Gold Coast Marathon

For the average runner this course is harder than you think. The heat came quickly (up to about 20 degrees Celsius) after the sunrise, and the last 5K's into a headwind was pretty savage. Although some of the scenery was spectacular---running alongside the beaches, some parts of the course were really narrow and that meant there was a fair bit of dodging other runners until the race thinned out in the second half. There were also really long stretches---several K's---of running in the same direction, which became quite monotonous (and tough when the winds sprang up). On the flipside, the crowds were energetic and fun. Overall, a solid marathon experience, but, if you are just a general runner, don't be fooled by talk of 'easy and fast'.