Congratulations to WMN RUN regular Emily who recently conquered the scenic but hilly Big Sur Marathon - and set a PB while she was at it. We sit down Emily to find out more about her race.
Who are you and how long have you been running with WMN RUN?
I’m Emily, I’m a paediatric nurse from Australia! I first joined WMN run in 2019 shortly after I moved to the UK, when I was looking to meet people who I could connect with while running!
What made you want to run the Big Sur Marathon?
I had run London Marathon in October 2021, and was pretty keen to give the distance another go. I then visited Big Sur actually and when I heard they closed the road for a marathon I was sold! It’s such a beautiful part of the world.
What was your favourite part of the race?
There is this part of the course, called Hurricane Point, where we ran uphill for 2 miles, gaining 600 feet in elevation. The headwind was insane, and the hill was quite relentless but at the top the view was amazing, looking down on the famous Bixby Bridge where someone was playing a grand piano for us all. It was just incredible!
How many marathons have you done so far?
Just 2 so far but I’m considering Valencia in December!!
What’s your top tip to someone facing their first marathon?
Not to stress about running a certain time! I feel like your first marathon is such an unknown, and also such an achievement, no matter how fast or slow you are!
What’s next?
Hopefully Valencia Marathon - I would love to run sub-4 hours, so fingers crossed!!!