Canberra Running Festival 2021
/We had an amazing time at the Canberra Running Festival 11/4/21 with over 50 Rejoov runners across the marathon, half marathon, 10k, kids 2k and ultra 50k (including 27 Pbs). Thanks Terry O’Halloran and Sole Motive team for putting on the event, this was our biggest running event since pre covid!
Here are a few blog pieces from the rejoovers to showcase the sensational day for everyone involved.
Big congrats to all the runners, supporters, coaches & run leaders.
The gang at the finish - ready to partay!
HALF MARATHON BLOGS X 4
By Sierra 1.34.27 PB by 7minutes:
"Participating in my first race in many years with the supportive Rejoov team was an absolute pleasure. I recently moved into the area and joined in early Feb after running solo for most of last year. Immediately upon joining, chit chat of the Canberra running festival seemed to be the main goal on most people's calendars. I eventually signed up too, wanting to put a couple months of training to good use.
In the weeks leading up to the race, training included lots of variety with fartleks, long tempos, hills & speed work, as well as social & faster pace long runs. Off the back of this, I felt good going into Canberra knowing I could run a PB but wasn't sure by how much. I finished up in 1:34:27, smashing my old half marathon PB (from 2015) of 1:41:50. Very stoked with that! The whole experience was made so much better by being part of the Rejoov squad on the day. The support during the race from teammates when passing/looping back around from one another was a highlight. Looking forward, coming to training (when I can make it) always ends up being the highlight of my day and keen to keep working towards the next race opportunity with the team. Thanks Greta for all you do!”
Harriet, Sierra & Alley all scored half marathon pbs - well done ladies
By Tony Wilson Canberra half mara Pb 76.34 PB
”2 minutes to go until the half marathon started. What an amazing feeling to be racing again. The atmosphere was unbelievable. The race finished and everyone was a mess yet one after another Rejoov runners made the extra effort to congratulate each other. I feel very lucky to be part of an amazing team!
Tips: If you have done the training, believe in it, you are ready. Have a plan to get through the pain barrier because it will come hard and fast. Try to predict when the worst will be and set little goals within that stretch of the race to battle through it.”
Tony Wilson PB & Andrew Redmond PB
By Rosy Cooper 82.28 PB
"Start lines and finish lines are back! There was such an amazing buzz in the race zone this year and everyone was so supportive. The crowds and fellow runners out on the course were all encouraging each other and it was so inspiring to see all the gutsy rejoov runners out there rocking the brand new yellow kit!
The conditions were perfect, with nice cool temps and (mostly) low winds! The half marathon course itself was pretty flat although it was definitely beneficial if you could get into a good pack for the highway sections.
For me, the time wasn’t quite where I wanted it to be but I really worked hard on shifting my expectations whilst on the run so that you can keep a positive, determined mindset when you are working hard in that second half.
Three tips that really helped me:
When the average starts so slip, try looking at your watch less frequently and focusing on positive thoughts and your running form.
Try and find a pack to run with when you are running into the wind and take turns sharing the workload.
Have an A, B and C goal in your mind that you can fall back on when your race isn’t going perfectly.”
Well done Rosy Cooper
By Andy Bannister 1.59.58 PB
"So after many months of interval training, fartlek sessions and weekend long runs my first half marathon event had finally arrived. Canberra Marathon Festival would be my official attempt at the distance and there was no going back. All the pre-race fitness goals had been achieved, the correct nutrition consumed and race energy gels purchased. My target time was set for under 2 hours and all pre-race planning had gone like clockwork, so what could go wrong?
Well, my Gluteus Maximus and Hamstring in the left leg had not read the script and had other ideas. Two days before the race, they decided to have a hissy fit and became annoyed, similar to a 10-year-old when access to the iPad is removed. I would love to be in a position to report that my approach to this situation was calm, reflective and considered, but now it was more like 'holy shit I may not be able to run and implement Defcon 5 emergency panic response. This involved a combination of stretching my leg to positions it had not seen since my teens, chiropractor appointments, acupuncture, pillows under my leg while sleeping, praying to any gods or pagan icons that might be listening and inhaling a combination of pain killers that would get me to the start and finish line. It's a good job drug testing does not exist at these events as I am not sure I would have passed the medical.
9 months ago and pre Rejoov, this situation would have seen me turn around and fly back to Sydney. But, completing the months and hours of pre-race training, fantastic support from great coaches and the fabulous community of Rejoov runners, gave me the determination to try to start and finish the race. I may not have been 100% fit, but I would have been a very grumpy Yorkshiremen if I had not at least given it a go.”
