by Mollie Millington | May 9, 2022 | race review, running, sponsored post, travel
If you are new around here, you might not know that one of my goals to run a race in every state and country that I visit. People always ask me why. While I am not looking to break any World Records, I do find that running races abroad helps me see the destination from a different viewpoint (both by pace and angle), as well as allowing me to meet people I will instantly have something in common with (running!). Some of the locations I would never have come across if I hadn’t signed up. The only downside is that racing while travelling can make planning holiday activities a bit more challenging. For example, you might not want to walk too much the day before a marathon. Nor will you want to stay up late dancing the night away the day after a race (or will you?). But if you adjust your goals, for both your holiday and race, it can be worked out.
This year, I have been fortunate enough to tick two new states off my list (more on those later), as well as a new country. Malta is one of the places in Europe that I hadn’t been too yet, although I know a few people from there. It is comprised of three small islands in the Mediterranean Sea, just south of Italy. There are many affordable flights to the island from London on Air Malta (I highly recomend flying business class. Great lounge and tremendous food on the flight) and other budget airlines. It never crossed my mind to look for a race there though until I heard a friend say that a new race was taking place on the island. The race offerings of Malta were very limited until La Valette Marathon was announced earlier this year. I reached out to Corsa’s marketing manager, who was happy to have me come along with a great group of runners from the 100 Marathon Club.
The La Valette Marathon event debuted on 22 April 2022. It offered many distances and race options (marathon, half marathon, relays, and walking) making it accessible to all. Malta has gorgeous views and nearly perfect weather, so I am surprised it is not already a poplar racing and/or training destination. Hopefully, this will change in the coming years.
Registration process & fees: You could register online up until four days before the event. Prices varied depending on the race from €49.95 and up. There was so much last minute interest from local government authorities and celebrities, the event kept registration until the day before. The fee included a jam-packed goody bag, Nike race t-shirt, free race photos, and a medal. If you wanted transport back to the start line, you had to pay €5 cash when you collected your bib and goody bag at the sports store in Sliema.
Location: The race started in Sliema and ended in Vittoriosa. As we lined up at the start line, the sun was rising over the ocean. Most of the half marathon was along the coast while the marathon continued south. The finish area was in the Three Cities, an important part of Malta’s history. I paid to take the bus back to the start, but it was only running every hour. Luckily there were two gelato shops at the finish line to visit while I waited.
Course & bogs: One of the big selling points for me on this race was proximity to the shoreline and accompanying scenery. I had incredible views for the majority of the race and ran past important buildings and landmarks in Malta. The roads were not closed, but instead coned off, so some bits were a bit hairy but there was over 120 people along the course to ensure you were safe and keep on route. The feedback I had from the runners who did the marathon was that it wasn’t super pretty (as it was inland) but got the job done.
The start lines had eight bogs which quickly ran out of loo roll. There were enough toilets for the amount of people though, with or without the toilet paper. Unfortunately, there weren’t any bathrooms along the way or at the finish line. As someone who routinely needs the bathroom on her runs, I suggested to the organizers that they add in a few more along the way for next year’s race. Instead, I stopped at the ferry terminal to use the bathroom along the way, which worked out perfectly.
Water stations were available every 5km with fruit every 15km, as well as sponges (for both the half and full marathons). It was a small bottle, but lasted me the whole 5K. I had decided to carry water with me anyways too because I knew it was going to be hot and I hadn’t trained for a half marathon distance properly. My finish time was a going to be a wild card. Plus, I wanted to be able to stop and take pictures as I please. There wasn’t much shade along the course and even though we started at 7:30am, the heat was intense early on.
Atmosphere: Being the first La Valette event, there were not many people cheering along the route. However, the start and finish lines were full of energy and good cheer. There were also a few bands and historical reenactments along the course. Neighbors were watching start line activities from their balconies and lots of people were meeting friends and family at the finish line.
Bling & goody bags: As I mentioned, a fantastic goody bag with drinks, snacks, discount codes to Garmin and Uncle Matt’s kitchen, as well as the performance t-shirt. Sadly, they were out of medals by the time I got to the finish line, but a envelope with instructions on how to get my medal were waiting for me. This clear communication was great as it reassured me I would get my medal (which will hopefully be arriving soon).
