Reece Lightning: Edwards claims Australian marathon crown
Belgrave’s Reece Edwards was the first Australian across the line at the Melbourne Marathon on October 2, finishing in third place in 2:14:42 - just hours before his clubmates would take on the London Marathon.
We caught up with Reece after the race, who shared his thoughts on the event and gave some advice for budding marathoners.
You started 2022 with some really strong cross country performances in claret and gold - what were your ambitions at the start of the year and how has your season progressed since then?
My goal at the start of the year was all about experiencing the legendary British XC scene.
Initially I struggled significantly in the mud however I was able to improve my results at each event as I gained more experience. I was building well into National XC whilst starting a marathon build up for Hamburg.
However, at the beginning of February I sustained a sacroiliac joint injury which caused a stop to all my running for about three months. This injury also brought any hope of Commonwealth Games selection to an end. I moved home to Australia during this time period and have gradually rebuilt my fitness over the last three months.
I decided my 2022 challenge would be to run Sydney and Melbourne Marathons which are only two weeks apart, instead of targeting a faster marathon in Europe or the US.
Why did you enter the Melbourne Marathon?
The Melbourne marathon has the largest participation rate in Australia, plus finishing in the MCG is always a unique experience.
How do you feel your training went? Did you do anything different in your preparation compared to previous marathons?
There was nothing special about my training, and honestly, I did not realise I was in 2:14 shape.
The main difference in my training since moving to Melbourne is I now train solo. In London I was fortunate to train with Cottage and had my good friend Callan Moody living nearby who would join me for all workouts at Battersea and Richmond Park.
I scheduled local events every two weeks during my marathon build so I could get a hard threshold workout in with others. I feel when training solo I am unable to reach the same level of intensity compared to the group effect so I think racing often on tired legs was very beneficial in preparation for my upcoming marathons.
Talk us through your strategy for the day.
My plan was to run around 2:15 marathon pace for as long as possible and ignore the lead group.
However, the lead Kenyan athletes dictated my strategy in the first five kilometres, as they went out really conservative around 16:00.
At this point I was feeling really comfortable, and I always think It is advantageous to be part of a group, and not solo.
Your first half came in at 1:05:40, how did you feel things were going at that point?
Just as we approached the halfway point the group split because the leaders started increasing the pace to 2:58/km. I was feeling the fast start in my legs at this point and tried my best to settle back into the original plan of 2:15 marathon pace.
How did the race evolve from there?
The Melbourne Course is much slower in the second half, with a gradual climb back towards the City, then a short hilly loop around the Tan (an iconic inner city Melbourne running loop).
I was suffering from the early pace and struggling with the hills late in the race so I was just trying to survive the last 10kms. I stopped looking at my splits during this final 10kms so I was shocked when I entered the MCG knowing I was going to run 2:14.
How does it feel to be Australian Champion?
To be honest, it is not a prestigious title, and I don’t see myself as the Australian Champion.
The UK is able to attract all the best British runners to the London marathon which makes becoming the British Champion a prestigious title. It is rare for the best Australian Marathon runners to actually race against one another in Australia unlike the British scene.
Brett Robinson ran 2:09 at the London marathon last weekend, so I see him as the real Australian Champion.
What are your targets for the rest of the year and 2023?
I am going to test myself in the Ultra-Trail 100km Australia to finish off this year. Next year I hope to try and run a 2:12 marathon, but I have no specific plans at this stage where I may race.
Could you share any advice for runners on how to tackle the marathon?
I think the best advice is to gradually increase the distance and speed of your long runs leading into the marathon.
Before the race it is nice to run 35-40kms on two to three occasions at 20-30 secs/km slower than race pace. This conditions the body but also the mind to give you confidence come race day. Also, always remember to practise your race nutrition on these runs.
Belgrave has been able to build such an incredible community and there will likely be a fellow club member who is running a marathon at a similar time of year. Utilise the social aspect of running and link up with training partners/team mates during your build up into the event.
Training with others is a much more sustainable training method than training solo and will keep you mentally fresh for race day.
