 What you are about to witness is the perfect example of how not to pace a marathon. It's the story of a runner who is in no fit state to run the time he's set himself and is fully aware of this and has been told by countless people that it should not be attempted and yet still he thinks he can pull it off. It was a surprise when I was selected in the ballot for the Berlin Marathon and so the race had to be slotted in at the end of some very long, very mountainous other races filling up the calendar in 2022. But this is Berlin, one of the fastest marathon courses in the world. I'd be a fool not to go for another sub three hour marathon time. So the Berlin Marathon Expo is at Tempelhof Airport, the old airport in Berlin that was closed in 2008 and it's an absolutely fantastic place. It's huge that the airport itself with the hangars here behind me, the airfield itself. You can walk along the runway and then there's the main terminal building behind me there as well and the Expo is inside and outside the whole thing. So I arrived at the Expo tired and with battered legs but with an inner confidence bordering on the delusional. Okay it's eight o'clock in the morning and I am up and dressed. I've just gone down and had my breakfast in my lovely hotel room here in Berlin and there on the table I have Coca-Cola and milk. The milk I'm going to drink now, the Coca-Cola I'm going to decant into two small bottles to carry with me to have later in the race. There's my Zwift race vest, my shorts, my heart rate monitor, top. I don't do flat lays but there we are and so these two bottles that were the did-hold beetroot juice I am going to fill with Coke and have about 17 miles, 18 miles in. Leaving the hotel I made my way to the start line and I could feel the atmosphere begin to build as I approached the iconic Brandenburg Gate. Some of my local clubmates were running so I went to find them at the race village. I found Fina and Charles, Fina supporting Charles is running so we can all be nervous together. We're in the event village just past Brandenburg Gate and having never been here before I've no idea where anything is. I keep feeling like we're running out of time but Charles tells me that we're absolutely fine. It's nine o'clock, start is a quarter past nine so I feel like I'm a bit late getting to the start clock. My upcoming intro is notable for its accuracy and duplicity. Secretly I still think I can do sub three hours. Welcome to film my run. This is the Berlin marathon. There is no way I am doing three hours today. My legs are shot to pieces after the Lakeland 100, the TVS, the Ben Nevis Ultra. It's just not going to happen but we're going to go out there and have fun and enjoy ourselves. That's what Berlin is all about today. Is anybody going to beat Kipchurge today? No, they aren't. That's the answer. No. I took off at sub three hour pace but by 5k in I had already accepted my fate. If I can idiot, I started at a three hour pace. My legs are in no fixed state for three hour pace so I just need to slow down and chill out and relax. I don't know why I'm going this pace. You're going at that pace because you're an idiot who after 140 marathons and ultras ought to know better. 10k in and I've slowed down to 3, 10, 3, 15 cases but I still feel I'm going too fast. The problem with starting too fast is the negative impact it has on the rest of your race. Right, just past 15km and I'm going at around 4, 30 pace, 4, 25, 4, 30. So keep that up for the next one. Hello buddy. Cheers mate. As I approached halfway it was nice to see club mate Fina cheering me on. But I was slowing with every kilometer despite trying to maintain an even pace. My hamstrings and calves were tight and as a result my stride length was shortening. There we are halfway in a gun time of 135. Probably need to add a minute. We'll take off a minute from that. 134. Very tired though. It's not happening today at all. So yeah I'll keep going. So I've just got to enjoy it. Get to the finish whenever we can. I was also becoming conscious of not enjoying myself. Why am I here? If I can't get my goal time the least I can do is enjoy the experience. 25k. 1 hour 54. So we're just chilling out here trying to relax. Early marathon you've got to enjoy it. So just over 10 miles to go. If you're enjoying this video please do hit the like button and tell me what were some of your best and worst race experiences in the comments down below. And do please subscribe if you're not already. I will be forever grateful. There we go 30k in 2 hours 18 minutes. 12k to go. So we should finish before 3 hours 30. Hopefully. But the way I'm slowing down you never know. From here on I resolved to embrace Berlin and the race and to remember that running a big city marathon is all about feeling part of that bigger wider community of running. 35 kilometers in 2 hours 45. 45 minutes to get in under 3.37k to go. In the final few kilometers the sun decided to make an appearance. I was still slowing down but I could sense the finish and I knew there were plenty of others suffering along with me. Marathon running is not easy and that's one of the reasons we do it. I had no idea Fina was shouting at me. I was locked in to the end game now. 40 kilometers in 3 hours 13 minutes. The sun is out. It's a beautiful day. Side note plastic cups of water are a terrible idea on so many levels. It's been a tough one this. We're really out to grind it out because I started way too fast thinking it might be alright and it obviously wasn't. Into the final kilometer I upped my speed for one of the most iconic marathon finishes in the world. I crossed the line with mixed feelings of joy, relief and disappointment. My splits were terrible but I finished. Just under 125. So I've got to be happy with that really. I cannot complain. I threw everything I've done in the last few months. So my second marathon major, Berlin done. The moral of the story is that you need to be realistic about your goal time. Confidence and experience or even a delusional belief in your own ability are not enough and race specific training is vital. So Kichogo breaks the marathon world record 20109. Amazing. This is Jonathan. Jonathan, tell me your time today. 309. Is that a PB? Yep. What were you hoping for? Um, some 315. So, um, yeah, really happy. Really good. Well done Jonathan. Thank you. Right, I've got the goodie bag. Got my drop bag. Feeling better than I did when I crossed the line. So, yeah, I felt absolutely wrecked crossing the line. And the last, well, to be honest, the whole thing was a struggle today. From kilometer five when I knew I'd, I'd gone out too fast, you know, I, I thought I'd see what three hour pace felt like. And so I stuck at three hour pace for five K knew it wasn't working. I knew I wasn't going to keep, um, three hour pace up. So I deliberately slowed it right down to three 15 pace. And then after 10 K 15 K, I knew I wasn't going to be able to keep that up. So I slowed it down again. And we eventually came in at three 24. That's fine though. So this is the Adidas room where the, all the Adidas runners can come and chill out and relax and get drinks and photos, get changed and stuff after the marathon. So I've come to just be with this Zwift team. And many of you know I run on Zwift. And so the guys from Zwift are all here. So I'm just spending some time with them after the marathon. We're on our way home on the plane to Gatwick. And that is it. Tough day at the office, but it got it done in the end. Just not, not the time I was hoping for, but it's a perfectly all right time. I'm not going to complain too much. So join me for another marathon, another adventure. I'll film my run next time. Take care everyone. Bye bye.