Tips if you decide to take part next time: The biggest tip I have is to train for heat and hills! To go along with this, practice carrying water with you as you train. Learn a bit about the history of Malta so you can appreciate the culture, architecture, and landmarks. Be sure to download Bolt app because Uber is not used on the island. Finally, I suggest adding on a day or two to explore all that Malta has to offer. I am preparing a blog post for Visit Malta on how to spend the weekend racing on the island. Will link here when it is live.
*Thanks to Corsa and Visit Malta for the complimentary race entry, flights, and hotel. All opinions are honest and my own.
by Mollie Millington | Feb 9, 2022 | race review, running
Royal Parks Half ballot results came out earlier this week. Did you get a place? I did! This year’s race is reducing the carbon footprint by asking runners to supply their own water and offering to plant a tree instead of receiving a free t-shirt at the finish line. I thought I would share a previous post about the 2014 event in case you are curious about the race. My Mill Hill Sports Centre co-worker, Anna, took part in the event that year and loved it. Here is her race review:
In the start pen
Having not run more than 10km in over a year, I made my way to the starting line a little pessimistic. What was I doing? I was in no way ready for a half marathon.
With the help of my Dad, back home in South Africa, I signed in to enter the ballot for the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon in early April. I was so upset about missing the beautiful Two Oceans Half Marathon back home in Cape Town that my Dad, a fanatical runner, made a deal with me. He would pay the entrance fees, as long as I got myself from the start line to the finish line, preferably in the same day. At the time I was so excited, now, standing amongst all the thousands of keen London fitness fanatics just before the starting gun was about to go off,…not so much. My ambitious plans of regular endurance training in preparation for the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon had slowly slipped away as the weather grew dimmer and the days shorter, leaving me at the start line with little more than 5 training runs under my belt.
The tube ride into Hyde Park was relatively easy and stress-free; it took me a little under an hour from Mil Hill East tube Station, where I am currently doing my gap year. At every stop more and more runners would hop onto the tube. We were a sea of bright blue t-shirts, brand new Nike shoes and top of the range sportswatches all humming with excitement, the adrenaline starting to kick in. By the end of the line you could hardly move between the mosh of bouncing athletes and bulky tog bags.
As we all hoped off the tube at Hyde Park Corner and made our way to the festival area, you could feel the energy. The Festival area was packed with food stalls, private tents, toilets, stages and thousands of people jumping from one leg to another in desperate attempts to do a last minute warm up. Our time had come.
It being my first Royal Parks Fountain Half Marathon, I was seeded in the Yellow group, second to last. The first group started at promptly 9am, something one would never experience in South Africa where “on time” means 20 minutes after the advertised time. The Green, Blue, Yellow and Maroon groups followed at 5 minutes intervals. The moment I set off to join the infectious rhythm created by thousands of determined footstep the nervous ball in my stomach dissolved. I turned the first corner towards Wellington Arch and forgot all about how little training I had done. I couldn’t help but be memorized by London’s beauty. It was such a breath-taking morning. I couldn’t think of any better way to experience the magnificence of this country’s capital city.
From running past the guards at Buckingham Palace to checking my watch against Big Ben at the Houses of Parliament, to exploring London’s beautiful Green and St James’s Parks and enjoying Embankments exquisite riverbank. I hardly had time to feel tired. Before I knew it I was on my way back passing under Admiralty Arch and then Marble Arch.
Then came Hyde Park…
I had been warned that this last stretch was always a lot longer than anticipated. Having saved up some final energy I started the long zig-zag in-between the beautiful lawns in high spirits. The hundreds of spectators and Sunday picnickers scattered throughout the park, ensured that you were never alone. The camaraderie between fellow runners also made the race that much more enjoyable.
With 2 miles to go I took a look down at my watch. Where had the time gone. I didn’t feel tired at all.
Look kids- Big Ben!
With the finish line in sight I began to pick up the pace. With every step being cheered on by the fantastic crowd, I crossed the line in 1:52:45. I couldn’t believe my eyes, despite my lack of training I had managed to beat my personal best. I wore my medal and cheesy smile with pride. What an incredible experience, one that I would remember as an unforgettable highlight from my year abroad in England. London with its beautiful old buildings, amazing gardens and infectious friendly atmosphere had inspired me to achieve something I thought was quite impossible on a gap year characterized by little to no physical activity. I am proud to call London home for the year.
