my speed, but my Apple watch battery ran out at about 17km which was a bit disappointing as it was 100% battery when I left home.

I was ranked 1824 in the half marathon females category (out of 2310). Though I was slow but if I could beat myself a little bit each time then I would be very happy.

 

Nike Vaporfly 3 – cheating?

This pair of shoes cost AU$330 which is very expensive for me! I bought it following the recommendation of a colleague and watching this YouTube video and reading a lot of reviews.

This is my first professional long-distance running shoes and I have been in love with it since! Not only does it improve my speed, but it also reduces pressure on my foot (with the thick cushion) and hopefully can prevent injuries.

But, these Nike Vaporfly shoes are controversial. Some said they should be banned from competition because the technology is said to give the wearer an unfair advantage and keep breaking world record time… even Ben said that I was cheating and my personal best was attributed to the shoes. 😤

 

Rewards for myself

As usual, I would treat myself to a nice meal after the race. I ordered Uber Eats from PappaRich as my legs were crampy and I could hardly walk. I always wanted to try Nasi Lemak Burger for a while and finally having it, and it was surprisingly delicious.

I signed up for Run Melbourne a few months ago so that I was committed to training – to fulfil my new year’s resolution for exercising more. It was not just an event for me, as it was my baby steps to start gaining my life back after being slack for a few years.

Now, I want to put more effort into myself, especially my body and health. ☺️