Joe Farrugia was one of the athletes finishing the Malta Marathon with more years on his life account than kilometres covered. And true to his usual self, he didn't just make the numbers as crossing the finish line at 3:15:15, he was the 48^th overall, and second in the 55-59 Age Category. His wife, three daughters and grand daughters cheering him on the sidelines were surely not let down.

Joe, you said in your last interview that running effects your well-being. Now that you’ve returned and conquered the ultimate distance of running, i.e. the marathon, how good do you feel?

Well, after the finish I felt very tired, but now I’m getting my strength back and am looking forward for the next events.

I’ve heard you didn’t have the ideal preparation for the marathon. What went wrong during the preparation?

At first I had problems regarding my family, which were fortunately solved. Then I had some physical problems too and had to do some tests at the hospital. It was too much too handle and I was losing my concentration. Fortunately, everything got sorted out.

Still, you managed a very respectable time and placing. It seems you’ve got it in you to defy all the odds. Apart from that what helped you through out? Having been through a marathon three times before, how much that helped psychologically?

Experience is very important when it comes to sports and thus I have learned a lot through past marathons.

It also seemed you had a running partner in your team-mate Sam Attard, and in fact finished the marathon very close to each other. Did you run most of the marathon together, and how much running with someone else helps?

Sam, was a good partner and pacer during the last marathon. We ran forty kilometres together, we were six athletes running together at a constant pace. Sam, an Italian, a Spanish, a French, a Scottish and I. We all pulled each other for the first twenty-five kilometres. However after KM25 the Spanish guy ran off being younger and stronger than the rest of the group. Then after twenty-nine kilometres Sam and I left the others behind and helped each other by keeping a fast, steady pace.

Looking back with hindsight on your side, would you have run the first part of the marathon faster or slower? How different in terms of timing and feelings were the first and second part? Did you feel like hitting any walls at times?

If I were running alone I think I would have ran faster the first part but would have performed the second part at a slower pace. At KM32, climbing up the hill at Blata il-Bajda it felt like hitting a big wall.

Finally, a half marathon in Prague at the end of March is on the horizon for you. After a whole marathon how are you feeling for your next challenge?

I hope to recover my strength back as soon as possible, hoping to obtain a respectable time. Looking forward to another experience!

The interview with Joseph Farrugia prior to the marathon is found here.

The linear rise

Once while on duty Sam Attard realised that he had to get fit. Then he started to jog. Then to run. Then to race. A commitment to become a marathoner followed. The week before the race with Greek origins he was being tormented by a Greek named injury: the Achilles heel. But that was just one hurdle which made the finishing line sweeter.

Sam, it’s now more than a week since you’ve done and finished the marathon, has it sunk in yet?

I’m still thinking and talking about it. I have been telling everyone, runners and not, about the experience and the feeling when touching the finish touchline. Thinking of being a marathoner, makes me happy.

I know that you had some problems in your legs in the week of the marathon. How much did they affect before and during the marathon?

Yes, eight days before the marathon I felt pain in my right Achilles. During this period I went to my physio four times and had to stop training for a whole week. At the start of the race, I felt the pain, but after covering ten kilometres I did not feel any further pain at all. However, I had to stop three times to stretch due to cramps.

Standing there at the starting line, what were your thoughts, and did you have any lingering doubts?

My thoughts were ‘Am I going to finish the race?’ I had my doubts not because I was not trained and mentally prepared for the race, but my concern was more about my Achilles injury. At the same time I was excited and trying to convince myself that I was going to do it.

How much did the first part of the marathon differ from the second part?

It’s not the same. I managed to run the first half of the marathon in 1 hour 34 minutes and the second part in 1 hour 40 minutes. After doing 30km, I had a feeling of discomfort in my legs and for this reason I lost precious time as I had to stop three times after the 25 kilometre mark. This was my first experience, so next time I will definitely try to keep my target pace.