Are yon inspired? Places are still available through charity partners. Learn more here. Have a peak at the 2021 route and let me know what your favorite landmarks are along the route.
by Mollie Millington | Oct 15, 2020 | race review, running, travel
Never in my life did I think I would run a marathon. I have too many runner injuries and never have been very fast. Turns out to run a marathon, you need to run slow! But after completing many 1/2 marathons (which I never thought I would do either), I took the plunge in 2015 and signed up for the Volkswagon Prague marathon. Just one week after the London marathon, I knew I could train with my friends who were taking part in London that year. It was a fab idea as long runs can be daunting before you head out and then a bit lonely as you plod along. My mental game has never been strong so I knew I would find strength in numbers.
One of my goals is to run in every country and every state, so when I was looking through old posts to schedule my #traveltuesday series, I was shocked to find my review of the 2015 Prague Marathon in my drafts. Typically held in the spring, it was reschedule for mid-October 2020 due to the pandemic. Sadly, as I finished up this post, I saw the event was cancelled altogether like so many other races this year. Prague is a wonderful city and a fun race, so I highly recommend to give is a try in the future if you can. Please note, some of the info below may be outdated now so please refer to the official race website for the latest information.
Registration process & fees: In 2015, it was a simple online registration without a ballot process in place. They also offered an insurance fee for 10% of registration cost in case of injury close to the race, so that you could withdraw and get your money back. Race bibs could only be picked up at the race expo rather than having them posted to you.
Location: Prague, Czech Republic. The course takes you through many of the historical bits of town. The start area was centrally located too which was very convenient. The race expo at the time was a little bit farther out and accessible by tram. However, the public transport in Prague was easy to use once you learn how to buy the tickets and how to read the tram schedule.
Course & bogs: The course wound around the river and through many different areas of Prague. It even went right next door to my friend’s apartment building, which meant she just had to roll out of bed to cheer me on (thank you, Marty!). There were refreshment stations with sponges and loos every 5k. The rubbish at the water stations meant you had to walk through each one, but I was ok with that. One of the risks of running in older cities is various surfaces to run on. Prague didn’t have too many cobblestone patches on the route but there were lots of tram tracks to work around.
Atmosphere: Unfortunately, London set my expectations really high in terms of enthusiasm from the local residents. But Prague hadn’t got the memo yet. I think most of the people watching had come with runners so there were some signs and fans. I had my name out on my shirt but only my friend (who knows my name) and one other person said it. Maybe people didn’t know how to say it? It would have been nice though to have that kind of boost along the way. In later races, when I wore the same shirt with my name, I definitely heard my name called more often.
Bling & goody bags: The race medal was a pizza slice-shape because if you took part in all seven Run Czech events in one year, it fits together to make a giant medal. If I lived closer, I would be all over that! After all, it is all about the bling!
Tips if you decide to take part next time: I found Czech to be a very challenging language. Try to master “hello” and “thank you” before going. Bring your sunglasses and sunscreen if your race is in the spring as it was a lovely weather and a nice change from London. There are lots of sights to see (the big clock, the castle, etc) and it is a fairly easy city to walk around. Schedule a few days after the race for sightseeing. The race could also be a great city break for a quick weekend away.
When people ask me which marathon was my favourite, I always say Prague. To commemorate the race, I researched gems that Prague was known for. My friend helped me (as I needed a translator) purchase a small garnet (the official stone of Czech Republic) and had a necklace engraved with the date of the race, my finishing time, “Praha” and 26.2. It will always hold a special place in my heart. However, I think I need to go back as I cannot find any of my sightseeing photos. Hopefully, I can make it back in 2021.
by Mollie Millington | Aug 21, 2019 | cycling, product review, race review, running, water sports
In an effort to rekindle my running mojo, I signed up for the London Triathlon* rather last minute. To keep it a realistic goal after my running injury, I selected the shortest distance. The Super Sprint course is 400m swim, 10km bike, and 2.5km run. For a short moment, I considered bumping up to the sprint distance (750m, 20km bike, 5km run) to challenge my PR from 2012. But I decided to keep it safe/play it smart by sticking to the shortest distance to avoid re-injury.
