When I did my first marathon in April, I swore that would be my last. The problem was I had already booked my next one… In the land of tulips, canals and bicycles. The TCS Amsterdam marathon – whilst not a ‘major’ marathon – attracts thousands every year, is that due to the nearly non-existent elevation, roaring crowds or the abundance of opportunity to indulge in any vice you could want after the race?
The facilities are outstanding with an expo to collect your number and merch, endless vendor stalls with all of the latest running and recovery gear, a pre race pasta party, and city walk the day before.
On race day me and some friends trammed our way to the start line, on the athletics track in the main stadium of the 1928 Olympics. The bag drop was predictably busy, taking 3 attempts to get to the front of a queue before the staff ran out of room, but once unlaiden we made our way into the stadium, music blares and tv coverage of the race is shown on giant screens in the centre of the field, the starting waves segmented around the track.
Last checks on equipment completed, we cross the start line and head out into Amsterdam proper. First is Vondelpark, the largest park in the Netherlands, supporters line the route through the avenues and morale is boosted by the live music, next we work our way past the canals toward the Rijksmuseum and the iconic ‘IAmsterdam’ sign, the next few kilometers work around bustling streets with more live music until we make it to the river Amstel at around the 10km mark, running past mansions on excellent roads and entertainment provided by flying people on jet boots!, once we cross the river and work our way back up toward the city we hit the half way mark. water stops are every 5km, but in the later stops bananas and isotonic drinks are provided, and not a minute too soon, the mood of the race from this point forward takes a turn as ambulances make their way down the crowded paths to some runners that had fallen by the wayside, things are getting tough now.
On paper having a completely flat route is the dream marathon, however running for this long at the same grade really starts to ache, and the pace slows as cramp kicks in.
The last 10km hits us at the end of the river, this section takes us through the industrial districts of the city, its not much to look at but supporters still line the route urging us all on and soon we are back into the tourist friendly section of the city, working our way past the Heineken Experience and back through Vondelpark. The last Kilometre is jam packed with supporters and the cheering is deafening as we finish back in the stadium, collect our medals and collapse onto the centre field with some chips and a well deserved beer.
Never again… until the next one…
The Medal
The iconic oval medals of yesteryear that depict the athletic track have been ditched for a rectangular pendant cast in brass with an aged oxide layer, the race name and year are part of the casting along with the lanes of the athletics track. There is a hole in the centre of the track where the field would be. the overall size and feel of the medal is good and portrays the prestige such a medal should.
| Weight | 110g |
| Dimensions | 75 x 85 mm |
| Material | Brass |
The ribbon is soft and silky, in blue, black and white displaying the race name, date and tagline – ‘This was my masterpiece’, the ribbon is stitched at the base by the mounting to the pendant meaning the decoration stays in the correct place,
Overall, I rate this medal 7/10
The high quality casting and ribbon make this piece a high quality addition to the collection and adequately symbolises the sense of achievement deserved from running this race. A slightly larger medal would potentially be better, or reverting to the original oval shape would make it feel more unique.
One point is lost because the medals for the Half marathon and 8k are the same as marathon. utterly unacceptable.
