Valencia half-marathon 2025

The best proof that what I wrote last year about the Valencia Half-Marathon was true is the fact that I decided to run it again this year.

With limited race options, I have to choose carefully where to compete. The Valencia Half-Marathon makes that decision easy, it’s one of the best-organized and most enjoyable races in Europe. For returning runners, registration is even smoother: the organizers give priority to those who ran in the previous edition.

If you’re trying to run Valencia for the first time, you’ll need to enter a ballot in November. If you don’t get in, there’s still hope. Several official travel agencies offer guaranteed race entries as part of their packages.

This post isn’t about repeating what I said last year. It’s about sharing what was new. I also want to share what I learned this time around.

What Was New This Year

The Wardrobe Service

This year, I paid 6 EUR to leave my luggage at the start area wardrobe. It was absolutely worth it. Not having to run with my phone or other items made the experience much more comfortable.

Slippery Grids on the Course

After kilometer 10, the route passes along a street full of metal grids covering subway vents. When it rains (as it did this year and last), these grids can get very slippery. Tip: stay on the left side of the road, where the surface is safer.

The Energy of the Drummers

One of the things I love most about Valencia is the number of live drumming bands along the course. The beat of the drums has an incredible effect. It pushes you forward in a way that no playlist ever could.

My Race

I learned from last year’s mistakes. This time, I didn’t eat too much before the race. I made sure to finish my breakfast more than two hours before the start.

I started in wave 7 at 9:01 a.m. and took it easy at first, running the first 5 km at around 6:00 min/km. I planned to pick up the pace later. However, by kilometer 15, I realized I wasn’t going to finish under two hours. At that point, I decided not to push too hard. Whether it’s 2:02 or 2:03 doesn’t make a huge difference. I crossed the finish line in 2:04:11, an average result, but still 22 minutes faster than in Tallinn!

Our Team – “Trupa lui Fane” in Valencia

This year, five of us from Trupa lui Fane ran in Valencia. That made the whole experience even better. We shared the excitement, compared strategies, and celebrated together after the race.

Everyone had a strong performance, close to their personal bests:

🥇 Mihai – 1:24:54, our fastest runner, finishing among the first 2,000 participants
💪 Andreea – 1:34:52, the only one to set a new personal best
👟 Bogdan – 1:44:24, two minutes slower than last year
🔥 Sorin – 1:56:06, at his first SuperHalfs race, very close to his PB

Congratulations to all of them for their fantastic results!
And a big thank you to our coach, Ștefan Oprina, for helping us become better runners over time!

Valencia remains, without question, my favorite half-marathon in Europe.

Later that day in Valencia I met someone who didn’t look quite happy with his result.

Valencia 2025 reminded me once again why I love running. It’s the rhythm, the people, and the stories. These moments stay with you long after you cross the finish line.

PS.1 A Seagull and a Song

On race morning, I woke up early, opened the window, and saw a lonely seagull flying above the hotel. It reminded me of a Joe Dassin song I’ve always loved:

“Moi, de temps en temps, je me sens pareil
À cet éternel exilé
Lui, qui ne sait pas replier ses ailes
Moi, qui ne sais pas m’arrêter.”

A small, poetic moment before the adrenaline of the start line.

PS.2 Remembering the Floods of 2024

The day before the race, Valencia held a large protest. It was in memory of those who lost their lives during the 2024 floods. Last year, we left the city on Monday after the half-marathon. The next day, torrential rain caused devastating flooding that claimed 224 lives in the province. One year later, people are still unhappy with how the authorities responded.
It’s a sobering reminder that life is unpredictable. Every race, every trip, and every day, is something to be grateful for.

PS.3 Goodbye, Mihai Suba

On Sunday, October 26, the day of the race, Grandmaster Mihai Suba (1947–2025) died near Valencia in Spain. Before 1990, Romania had only three chess grandmasters — and Suba was one of them, a true original. He made significant contributions to chess, particularly in middlegame theory and the Hedgehog system. I’ve read a few of his books; Dynamic Chess Strategy was a particular favorite. He was admired worldwide for his creativity and deep understanding of the game. May he rest in peace — and may his ideas continue to inspire players for generations.

10 Years of Running: My Journey through Two Cities

This May marks 10 years since I started running. A full decade of runs, finish lines, and the quiet rhythm of feet on pavement. One month earlier I crossed the 12,000 km distance. I’ve written before about other key milestones in this journey, crossing the 6,000 km and later the 10,000 km marks. Both were moments that made me stop, reflect, and appreciate how far I’ve come.