My entry wave was at 3:10pm on Saturday afternoon. About 95% of the women in my group (I chose women-only vs mixed start) were first timers. The London Triathlon is a great race if you are tri-curious.
Entries and fees: The race doesn’t sell out (it is held over two days with lots of entries available) and entries are available close to the event. There are different fees depending on the distance you sign up for. It ranges from £40+. Remember that triathlons tend to be more expensive due to the amount of logistics required to set up swimming, cycling, and running courses. Personally, I think the London Tri is very reasonable considering the scale of the event (the race takes up half of the ExCel Centre).
Course and bogs: The course starts and ends at the ExCel Centre. The swim is in the Royal Docks and the longer bike course goes to Big Ben (the super sprint course is only 10km). All bike segments are on closed roads, which is great. The run is along the Royal Docks on paths of varying width. Different distances compete at the same time, so you will have different abilities on the course with you. I did shout to a few people who were walking three abreast to keep to the left as no one could get by.
This year, it was almost so warm we didn’t have to wear wet suits. I really like my Aptonia wet suit from Decathlon.* It fit me perfectly, which is hard for a woman as our body shapes are so diverse. The zipper is a bit tricky to zip up as it is designed to unzip bottom to shoulders, but I think that might make it faster to remove.
Location: Unfortunately, there isn’t anything glamorous about the ExCel Centre in East London. However, the location is super convenient for anyone in London and especially for me as I live about five miles from the start line. Inside the ExCel, there is a small amount of vendors if you need to pick up gels or a few pieces of run kit, including official merchandise.
Atmosphere: There are not many cheer points along the route. Many friends and family were cheering at the swim and at the finish line. The transition area is really big, so it is hard for your fans to see you as you switch disciplines. Otherwise, you are on your own out on the course
.
Race bling and goody bag: No goody bag but you receive a medal just after you cross the finish line. You also get to pick up the official race t-shirt (which I really like) and the Tenzing team was there to hand you a can as you walked out of the finish area.
Tips if you want to take part next time: If you are coming back from injury, triathlons are great as the cross-training allows 2/3 of the training to be low impact. That is one of the big reasons why I signed up. Also, make sure you try open water swimming at least five times before the race. This gives you a chance to get over the fear of not seeing the bottom, learn how your wet suit fills up, and get used to having to swim continuously. Finally, do some brick sessions (two disciplines back to back) to get your muscles used to working differently and to try out different outfit combinations. My kneesuit with sports bra underneath worked perfectly! You can also use bricks to think about water food and drinks you will need during the race.
Feeling inspired and want to give London Triathlon 2020 a “tri”? Register your interest now.
*Thanks to London Triathlon for the complimentary race entry and Decathlon for the wet suit. All opinions are honest and my own.
by thinkmarsh | Mar 1, 2019 | race review, running, sponsored post, travel, WMM
Completing all six Abbott World Marathon Majors (WMM) has been my goal since 2016. I have been lucky enough to win ballot entries with Berlin and Chicago. For London, I obtained a charity place from Plantlife. With the WMM increasing in popularity, it is becoming harder and harder to win a place in a ballot and the fundraising targets are reflecting the demand. I decided to book a tour with 209 Events to run NYC in 2018 (which is why you are reading this). My last two races will be in Tokyo and Boston. My goal is to run Boston in 2021 but I have a lot of work to do before then!
Let’s focus on NYC Marathon though as the ballot results were released on Wednesday this week. Congrats to everyone who got it! You will soon read how much I enjoyed this race (even though I had to use the bathroom five times. So much for a Personal Best). It was a very short trip to the USA, less than a week, due to limited annual leave. My mom even convinced me to flight home to Rochester, NY for two days to see my family at the start of my run-cation. I then had to fly back to NYC to visit the race expo and catch up with friends before running 26.2 miles. Easy, right?
