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.