Where there any particular moments of crisis during the whole route?

None at all. For most of the race I ran with Joe Farrugia. We pushed and encouraged each other all the way. At one time we were running with a group of foreigners amongst whom were a French , Spanish and German runner. The wind was no help at all but one need to get accustomed to the weather conditions.

You have done the Life Cycle before, which is another amazing feat. How does running a marathon compare to it?

I took part in the Life Cycle in 2006. We cycle toured from Norway to Sweden and down to Finland in ten days. In total we covered more than 2,200 kilometres. It was an unforgettable experience. Doing something for a good cause, makes you feel proud of what you are doing. Both the marathon and the life cycle need a lot of training and preparation. You have to be committed and dedicated. For the lifecycle you have to train for more hours. In fact because of work and other commitments, I used to train over eight hours during the night, going from Ċirkewwa to Marsaxlokk and back four or five times each time.

As for after-effects, how did the body react in the week after?

Four days after the marathon, my legs were still very stiff. I used to go for long walks and stretch twice daily for a whole week. By Friday I was tempted to go out for an easy jog but our coach advised otherwise so I had to wait for another four days. I was meant to do an easy 35 minute jog but unfortunately I had to stop after 15 minutes due to pain on the side of my left knee.

Finally, getting to the Sliema ferries, with the finishing line a few hundred metres away, how did the body and the soul react?

I reacted very well. I was lucky as I did not have cramps in the last 2KM. In fact I managed to increase my pace without any fatigue. In the last 500mtrs, I looked at my Garmin and realized that I could do it in under 3hrs 15m. I wanted to reach that target at all cost. When I reached the finish line, I was both relieved and satisfied. I felt like screaming ‘Yes I did it’.

The pre-marathon interview with Sam Attard can be found here.

Battling long the trial of adversity

Jason Martin has been flying during this current season. The marathon though does not acknowledge the form of the athlete, and its long, long distance allows for various factors that can contribute to nullify the previous form. Only to a certain extent though, as while Jason Martin did not get his target time, he still prevailed over the distance, enjoyed the finish line and ended with a result that a whole lot would be elated with.

Jason, the marathon is now over. I imagine you were looking for a better timing. Still you stopped the clock at 2:41:24 and ended a very respectable seventh overall and the third Maltese. What went wrong during the day?

All was going perfect until a sharp pain in my lower back hit me at about the 21^st kilometre and kept sharpening to the point of becoming acute and thus couldn’t keep my rhythm and was suffering horrifically to run.

I imagine you went through moments of crisis during the race. What kept you going on just the same?

I kept running with my rhythm until about the 25th kilometre even though not being comfortable at all, but then the pain got so acute that I could hardly run. What kept me running was the big support I had from my coach Has Kesra and also from Julian Borg (Mellieħa AC President) and Mark Bugeja who were assisting me. I owe them a big thanks.

I met you on the Friday before the race, and you looked to have some doubts about Sunday. What doubts were lingering in your mind and did you carry them to the starting line?

Well, when I was on the starting line I was much better although I admit that in previous years I was more aggressive.

You were flying prior to the marathon, winning race after race. Did something go wrong in the few weeks before the marathon?

Not really, all was up and running fine.

The Mellieħa AC coach Has Kesra called you a great runner with good brains. How pleasant was that and how much was Has Kesra part of your development as an athlete and a person overall?

Has Kesra can claim a big chunk in my improvement as a runner both from a phyisical and psychological point of view.

You made part of the winning team as part of the Mellieħa A Team. The team spirit at Mellieħa AC seems to be very strong as I can personally attest. How proud are you to form part of this team and what do you believe is the main factor for such a spirit?

I am very proud to be part of Mellieħa AC . I think the common mentality about running factors and the
fact that the club keeps us together through a lot of social events plays a big role in this team spirit.

The MAAA League has only one race left. It is a league that you have dominated. How much are you looking forward to wrap it up and what’s next for you?

