Friends, this is a race weekend that is not for the faint of heart – or the untrained.
You are challenged with speed in one race, and left with hills, winds, humidity, and even rum stops over longer distances in other races.
And I’m so excited that I was able to complete it again, even besting my marathon time over the 2024 time. It was a weekend to spend with friends in a place I called home for seven years. It was a weekend to share the story of Evan O’Dell, who had only just passed earlier that week after several years of living with a deadly barin cancer, glioblastoma.
For the Triangle Challenge, you complete three races in three days:
- Friday: one mile run on Front Street
- Saturday: 10K on a hilly course
- Sunday: either the half or full marathon
At the completion of each race, you receive a medal, which is magnetic so you can stack your medals to make a complete scene of Bermuda. Upon completion of all three, you receive a special medal featuring the longtail that goes on top to finish the medal design (and add even more weight to an already hefty medal). In addition, the swag at the event for Challenge runners is fantastic; this year was a windbreaker, a beach towel, and your race shirt.
FRONT STREET MILE: the open race of the mile is a mixed bag of runners that come in at all speeds. I am not a fast runner, nor do I train for speed, so I’m not particularly fast. But I completed this in a ‘fast for me’ time of 8:15 for the mile.
10K: This event is a very hilly run. Thankfully the weather was beautiful and cool, with Bermuda showing just how gorgeous she is to all the runners on the course – and there were a lot! I tried to hold back a bit and not wear out my legs too much, even walking up all the decent hills as my strategy. I still managed to have a ‘speedy’ 58:05 thanks to the cool temps that day.
MARATHON: I knew what I was in for – a hilly course, humid conditions, but thankfully, the temps were much cooler than they were in 2024. I also had the honour of running a few miles from Somerset to South Shore Road with some folks who were faster than me (I picked up the pace to keep with them for some company). Windy conditions made it a bit challenging the first few miles and then at some other spots along the course where we were exposed to headwinds – thankfully, I took the time to stop at the Goslings rum stop near John Smith’s Bay to get a bit of liquid pain meds to help me push through the last nine or so miles of the course! It was also fun to run into my friend Zena at McGall’s hill, where we could walk up together and chat about our runs (she was running the half marathon). At the top of the hill, we parted ways, each running our own race plans, and I was able to cheer her in to the finish as well as share celebratory beers with her at Flanagan’s that afternoon! With good temps and race strategy, I was able to complete marathon #42 in 4:29:04.
Before we left Bermuda, Chris and I went to check on our Bermuda cedar tree we planted in May 2007 on our first wedding anniversary. We were pleased to see how well it was doing after 18+ years. Thrilled we did this important planting as part of our desire to have a truly Bermuda wedding, adhering to Bermuda customs and traditions while also giving back to the environment. I hope this tree continues to thrive and grow bigger and strong over the years.
And that was Marathon #42!
Robyn Runs the World 