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Foto Jan Griesel
21.05.2012 11:12
from Jan Griesel

After our successful marathon debut last year, we gladly took on the 42.195 km course again on Sunday. This time we brought twice as many participants to the event and we set our sights even higher than before. Anyone who missed the event can still get a taste of the action with the following report and photos.

Both excitement and nervousness had already set in when the first half of our 16 runners met up at 8:30 yesterday morning. While waiting in the shade near the starting line, it was hard to imagine the physical exertion that lay just ahead. The starting gun was fired at 9:00am and our first four runners, Jan Griesel, Steffen Griesel, Philip Valentin and Gretchen Bates, happily set out on the first leg of the marathon, which would take them through nearly 11 km of the city. While these four battled against the challenges of the course and the ever increasing temperatures, the other relay racers got on shuttle buses that took them to their starting positions.

The next four runners didn't have to wait long at the first transfer station before they started out on the second - and longest - leg of the race. At this point, the team plentymarkets I began to take a noticeable lead from the other three groups. The temperatures continued to increase as the runners progressed along the course. Every moment of shade and sip of water was a welcome relief. Even after the baton was handed off for a second time, team 1 continued to increase the gap between the other three runners, who were all vying for second place. As the gap continued to widen, it became clear why team 1 was considered the internal favorite among staff members.

In the third and fourth legs of the race, our runners not only had to battle the high temperatures but also the steepest part of the course. After the baton was handed off for the last time, all of the other runners took the shuttle buses back to the Auestadion, the stadium where the runners would cross the finish line. They stood together on the sidelines, waiting to spot the last runner in each group. The four team members ran the final lap around the stadium together, while others cheered on the sidelines and video cameras filmed the last meters of the journey.

While team plentymarkets I managed the entire course in well under 4 hours, the other three teams were also successful and finished the day with times ranging from 4:28 to 4:45. Directly after crossing the finish line, all four of the teams were awarded medals and took advantage of the much needed refreshments that were provided. With a mixture of pride and exhaustion, our teams celebrated the successful event and a job well done.

There was also a 17th colleague who got more than his share of exercise yesterday. He accompanied us throughout the day by bicycle and took lots of photos. You can see the results of his work here:

 


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