Here is the nitty gritty about the 2018 race. If you have any additional questions though, please a comment below and I will do my best to answer you. I will also be working on a short YouTube video of my trip too.
 |
| Finish line of shake out 5K which is also part of the official marathon course |
Entries and fees: For US residents the entry fee is $295 in 2019. For international runners, the cost goes up to $358. My tour with 209 event was about £1200, which included flights and entry but not accommodation. I stayed with a friend in Queens to save on expenses, which helped keep the trip affordable. The only downside was being very far away from the start line.
 |
| Runners waiting to get on the ferry to Staten Island |
Course and bogs: Course starts in Staten Island and runs through all 5 NYC boroughs (Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Manhattan). The course is more hilly than other WMM races because there are many bridges. In fact, the start of the race, you climb the steepest bridge/hill.
At the start line, there were several areas for runners that split you by your wave. Each area had a bunch of toilets, a small shaded seating area, and bag drop. Even though there were lots of toilets, there were lots of runners so you had to wait in line. Out on the course, there were toilets every mile at the water stations. I stopped to use them 5 times. There was always loo roll and most of the time only a few people waiting (primarily runners but sometimes spectators).
 |
| One of the port-a-loo areas |
Location: All over the Big Apple. We started on Staten Island and finished in Central Park.
Atmosphere: Electric. The crowds lining the streets were amazing! So much cheering, an abundance of snacks, and my favorite part- pure elation when a spectator sees someone they know running past. I was lucky enough to have my friends from university at mile 16 waiting to give me a hug and cheer. Americans are not afraid to make some noise. In 2018, the sun was out but the temperature wasn’t too high, making it perfect running weather.
 |
| Another medal for my collection |
Race bling and goody bag: The medal was great. Goody bag had usual snacks and water. I can’t remember anything else so must not have been anything crazy. You get a foil blanket when you finish to keep you warm until you collect your bag. My bag was at the far end because I dropped it off late (see “tips for next time” below).
Tips if you want to take part next time:
- Eat well early because you start late. I ate porridge at 4:30am and didn’t start running until 10:30am. By the time I got on the ferry, I was hungry which lead me to eating all of my post-race snacks at the start area and then having to use bathroom five times during the race.
- Learn the course profile. It is very hilly, which I knew but it was different to experience it. I suggest adding hill reps into your training plan to prepare.
- The expo wasn’t that impressive to me. Maybe the space was too big, but there didn’t seem to be very much to shop for outside of the official store.
- NYC involves a lot of walking. Keep that in mind if you are going to sight-see before or after the race. For Chicago and NYC, I went to the movies the afternoon before the race and treated myself to a reclining chair to keep my feet up.
- Know where the airport is! The day after the race, I headed back home. Unfortunately, I went the wrong way on the subway and arrived only 1 hour before my departure instead of the suggested two. I was sweating but so tired and sore I couldn’t move any faster!
- Sign up for shake out 5k (even though you don’t get a medal). After enjoying the shake out 5K in Chicago, I knew I had to do it in NYC too. I ran with friends and enjoyed the landmarks along the route. We were given bobble hats instead of medals, which was disappointing but what can you do? Book a table for brunch if you plan to go after the race because everyone will be trying to do the same thing.
- Check your bag on time! As I was eating and waiting for the toilet, I didn’t manage to check my bag in time. That was a lot of stress to find the ‘everyone else’ van which also meant I had to walk further from the finish line to find it.
- Keep tampons on hand. Of course, my period started that morning but I didn’t realize it until I got to start pen. I had to bum one off a Spanish lady but it didn’t have an applicator so I didn’t quite get it in position right. Luckily, it wasn’t a disaster in the end.
Did you run NYC in 2018? What was your favorite part of the race? Leave a comment below and let me know.
by Mollie Millington | Mar 1, 2019 | race review, running, sponsored post, travel, WMM
Completing all six Abbott World Marathon Majors (WMM) has been my goal since 2016. I have been lucky enough to win ballot entries with Berlin and Chicago. For London, I obtained a charity place from Plantlife. With the WMM increasing in popularity, it is becoming harder and harder to win a place in a ballot and the fundraising targets are reflecting the demand. I decided to book a tour with 209 Events to run NYC in 2018 (which is why you are reading this). My last two races will be in Tokyo and Boston. My goal is to run Boston in 2021 but I have a lot of work to do before then!
