I Ran My First Half Marathon
I did it. Yesterday evening, at 7pm, I crossed the start line of the ING Night Marathon Luxembourg with more than 18,000 other runners. Approximately 2 hours later, I crossed the finish line of my first half marathon.
My time: 2:08:34, at an average pace of 6:06 /km. I’m honestly proud of it and impressed. My only goal was to finish alive, and I ended up doing much better than I had dared to hope. The full activity is on Strava if you want to have a look. That pace is something I couldn’t have imagined hitting back in January — let alone ten years ago.
It rained for the first three kilometres, a lot. Then it stopped. The sky stayed cloudy for the rest of the race — no sun at all — which turned out to be a real advantage. I had been a bit worried about the heat, and in the end the weather did me a favour. Under a full sun, the second half would have been a very different story.
What struck me most was everything around the running itself. The organisation was impressive: 18,000+ runners, the staff everywhere, the supporters lining the streets, the music, the atmosphere all across Luxembourg city. Running through that energy is something I won’t forget. People cheering complete strangers, kids holding out their hands for high-fives, bands playing at almost every corner — it carries you when your legs start to protest.
I started training seriously in February, before announcing the race here. I knew from the start that commitment to the training would be key to the success. Consistency is what made this possible.
I will absolutely do this again. More half marathons for sure. A full marathon? I’m not certain I’m ready for that yet but why not next year. The idea, which felt completely out of reach a few months ago, suddenly doesn’t seem so crazy.
To everyone who sent kudos on Strava during training, and to the strangers shouting encouragements last night in the streets of Luxembourg: thank you! And thank you, Ruslan, for pushing me to sign up for this experience.