The 36th Belgrade Marathon was held on April 23. This year, in addition to the 42km, 21km, and relay race, a 10km race was also introduced. The Belgrade Marathon broke records this year and had over 10,000 registered participants.
I wanted to run this half marathon to see Belgrade from a different (racing) angle. Before the race, I heard that it was one of the most difficult in Europe because of the many hills. Although, according to my estimation, I was in good condition to run that 21 km without any problems, I did not know what was waiting for me.
That day started with the sun, so I knew in advance that it would be too hot in New Belgrade.
The organization of leaving things was perfect.
I was shocked at how many people were around me before the start. Until that moment, I had been to races where there were at most 2-3,000 people. Before the race start, it was not possible to reach the starting zone, so we stopped where possible. It’s interesting how I always get nervous, even if I start a race without expecting to achieve a certain time.
With 10,000 people, don’t expect to pass the start quickly. After 2 minutes, a jog along Kralje Aleksandar Boulevard and down to Slavija Square begins. All the way to the old railway station, the shade and the downhill were pleasant. It was necessary to be able to run downhill more easily. I didn’t have a problem with that because I wasn’t in a hurry. When you come under the Branko bridge, you already know in the announcement that the sun and heat are coming.
After Usce, and almost 5km from the start, is the first refreshing station. Approximately 35 minutes passed when we reached it, and there was nothing left except water. Because of these situations, it is extremely important to carry refreshments with you. Unlike the friend next to me, who was in euphoria, I began to tire myself mentally and wonder why I started at all. I thought about how much I love running in the forest. For the last 2 months, I have been training mostly in the forest. Concrete is an extremely boring thing for me. I tried to distract myself by thinking positively, but the sun and concrete made it impossible for me to maintain a normal pace.
When we reached the next refreshment station, a similar situation occurred. Kudos to the people who volunteered, but the organizer did not correctly calculate how much refreshments were needed for all the stations. It’s a bit stupid because the runners pay a higher price to run in this race, and then they stay at the marathon without water. There were many fans during the race. I saw some acquaintances, but it helped me mentally only for a moment.
After the uninteresting New Belgrade, the bridge over the Ada begins. If, in the winter, I was bored running it once, now I have the opportunity to run it in both directions and in bright sunshine. I felt happiness when I saw tram 13, and I wanted to stop it to take me home. Then, by mistake, I take a drink to raise the sugar a little, so I feel nauseous. As a friend from my former club came by, I decided to give up running and walk quickly with him. I let my friend, in euphoria, go ahead and run. I planned to help her run faster, but you still have to know when to stop and not to torture yourself.
A brisk walk and occasional run helped me get over the nausea, lower my heart rate, and get a good rest. I wanted to enjoy myself after the race, so that’s the reason why I didn’t want to myself to the point of exhaustion. At that moment, I found my purpose in being next to a friend who was about to finish his first half marathon. And it wasn’t exactly relaxing, because 5 km before the end he got a cramp in his leg.
When you reach the Branko bridge, you realize that the rest will soon be over. The music stations were wrongly arranged, although I guess that was never planned. There were already a lot of people in Kraljina Natalija Street. In order not to write only bad reviews, one of the positive things about such races is the runners next to whom you will most likely last until the end. Somehow, they force you not to give up. At any moment, someone around you is walking or running. The famous uphill climb along Prince Milos Street passes quickly. The entry to the finish line, as always, takes a long time. As you get closer and closer to the finish line, it seems like it’s moving away.
When we ran to the finish line, I saw a lot of people sitting on the concrete. Everyone was struggling with their pain. That day was really hot, and people could overdo it and push themselves without adequate training beforehand. I saw people who gave up after the first refreshment station. We finished that famous first half marathon in 2:55:14. That was a great time for someone considering the objective obstacles.
I was extremely happy that I managed to recover and lower my heart rate to 110. My muscles hurt, but that’s again because I don’t run much on concrete now. I was glad that some finished the race satisfied, although there were few of them in my environment. Mostly, everyone who had a plan to run went slower by up to 20 minutes.
I want to praise the volunteers again, who are a huge help to us runners. Without them, the race could not have been held, and there would have been huge problems. The organizer should pay attention to his resources and enable the runners to have refreshments during the entire marathon.
On the way back from Kalemegdan, we saw the marathon runners who were running to the finish line after almost 6 hours. I was proud of each of them because they managed to finish 42 km in such weather. I was extremely sad when I saw beforehand that the organizers were already removing things from the finish line. There was almost no water and no refreshments. All runners, regardless of speed, are important, so my conclusion was that I would never run a marathon in Belgrade. I thought about having someone waiting for me at the finish line with food and water in case I ran a marathon.
Friends were important to me that day, so I had a good time despite some difficulties. I rate the Belgrade Marathon race as satisfactory, but there can always be better. However, the half marathon in Sarajevo and the Zemun Winter Night half marathon remain the most beautiful races I have been to.
