The Peninsula Marathon 2012

I’m so glad I did this run! I have done the Two Oceans marathon for the last 3 years! I didn’t get an entry this year so I went on the prowl for more races. WOW! There are loads of gorgeous runs out there for Capetownians…lucky us! I honestly have to tell you that running is an easy and do-able sport…it’s for everyone and reason is, you compete against yourself . I find going for jogs rather peaceful and there’s no pressure attached to them. It’s nice! It’s easy and it’s cheap! All you need is a pair of running shoes and an optional extra is an ipod plus maybe a scenic route! The Peninsula 21km started in Bergvliet and ran through the coastal road of Muizenberg, Fish Hoek and ended in Simon’s Town Naval Base. The cut off time was 4 hours to complete 21km…that means you could walk it and still get there in time for the cut-off! So my advice is DO IT! Enter a half marathon, no matter how unprepared you think you are, if you can run 5km – well jog it, then you’re already a quarter of the way there and you can always walk the other 16km! These ‘races’ are actually such fabulous events, they aren’t competitive and for your average joe and I found the support of random people hooting their cars, watching from balconeys and standing on the sidelines shouting so encouraging. It was so incredible. Then there are lots of runners, 70 year olds, young and all shapes and sizes – so you WILL fit in and it’s your race where you just compete against yourself! Here my shots of the run…yes! I took my Blackberry with me! If Tanya Kovarsky can do the Comrades whilst tweeting on her iPhone – then puh! I can do a little half marathon and tweet too! I loved reading her updates on her runs which she posted on Twitter…felt like I was there – sort of. It was fun and I got a couple of comment while I rather awkwardly took snaps with my hand in the air and running at the same time. By the way! I will never do the Two Oceans again… it’s not the ‘World’s most beautiful marathon’ … THIS ONE IS! Also there are some more pros to the Peninsula Run, like it’s cheaper, less popular so not as hideously squished (honestly the start of the Two Oceans is a big blog of 13 000 trying to kick off their run) and it’s so much more beautiful because the entire route is only the seaside! There is a sea breeze as a bonus! I’m so excited to do it again next year. To find out how to enter the Peninsula Run and other cool running events visit Runner South Africa website (www.runner.co.za) info!