MORE THAN A RUN!

THE Bahrain Marathon Relay, organised by the Bahrain Round Table Club, continues to go from strength-to strength attracting 200 registered teams and 197 competing on the day. While technically it is a race … it is seen by many as much more.

First and foremost it is a fundraising event for charities - and Friday’s event raised about BD30,000 - yet many view it as anything from a family day out to a corporate bonding exercise. The 48km race, which starts and ends at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, is almost a rite of passage for any newly arrived expatriates!

There are many mini races within the race as organisations compete against each other while individuals compare times against friends or even their own record from previous years. The front of the race is worth watching, not only at the start in the melee that ensues as amateurs vie with professionals to have their image captured in the daily newspapers the following days.

It is easy to identify the glory hunters several hundred yards further down as they collapse clutching at their oxygen-starved lungs! Further along the course the race-leader, flanked by a police outrider, continues driving forward relentlessly at a pace the majority competing would not manage for 100m.

Within even a handful of stages the competitors start to stretch out. The changeover point is a sight to behold. Beyond the scrum that ensues from nearly 400 runners exchanging batons (and my heart goes out to the beleaguered marshals who must be hoarse by the end and possibly more tired than the runners) it is fascinating to watch the varying approaches to warming up.

Activities appear to range from those running more than the actual distance required to limber up (possibly as a result of having parked their car at the end of the stage) to those warming up by inhaling hot nicotine while leant up against the lookout tower.

Others disappear into the distance seeking any vegetation based on varying degrees of modesty to ‘lighten their load’, returning ‘ready to run’. And, what can be worse at the end of your stage than to sprint to the line only to find that your colleague is missing?

Aching lungs struggle to summon the strength to shout his/her name (real or one with which you newly christen them) while the mind wonders ‘how long shall I wait’ or ‘what do I do now?’

Many companies use the day for team-bonding while even churches and charities participate to raise awareness or funds of their own.

Families form entire teams, while friends use their imagination to transform their event. One baton I saw was transformed into a cuddlydinosaur while others were decorated with ribbons.

I wonder whether the team with ‘Happy Feet’ at the start was still smiling having transferred snow for sand while one team was apparently only running for a free shirt!

One year after using the marathon relay as an inspiration to shed 15 kilogrammes in order to compete our esteemed editor challenged me to enter and capture the essence of Bahrain’s largest and longestrunning sporting charity event.

I’m not an experienced athlete yet I found the run relatively comfortable although the lack of aching limbs suggests I should have gone faster for my team. There were relatively few runners around me although there is always someone in the distance.

I imagine that there were more walkers this year due to the heat. With an event of this magnitude there will always be some negatives.  Temperatures in October will always be a lottery and the weather was stifling. 

The slower times for many meant later runners, particularly on the desert stages, were forced to wait for longer with no shade and, in some cases, no water supplies which had run out. There were several cases of runners collapsing having overheated either during or after their stage.

The other ‘gripe’ relates to driving standards that sink below even those on the worst school run. Despite the best efforts of the organisers there are many drivers that insist on staying alongside their runner causing havoc on the narrow desert roads.

Others park in areas that block the runners. There are always individuals that believe they are above the law that make life harder for the masses. Yet, the vast majority of the vehicles add to the atmosphere. As national flags flutter there are continual shouts of encouragement while buses are full of singing and dancing. 

There are pick-ups with rock music blaring while runners relax in the back while motorcyclists zip in between transporting runners to the next stage. It is an event full of colour that fosters camaraderie.

This is particularly evident at the after-party where weary, sweaty runners are transformed into enthusiastic teenagers as they regale each other with memories of their experiences as completion medals hang proudly around their necks. 

By this stage the vast majority who exclaimed ‘I’m never doing that again’ within seconds of the finish are already planning to return with promises to themselves and teammates that: “I’m going to start training earlier next year.”

Yet the joy of the marathon relay does not end on the day – there is the eagerly-awaited release of the official timings. This is where the winners of the mini-competitions are crowned and I am sure phones run as hot on the Sunday as they did on the Friday!

It is the time for comparisons, not only in terms of the times but also the difficulty levels of each leg.  I had no idea that Bahrain had so many hills! Gravity’s team won in two hours, 26 minutes and 37 seconds, nearly seven minutes ahead of Joud Men’s team, with Bapco in third with 2:39:31and after final penalties were applied for all sorts of rule violations such as changing runners mid-stage or pacing, the final place of 197th went to a team called L&T who finished with a five hour penalty. 

Yet despite the energy sapping heat and lunacy of some of the desert drivers I will be back for more next year. The real question now is when to start training?

The final credit is saved for the organisers and hundreds of volunteers who line the streets or manage the changeover points, managing egos in the heat all day – thank you!