As I planned months before the marathon , I will now stop for a much needed break both as I need it.
I need a break from years living a life of big sacrifices, and for personal reasons. I will be doing the last race of the MAAA Running League just to get some points for the club but my time will be slow for
sure as I will not be training. At most I will go for a slow run every now and then.

At the moment I have nothing in the pipeline, all I am looking forward to is to live some time without thinking about running. I hope motivation and eagerness towards running rises again along the line.

Realisation of a dream

"Hold fast to dreams,
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird,
That cannot fly."

The New Yorker Langston Hughes wrote that. Charmaine Mifsud lived that on 26 February for a whole 3 hours, 41 minutes, 54 seconds – the time between the starting line at Mdina and the finishing line at the Sliema ferries. In between, we see what happened.

Charmaine, going back to the starting line, moments before the gun took off, what were you thoughts?

I was very, very excited, my thoughts were positive, I was convincing myself that I will finish and I want to keep track of my pace the whole time, so that I will see the finish line proudly.

Through the forty-two kilometres, were you carrying any particular mantra?

I wore a bracelet my daughter gave me, and I held the picture of myself hugging my husband , kids and parents at the finish line. That was one of the reasons that kept me going. I didn’t want to let anyone down!

Did you have to run for long periods virtually on your own?

Yes, infact I was running with a group of friends in the first six to seven kilometres, but soon we all took our pace and scattered. It was a very windy day and it would have helped if there was someone who could draft me, but it didn’t happen.

Looking back at the way the course is set, would you change parts of the present route?

For sure. The loop of Ta Qali to Attard and Mosta is too depressing, passing the same route twice. I was feeling better mentally as soon as we passed Kilometre 30, when we joined the half marathoners.

There must have been parts where you were going through some kind of crisis? When was that and what kept you going?

Oh yes..!! My right leg was in so much agony between the 33^rd and the 37^th kilometre, the pain was unbearable, I couldn’t lift my leg off the ground. The thought of quitting or ending up walking was tormenting me and I convinced myself that after running all those kilometres I will not quit the last bit. I was talking to myself loudly ’Come on Charmy,you will do it’ and slowly I was getting back my pace. I was thinking all the way to run last few metres with my son as we had agreed!!

How was your whole self feeling through the last few hundred metres as you got by the Sliema ferries and the finish was in sight?

Heh… the thing is that after the 37^th km, I didn’t want to look at my GPS and pace as still was in pain and knew that my first time target was unreachable. My second target was to see the time in the finish line in less than 3:45, and when I finally saw the clock… I couldn’t believe my eyes. I started to cry before I was under the clock. My son approached me and we ran the last twenty metres together. The cherry on the cake was when I found my coach greeting me and cheering me just under the clock!!

What changed in yourself now that you can call yourself a marathoner?

It’s a dream come true…it has always been my target in the pipeline that before the age of forty I will run a marathon. I imagined it and finally ran it, I will be forty next June. So with God by one side, and my coach on the other side, everything went as planned!!

A sweet return

Thirteen might be an unlucky number to some. But for Hadrian Bonello, it just meant the number of years since his last marathon. While at it he proved that while a good marathon is always nice, proving it all over again is even better. The timing might have been slightly less better than his first one, but stopping the clock at 2:52:59, he finished fourteenth overall and second in the 45-49 age category. More than a respectable return it was definitely a sweet return.


Hadrian, after thirteen years, you returned to the marathon and did well again. How did this second marathon compare to your first one?

