42 kilometres can reduce any run to a crawl.  But on his first attempt to such a distance, the Mellieha AC athlete Andrew Grech experienced a flying debut, conquering the whole distance in 2:39:25 and placing as the second Maltese athlete.  Shortly after, an unlucky accident at work left him grounded for a number of weeks.  The grounded weeks passed, but Andrew’s talent and speed were too ingrained in his legs to pass away.  Personal bests continued to be the order of the day, and now the quest is to follow a flying debut first marathon into a floating in thin air second marathon.

Andrew, this is now your second marathon.  How much of a psychological advantage is it over last year when you are attempting the marathon for the first time?

A marathon demands respect but having completed last year’s first full marathon gives me more confidence, now I know what I’m facing unlike last year.

Your first marathon has been optimal.  Still I imagine that it must have taught you lessons.  What have been the main ones?

Yes I did well last year, my finishing time was only few seconds away from prediction by my coach Has Kesra. Last year I was sick during the first few days of February which could have somehow hindered my preparation. Last year I had a 5 minute negative split in the second part of the marathon which hopefully I wish to minimize this time around.

As for preparation and shape, how do you feel when compared to this time last year?

Both my preparation and shape are better than last year as results may witness. My last 10k race in Ta’ Qali held at the end of January was 54 seconds faster than last year and 2 months ago I registered my first sub 34mins for a 10km race.

I imagine a marathon can be very much like the hare and tortoise story.  How much does discipline come into it all?  How are you preparing for it?

You should be very disciplined. It’s normal to feel strong at the first half of the marathon. It’s imperative to use your head for the first part than your heart for the second part and not let yourself go. Preparation has been going on for quite some months following the programme on a weekly basis. It needs a lot of dedication, more than any other event, solo long runs aren’t easy in winter.

Now you can call yourself a successful marathoner.  How do you feel when running much shorter races?  Do you see them as a preparation for the marathon, or are there distances that you still cherish a lot and prefer from other distances?

In my opinion once you try the marathon you never go back to shorter distances even though I still love doing the half marathon which I feel I could improve a lot on my personal best since I haven’t tried it for a couple of years. Then again, I feel the 10km race is a measure to test your fitness and a process towards other races so it’s a must to do during the season.

Marathon training includes long runs and speed work on the track.  Which ones do you find most satisfying, and on the hand the most challenging?

I prefer doing long runs than speed work on the track. The most challenging yet enjoyable are the tempo runs with certain intensity.

Andrew, you have now been coached by Has Kesra for years, and you always attribute your rise as one of the best Maltese athletes to him.  What makes Mr Kesra tick above the rest and how has your relationship with him has grown through the years?

I can’t compare Has to other coaches as I’ve never tried any other coach. But yes, I attribute a lot to him as he’s not just a coach but also a friend and a brilliant motivator. He contacts me before every race to give me the last hints and following the race to see what went well and what should be improved. He’s a perfectionist.