Let’s focus on NYC Marathon though as the ballot results were released on Wednesday this week. Congrats to everyone who got it! You will soon read how much I enjoyed this race (even though I had to use the bathroom five times. So much for a Personal Best). It was a very short trip to the USA, less than a week, due to limited annual leave. My mom even convinced me to flight home to Rochester, NY for two days to see my family at the start of my run-cation. I then had to fly back to NYC to visit the race expo and catch up with friends before running 26.2 miles. Easy, right?
Here is the nitty gritty about the 2018 race. If you have any additional questions though, please a comment below and I will do my best to answer you. I will also be working on a short YouTube video of my trip too.
|
| Finish line of shake out 5K which is also part of the official marathon course |
Entries and fees: For US residents the entry fee is $295 in 2019. For international runners, the cost goes up to $358. My tour with 209 event was about £1200, which included flights and entry but not accommodation. I stayed with a friend in Queens to save on expenses, which helped keep the trip affordable. The only downside was being very far away from the start line.
|
| Runners waiting to get on the ferry to Staten Island |
Course and bogs: Course starts in Staten Island and runs through all 5 NYC boroughs (Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Manhattan). The course is more hilly than other WMM races because there are many bridges. In fact, the start of the race, you climb the steepest bridge/hill.
At the start line, there were several areas for runners that split you by your wave. Each area had a bunch of toilets, a small shaded seating area, and bag drop. Even though there were lots of toilets, there were lots of runners so you had to wait in line. Out on the course, there were toilets every mile at the water stations. I stopped to use them 5 times. There was always loo roll and most of the time only a few people waiting (primarily runners but sometimes spectators).
|
| One of the port-a-loo areas |
Location: All over the Big Apple. We started on Staten Island and finished in Central Park.
Atmosphere: Electric. The crowds lining the streets were amazing! So much cheering, an abundance of snacks, and my favorite part- pure elation when a spectator sees someone they know running past. I was lucky enough to have my friends from university at mile 16 waiting to give me a hug and cheer. Americans are not afraid to make some noise. In 2018, the sun was out but the temperature wasn’t too high, making it perfect running weather.
|
| Another medal for my collection |
Race bling and goody bag: The medal was great. Goody bag had usual snacks and water. I can’t remember anything else so must not have been anything crazy. You get a foil blanket when you finish to keep you warm until you collect your bag. My bag was at the far end because I dropped it off late (see “tips for next time” below).
Tips if you want to take part next time:
- Eat well early because you start late. I ate porridge at 4:30am and didn’t start running until 10:30am. By the time I got on the ferry, I was hungry which lead me to eating all of my post-race snacks at the start area and then having to use bathroom five times during the race.
- Learn the course profile. It is very hilly, which I knew but it was different to experience it. I suggest adding hill reps into your training plan to prepare.
- The expo wasn’t that impressive to me. Maybe the space was too big, but there didn’t seem to be very much to shop for outside of the official store.
- NYC involves a lot of walking. Keep that in mind if you are going to sight-see before or after the race. For Chicago and NYC, I went to the movies the afternoon before the race and treated myself to a reclining chair to keep my feet up.
- Know where the airport is! The day after the race, I headed back home. Unfortunately, I went the wrong way on the subway and arrived only 1 hour before my departure instead of the suggested two. I was sweating but so tired and sore I couldn’t move any faster!
- Sign up for shake out 5k (even though you don’t get a medal). After enjoying the shake out 5K in Chicago, I knew I had to do it in NYC too. I ran with friends and enjoyed the landmarks along the route. We were given bobble hats instead of medals, which was disappointing but what can you do? Book a table for brunch if you plan to go after the race because everyone will be trying to do the same thing.
- Check your bag on time! As I was eating and waiting for the toilet, I didn’t manage to check my bag in time. That was a lot of stress to find the ‘everyone else’ van which also meant I had to walk further from the finish line to find it.
- Keep tampons on hand. Of course, my period started that morning but I didn’t realize it until I got to start pen. I had to bum one off a Spanish lady but it didn’t have an applicator so I didn’t quite get it in position right. Luckily, it wasn’t a disaster in the end.
Did you run NYC in 2018? What was your favorite part of the race? Leave a comment below and let me know.
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