Thirteen years is a very long time ago and I do not really remember that much. I do recall that at Sa Maison I overtook the second placed Maltese, Charlie Magri of Zurrieq Wolves but had also developed a severe stitch after drinking an isotonic drink. I also remember the elation of knowing that I was going to finish a credible eighth overall which made me push harder towards the last 500 or so metres.
This year was a totally different challenge. At the back of my mind I was not sure how I was going to fare. Would I be able to make it? Would I achieve a personal best? Motivation wise I knew I could make it. I was also expecting myself to do a better time because my training had been done but then weather conditions and other matters prevailed. The wind in the first half of the marathon was a killer but time-wise I was on the right track. I ruined the second half of the race because I had decided to wear a synthetic pair of socks and leave my running shoes slightly loose. This resulted with a big and bloody blister which slowed my pace drastically. I recall at one moment I was in so much pain that I was tempted to stop and walk the rest of the distance.
But these are things you learn from the experience and hopefully will not happen again.
No two marathons are the same. The important thing is to keep focused and follow the race tactics for the entire distance.


At the starting line, how comforting was the fact that you have covered the whole distance before? Or was it too far in the past?

Like I said earlier I can remember very little from the one of 13 years ago. This race was like a first with the only difference being that I already had a time that I could use as a benchmark. I knew that the pace that I had to run was a manageable one. I was confident of myself that I could finish and would be able to do a good race but like all races you get the usual pre-race butterflies and though you are positive about yourself, at the back of your mind you still have some lingering doubts.


You have quit the competitive scene for a good thirteen years. Still do you think that all the work done in the past bore fruit in this past year?

When you stop training and racing for a good number of years and start all over again the only thing that bears fruit is the experience that you had gathered from the past. Physically wise I had to start from the beginning again. When I decided to start running again my first run was a thirty minute jog and it felt like a marathon! Mentally as I increased the mileage and took up the training program with my coach I knew that I could do well again.


Focusing on the Maltese version of the marathon. You end up covering certain roads more than once, do you believe there is room for more creativity from the part of the organisers?

I totally agree. Personally I do not have any experience of racing marathons abroad but from what I see on TV such as the London, Chicago, Rome and New York marathons these races are packed with people supporting the runners throughout the 42.2km.
Locally the marathon should ideally not pass through the same roads twice or three times. Also deserted roads do not help either. Personally I would not include any long hills in the beginning or towards the end and ideally the flatter it is the better. I would also remove Ta Qali from the route map and include Birkirkara and Hamrun. The route should pass through the main towns and villages thus there would be more support from the general public.


Much is said about the wall at Kilometre 32. Did it have an effect on you personally, and did it ever lurk on your mind?

Yes Kilometre 32 is what everyone says is the moment when you hit the wall. If you are trained properly and followed strictly the pace for the race then this would not happen. You would obviously be more tired than at the initial stages of the race. The wall hits you only if you do not pile up any long runs during your training.
Personally the killer part of the race was the hill from December 13 Road up to Pietà. I was already in pain with the blister on my foot so the hill did not make things any better. I started to talk to myself that I would not do another marathon and would do the half instead as it was less demanding, I was regretting the decision of not tightening my laces properly and all sorts of other things. My pace literally went backwards by some 50 to 70 seconds per km. This feeling eventually disappears once you cross the finish line and you look forward to the next marathon again.


Mellieħa AC had more than one trio in the marathon. You were part of the second trio and ended third overall between all clubs. Something must be done right at Mellieħa AC. Who do you attribute this success to?

All races are different than each other. Today you do well on one race and then you fare badly in the next. We are trained to think this way and know that on race day all the training you had done could be ruined by simply bad weather or an injury that develops. These are things that happen and as an athlete you have to be happy with your outcome.
In the Malta Marathon, the first three athletes from a club qualified as a first team after finishing the first three from the club. These where Andrew, Jason and Fabio. I was in the next three. As I said earlier come another race we could have Manfred, Rodney and Fabio finishing as the top three because no race is the same and we are never sure what can happen during a competition.
All this success comes primarily from the dedication of each individual runner. Then there is the support of the club. But the most important thing is the coach that guides you through the different phases of training to build you up for the race. Most of us follow Has Kesra’s guidance but there are a few who have other coaches or are self-coached. Merit also goes to them.


