Review of Ottosdal Draf en Trap Night Marathon - 31 January 2015

Sport Race
Event Ottosdal Draf en Trap Night Marathon
Date 31 January 2015
Where Ottosdal, South Africa
Distance 42 Km
Finishing Time 04:22:47
Race Number 884
Result 192/417
Top % 46%
Pace 6:15 m/km
Speed 9.59 km/h
Click here for details about Ottosdal Draf en Trap Night Marathon
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My experience at the event:

If I suffered during the previous week's Xterra, then that was nothing compared to another bad sport event for me: the night marathon at Ottosdal. 
Andy selected it because, without sun, he would suffer less (he's a ginger), and I didn't mind experience something new. The only night races I did were all 10kms after all.

For him was the first marathon, while for me it was the 12th. And it ended up being the worse.
The whole point luckily was to get a qualification time for the Comrades, and it was the only positive about a race where once again I felt way short of my standards. Must be the age. Or the fat.
 
Ottosdal, in pure Afrikaneers land, 3 hours and a half away from Johannesburg, offered a very interesting marathon: run 21km through the fields to a turning point, then run back.
In the first half I felt strong, and I completed the first 21km in around 1.50, exactly what I was planning to achieve to get a sub 4 hours results. But then, when darkness descended, something broke. I could not see the road very well (and kept tripping on the little lanterns on the road) and I had terrible cramps. I walked probably 5km after the 25th and then I completed the marathon by jogging at a very slow pace, in a terrible 4.22, which is by far (20 minutes!) my worst result ever.

By hey, ANdy at least did well and finished only 20 minutes after me, qualifying as well for the comrades. Sure, spending the night in the tent, with cramps and pains, under the rain, wasn't going to be a great way to finish the day, but we were too tired to care...

Usual details of the race here:  http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/687340759

Some pictures:

Ottosdal Night Marathon
Before the race

Ottosdal Night Marathon
Our medal

Ottosdal Night Marathon
Sleeping like zombies in the tent after the marathon was over

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