FAVOURITE THINGS FRIDAY

I'm a bit late posting this but it is still Friday somewhere in the world so that will do.
I'm joining Shay from Quilting in My Pyjamas for FTF.
If you'd like to join in just pop over to Shay's blog via the button on my sidebar.


My favourite thing today is people who have the courage and determination to challenge themselves to the limit.

My lovely daughter Sally is one of those people.

In the last couple of years Sally has taken up running - distance running - and she loves it.
Participating in this sport has only begun in her thirties and she has built up her participation until this year she entered in the Gold Coast Marathon that was held last weekend.

She entered in the Half Marathon - that's running 21 kilometres !




Of course Mum and Dad went along as support.
The race started at 6:00am in a park on the Broadwater on the sunny Gold Coast.
As we live an hour away we didn't try to be there for the start. We had been warned we would not be able to get near enough to the starting line because huge crowds were expected.

There certainly were huge numbers of people there, all straining to catch a glimpse of their special someone as they ran past.

Sprinkled amongst the runners were the pace runners.....

dressed in special costumes to distinguish them from the others. Here is the 2 hour pace maker. Sally was hoping to be near her so we took up our position ( pre-arranged with Sally ) near this sign.

Then we waited anxiously....

Scanning faces,

looking out for pink shoes,

pink shirts
as the runners thundered by

until.....

there she was!

running with a smile on her face

keeping up a cracking pace

even though her legs were burning

joyful even....

swerving towards Dad as he snapped away!

A winner !!

 Time:  2 hours and 4 minutes to run 21k

Very proud !

She could even smile through the pain of a post race massage !

While all of this was happening, on another part of the course, the 42k marathon was well underway.

We stayed around to watch the winner sprint past us in 2+ hours

Second

Third

 

and about 2 hours later ( in the heat of the day ) came Sally's friend Lauren

42 k in 4hours and 20 minutes !

Well done girls !