Jo Z, Susan, Andy B, Greta
MARATHON x 4 BLOGS
By Gareth Beddoes 3.27.18 PB (shout out to coach Rosy too and also thanks Gareth for organising the after party for 60 celebrating party goers)
"Respect the beast.
No matter how fit you are, how much training you have done, who your coach is - 42.2k is a bloody long way. It’s definitely good to be confident ahead of and on race day, if you’ve done the hard yards then why shouldn't you be? But don’t let this fool you that the last 30 minutes of the race is going to be an ugly grind (photos of me on the day certainly testify to this) - be prepared to dig deep into those reserves both physically and mentally.
With a little help from your friends.
Running for 3-4 hours can be incredibly lonely at times - training as a group with similar goals in mind was incredibly motivating. It’s easy to skip, push back or feign illness on those hot 6:30am Saturday starts but knowing you’ve got a few friends to help you through certainly makes things easier. This also goes the same for race day - seeing others in the sparkling orange and yellow vests of Rejoov (are we referring to them as sunrise?) along the course gave an extra spring in my step - long may that sense of togetherness run true.
Reward.
“Why on earth would you want to do that?!” Was very much the common response form friends and family when I initially told them my goal to do the Canberra marathon. Many had seen the struggles that my previous two had provided me and they were right to question my ambitions. You can’t beat that feeling of elation and pride that comes with completing 42.2k, knowing that you really did go to the well and couldn’t have given anything more. This may be a personal thing but I deem it vital to make sure you have some sort of reward post race - whether it’s a simple meal with a partner or a nine-hour drinking session with 60 of your run club...there’s something for everyone and its essential to take that moment to pat yourself on the back - you won’t get many opportunities to be gluttonous and guilt-free, take advantage!”
Before the marathon start - Jacq Emily Max Gareth Greta Issy
By Issy Boland 3.13.13 debut marathon PB
"The chilly ACT morning didn’t stop the excitement as we all lined up ready for the Canberra Mara. My first ever run event and first ever marathon was nothing short of amazing. I loved every single minute. I’ve been rejooving since September 2020, and running for just over a year. It was nice to see all the training, early mornings and hard work pay off. As an online rejoov member not from Sydney, it was so nice to be welcomed by Gret and the other mara runners at the start line, I instantly felt part of the community and felt supported throughout the race as I saw these familiar faces smiling and encouraging me throughout. If someone had told me a year ago I was going to run a marathon I probably would’ve slapped them - just goes to show you can do anything you put your mind (and body!!) to. Bring on the next one!”
Congrats Issy debut marathon 3.13.13 and cousin Elle M half marathon PB 1.45
By Heath Jamieson:
Canberra Marathon Goal: 2:55:00 🎯
Canberra Marathon Result: 2:53:39 💪
PB by almost 5mins achieved in 6 months!
A few things that worked well for me:
- Consistent training: My goal in the 3-month build-up to Canberra marathon was consistent training acknowledging the cliché in running that ‘the race is won in training’. I focused on 2-3 Rejoov sessions a week, roughly 1x speed, 1x tempo and 1x long run with recovery runs in between. Whilst perhaps quite simple, I emphasised consistency more in the build-up to Canberra than in the past. Previously I made mistakes of doing ‘mega sessions’ to make up for days missed. This time, I trained knowing that the next session was equally as important. Pushing too hard in a workout can cause excess fatigue and jeopardise future sessions.
- Nutrition: I focused more on fuelling during training and racing in the lead up to Canberra than I had ever before. Previously I hadn’t thought much of it (bad I know). Ahead of Canberra, I practised my pre-race dinner and breakfast ahead of every long run for 8 weeks. I tested different gels to see which I responded best to (for me it’s Maurtens). A big improvement came in making sure I was eating enough during the training. Some tips that helped me: Smoothies (game changer for increasing calorie intake), nuts (great for a vego like me) and dates during long training runs!
- Running skills: It clicked to me through the build-up that running is a sport of skill to some extent. I learnt there are many 1%ers that make a big difference to enjoyment and performance. Things like shoe selection, pacing, recovery, nutrition, strength, warm-ups, mental tactics, running in packs, form and injury prevention. I learnt a lot from our coaches Chris & Greta at Rejoov, others in the club and some awesome running podcasts. I feel this made a big difference on race day. But importantly, these 1%ers make the sport fun!
The highlights from the build-up and the race!
- Training with the club: Saturday long runs are a highlight of the week for me! I love long social runs. It was also fun to tough it out in longer Saturday workouts with others building for the race (e.g. 5 x 4km tempo). Sweating it out makes the Choccy Milk at the end taste even better!