Looking back at the first part and second part of the marathon. Would you have changed anything you’ve done?

I would not have changed anything. I knew what pace I had to follow and was focused wholly on keeping to the tactics that were discussed during the club’s pre-race meeting with our coach. I have learnt my lesson from this race and that is to have a snuggly fitting pair of running shoes, a good pair of socks and follow the same race routine.


Finally, a second marathon finished with you placing 14th overall and second in your age category. What’s next for you?

I am extremely satisfied with the time and position. I could not have done any better in these circumstances. My next race is about six weeks away which is the final leg of the MAAA road running league which also includes the Veteran’s race. I am not sure what I will do after but come summer I will focus on improving my aerobic capacity as an athlete.

The flying debut

Speaking to Andrew Grech, less than two weeks before the Malta Marathon in his interview here, he admitted that the marathon is the race that he has been dreaming about. On the day, he probably not just lived the dream but thought he’s in a fairytale. Stopping the clock at 2:39:25, he was the second Maltese to enjoy the privilege to stop his clock after crossing the finishing line with forty-two kilometres and a bit in his trail. Alongside Jason Martin and Fabio Spiteri, he confirmed Mellieha AC as the winning team.

Debuts can hardly get any better than this.

Andrew, such a great result, honestly were you expecting it at the starting line?

In the context of timing, yes I was expecting to do a 2hr38-2hr40 Marathon despite getting sick three weeks before the marathon and spending nearly a week in bed. In regards of placing I wasn’t expecting to finish second Maltese. A third place finish was more within my limits as I knew of the potential of Jonathan Balzan and Jason Martin. I thought of a long tussle with Johann Galea who experienced the marathon on several occasions, but I had the better of him around the 17km mark.

Being at the starting line of a marathon for the very first time, did you have any fears or maybe doubts?

Yes, especially when hearing other runners and experiences about the dreaded wall around the 32k mark. Luckily I didn’t hit it and kept on going with a constant pace till the finish.

What has been the furthest distance you ever ran even in training before the marathon?

Two weeks before the marathon I did a three hour session covering just over 39.2kms. It gave me a big boost and felt more confident to produce the predicted time by my coach Has Kesra.

After covering such a distance, were you wary that now you were treading on new grounds, or was it too close to the finishing line to follow?

I think once you taste the marathon you won’t look back to shorter distance. If you are well trained it’s too nice a race to miss. So from now on I try to improve on this one.

The Malta Marathon only has about 400 athletes. Did you have periods when you were running on your own? How did this effect you?

Yes, I ran the last ten kilometres alone which actually is the most difficult part of the Marathon. I think if I had someone else to run with, I could have even improved on my time.

Andrew, can you tell us about your feelings as you ran the last stretch of the distance through the Sliema ferries?

It was a great feeling, I had no one in front of me and no one just behind so had no pressure in regards of placing. My wife was waiting and calling my name together with my work colleagues who were on duty that day next to the finish line.

Looking back at your race, would you change anything you've done. Anything that you feel that was paramount to your success?

I would have postponed my flu for post marathon… I’ve been running for eleven years but this is by far the year which I prepared best for - firstly in terms of nutrition. This season I’m in better form than ever before, Robert Vella of Nyoo helped me in that field. And then my coach Has Kesra who was instrumental with his approach. Not just a coach, but a very inspirational person.


As for the preparation, what part of the training do you feel was the most beneficial to such an optimum performance?

I think it’s a total package, all sessions were important, but the the long run is the most important component of all because it teaches the body to both mentally and physically tackle the challenges presented in completing the full marathon.

Would you like to dedicate your victory to anyone in particular?

First of all to my coach Has Kesra for his coaching skills and for keeping my spirits high throughout the season. To my family, especially to my wife Diane who is expecting our first baby come June and finally to our hard working Club President Julian Borg.