- Encouragement during the race: Our Rejoov orange singlets were very distinguishable amongst Canberra’s national monuments! With so many out and backs on the course, it felt like I was only ever 15mins away from another “Go Heath!” as a fellow Rejoover past on another section of the course.
- A fun weekend: It was awesome to travel to Canberra with others from the club. We discussed tactics as if we were pros, shared start line nerves, exchanged finish line high-fives and of course indulged in post-race drinks!
Given I’m still quite new to the sport (18 months into the journey), my goal for this year is lots of races and consistent training.
Next up:
- Sydney 10km
- Launceston 10km or Half Marathon
- City to Surf (TBC)
- Blackmores 10km
- Melbourne Marathon
- Jervis Bay Half Marathon
Boom 🔥
Jacq Emily Greta Heath Liam John Josh Gareth
By Jacq Chow, marathon 3.36 PB
“Marathon” and “middle aged working mums” rarely belong in the same sentence, but the 2021 Canberra Marathon event organisers successfully managed to pull the two together. Just three, short, hassle-free hours drive out of Sydney, a parallel Botticelli to Van Gogh exhibition at the National Gallery, a pretty event route that covers the city’s iconic attractions and highly frequent-highly reliable communication by the Sole Motive organisers. Nothing to add to life’s hectic to-do list here. All boxes ✅. I woke at 3:45am with way too many jitters and arrived at 5:30am, bearing the crisp 1C Canberra morning conditions. This will be way too much information for you, but this is perfect running temperature for the peri-menopausal amongst us. My conversation with anyone I spoke to at the starting line was incoherent, I was so ridiculously nervous. I was also self-conscious about the picnic basket of fuel that I pack in my running shorts. I still cannot stomach more than 2 gels and need to eat real food. As I survey everyone else’s attire and fuel solutions, I note they are looking pretty weightless without the cargo laden solution I carry ie add to pre-race anxiety. The rest of the pre-race jitters is a blur because next minute it was 6:25am and we were off and running. I was so cold, so nervous, and so full of adrenalin, I ran my first 10km way too fast which of course gave me more reason to panic. Yay!
“Thanks” to the continuously undulating course, the inclines brought me back to a more sustainable pace. It also separated us out a bit more and I started to settle in and find a little pace-pack to stay with every few kms. The highlight for me was at the 33km mark. I usually start to really hurt at this point (<enter> unhelpful self talk), but this time, a family of kangaroos came bounding alongside us for a few kms, including a mother and her joey in tow. I, ever so momentarily, felt like I was bounding effortlessly with them with the sheer joy teared up. Took my mind off the marathon for those few kms. A first. The obligatory brick wall arose from the pavement at 38km. I was giving everything by this stage. My feet felt like two slabs of raw meat. My thighs like tree trunks. I just wanted to not run another step. And then like a mirage, our Rejoov Team Love appears along the end of the course, and just showers us with the support, encouragement and all the words I need to boost me home. They were everywhere along the final kms (Thank You team). My legs had no inspiring split time to push me across the finishing line, but I crossed the line with a pb and so pleased the hard work paid off.
My post run reflection is pretty simple: just dutifully keep following my running coach’s regimen, but ALL of it hills hills hills 😬😬 intervals and fartlek 👍👍👍👍 weekly long runs 💪💪💪💪 variety locations and conditions 👏👏👏👏 strength and recovery 🙏🙏 sleeeeeep and nutrition 😌😌 Yep yep, getting it now. The morning after, of me-time indulgence, was the final substantiation for #canberramara4middleagedmums. Meditative walk in the morning sun around Lake Burley Griffin and cafe breakfast with matcha latte and chia granola with coconut yoghurt.
I’ll be back.”
Michael support crew and Emma Trehy 10k and kids 2k
10KM & KIDS 2KM
By Emma Trehy
"Canberra Running Festival was a family affair for us and I ticked off two events both the 10km and 2km. The first one solo and the second trying not to embarrass my 8 year old daughter 🙂
It was beautiful if chilly morning for the run around a great, mostly flat route in and around Parliament House and the Rejoov camaraderie on course was superb. It is so motivating to be out chasing your own goals but being surrounded by so many inspiring Rejoovers smashing anything from the 10k up to Ultramarathon distance. There were so many shouts of support out on the course and our new Maloney's sponsored tops were everywhere and easy to spot glowing in the sunshine.
I was very excited toeing the line in the 10km as it was my first event since recently completing treatment for breast cancer. I was lucky to be able to continue my running during treatment but to be back pushing hard and really feeling like myself again was just magic and I was delighted to finish with my exact goal of time of 55 mins.
The next generation of Rejoovers were definitely taking note of their parents running various distances that day and it was fantastic to see Jaden, Mila, Liv & Zara take their turn excitedly lining up at the start of the 2km race and taking off like rockets once the starter horn sounded. Definitely a few sprinters in that crew!
It was such a fun, positive and family friendly race event and it was special to be part of such a huge Rejoov crew smashing some awesome goals. Canberra we will be back!"
Kids 2k - they had a ball - thanks Emma, Michael & Andrew Borthwick
By Sam Crichton on his come back from injury, which highlights that you don’t have to be in your best shape to take part:
“It was a brisk and chilly morning, made all the worse by me being 5 minutes late! I was far more relaxed though as I was just treating the Canberra 10km as a slow-ish tempo run given I was/am coming back from injury. It was actually really enjoyable just being involved and watching everyone else run their own races. It was a lovely layout and a fantastic autumn-ish running temp! I will be back next year, hopefully in the half and hopefully injury free!”
Mates Sam Crichton and Chris Knight
50KM ULTRA
By Cathy Rowney, 57yrs, flying the flag in the ultra, massive congrats!!
“So I signed myself up for the Canberra 50km ultra road run not long after breaking my arm and tearing a large rotator cuff. This was my goal to get better quickly. I had ran a 50km trail Hume and Hovell 2019. Managed slow 60km and 80km October last year in 2020, raising funds for Ovarian Cancer . This was a different scenario as attempting a decent time. Training was tough, running with injury, high humidity and torrential rains.
Canberra festival arrived with arctic weather and icy winds. Six am start 4 degrees, a huge difference to the training weather I was used to . Was tough on open roads with a few hills thrown in for good measure. Absolutely overjoyed to see fellow runners out on the course who were running the marathon and 10km, sharing high fives and cheers. Lesley Mason, my mentor gave me the best hug when the going was tough at the 38km mark on a windy lonely road. The volunteers were amazing, always smiling and hubby Chris spent six hours out in the cold popping up in different locations to cheer me on. I managed a half marathon in 2.20 hours and full marathon under 5 hours, the last 8kms were the toughest, sore left foot, hobbled home but determined to finish in a time of 6.05.
Was amazing day and the after party was something else, fellow Rejoov buddies gave me the best hugs . Thanking everyone for support as the only crazy 50km runner from rejoov.”
Star Cathy in her 50km ultra!!
Congratulations everyone:
HALF MARATHON
Tony 76.34 Pb 33rd male
Strom 77.05 Pb 36th male
Andy R 77.06 Pb 37th male
Chris T 78.30
Rosy 1.22.28 Pb 8th female
Barry 1.22.51 Pb
Maya 1.24.38 Pb 10th female
Mark 1.28.57 Pb/debut
Nick 1.29.27 Pb
Sean 1.31 Pb/debut
Harriet 92.03 28th female
Yury 1.33
Stuart 1.33
Sierra 1.34 Pb
Alley 1.34 Pb
Lily L 1.34.18 Pb
Ari 1.37 Pb 4th u18 AG
Darren B 1.38
Louise BC 1.44.21 Pb & happy 50th next week
Elle M 1.45.03 pb
Jeevan 1.46
Susan 1.59
Andy B 1.59.58 Pb
Jo Z 1.59
Jennifer 2.35 1st half mara in 20yrs
MARATHON
Josh A 2.42.37 13th male
Heath 2.53.39 pb
Liam 3.07 Pb
Issy Boland 3.13.13 Pb/debut 17th female
Greta 3.14.28 19th female
Max 3.19 Pb
John 3.20 Pb
Chris Knight 3.23.25 Pb
Gaz 3.27.18 Pb
Jacq 3.36.19 Pb
Emily 3.38.34 Pb
Lily R 3.41 Pb/debut
Bella 3.45 Pb/debut
Erin 3.47 Pb/debut
Lesley 4.58 4th mara for the year
50KM
Cathy 6.05 7th in 50-59 AG, flying the flag in the ultra
10KM
Critta 42 coming back from injury
Jane Aungles 44
Steve M 47 coming back
Nicole 52
Emma T 55
Anne-maree happy bday
Rajesh 57
KIDS 2KM
Connor 7.30 10yr boys
Jaden 8.29 (8th under 10yr boys)
Olivia 9.11
Zara
Mila
Canberra Saturday bib collection