A Tale of Two Cities

The 6,000 km mark was more than just a number, it marked the end of an era. I had spent five years running in Bucharest, where this journey began. Those were the years of building a base, getting to know my limits, and discovering what running meant to me.

Since then, I’ve spent the last five years running in Krakow, a city that’s become just as meaningful. New routes, different seasons, a different pace of life and yet, the same sense of satisfaction after every run.

Racing More Than Ever

After passing the 10,000 km milestone in late 2023, I didn’t slow down. Quite the opposite. I’ve run eight half-marathons and one 10k race in the last 2,000 km alone. This has actually been the most race-filled period of my running life.

What made it even better? Every race was in a different European city. Running became an excuse to travel, a way to combine city breaks with something I love. Explore during the day, race in the morning, and leave with new memories. I’ve shared stories from those races in earlier posts, but they continue to be highlights of the journey.

The Support Behind the Scenes

A big part of what’s kept me going has been the remote coaching and encouragement from Ștefan Oprina. He’s been in my corner all this time, offering structure, insight, and motivation. Having someone experienced guiding me, even from afar, has made a big difference. So thank you, Ștefan!

Setbacks and Slower Paces

Of course, not every step has been smooth. In January 2025, I pulled a hamstring. This likely happened because I pushed too hard on a treadmill session. I was running for 30 minutes at a steady, fast pace. That was a wake-up call. It’s been my only injury, but it reminded me that rest and balance are just as important as discipline.

Lately, my pace has slowed. I haven’t gone under 1:59 in a half-marathon recently. That’s been tough to accept at times, but I’m optimistic that things will pick up again, hopefully starting this autumn.

Looking Ahead

Next up: a race in Tallinn this September. And I’m genuinely looking forward to it. It’s not just about the result. It involves showing up and exploring a new place.

Because at the end of the day, that’s the most important thing: the journey continues.

With “Trupa lui Fane” in Bucharest – May 2025

A Personal Duathlon: Running and Chess in Bucharest

A traditional duathlon typically combines running and cycling. It’s less well-known than the triathlon, which includes swimming, cycling, and running—in that order. In both formats, the winner is the person who crosses the finish line first.

While I was in Bucharest this May, I experienced a rare coincidence. Two major sporting events were scheduled for the same weekend. One was the Bucharest Half-Marathon, and the other was the Bucharest Chess Grand Prix.

I wanted to participate in both, but unfortunately, the starting times overlapped. Luckily, the running festival included a 10 km race on Saturday morning, which ended before the chess tournament began. That turned out to be the better option. Not only did it fit my schedule, but running 10 kilometers requires significantly less energy than a half-marathon.

The venue for the chess tournament. Also the finish for the running was in front of the same building

I set myself a simple goal: to finish in the top half of both competitions. For the 10K run, this meant aiming for a time under 58 minutes based on the previous year’s results. For chess, it was more ambitious: scoring at least 5 out of 10 points. My best previous performance had been 4.5 points at the 2022 edition, and I hadn’t done much preparation this time.

The Running Phase

The day began with the 10K race, an event as well-organized as ever. The weather was perfect for running: cool (6–8°C) with a light drizzle. I started at a pace of about 5:20 per kilometer and maintained it for the first half. I was feeling strong. I sped up for the second half and dropped below 5 minutes per kilometer. I even sprinted the last 200 meters at a pace of 4/km.

I finished with an official time of 52:08, far better than expected. I placed 312th out of 2,957 finishers, putting me in the top 10.5%. However, this statistic is somewhat misleading, as most of the stronger runners competed in the half-marathon on Sunday. So, the field for the 10K wasn’t as competitive.

After the race with colleagues from Trupa lui Fane

A major factor in my performance was the training I did for a month with “Trupa lui Fane” in Bucharest. That preparation made a big difference. For context, I ran the Berlin Half-Marathon in 1:59:32, while the 10K time I just achieved projects to about 1:55:00 for a half-marathon. That gives me hope to break 1:55 at the upcoming Tallinn race.

Many thanks to Ștefan Oprina, who has helped me overcome health challenges and become a better runner over the years!

The Chess Tournament

After the run, I had time to shower and eat before the chess tournament began.

The tournament followed a 10 round Swiss format. That means each player is paired in each round with another player who has the same score. Each game was timed at 15 minutes per player. There was a 5-second increment per move. This is standard practice these days to avoid losses on time in winning positions. The schedule included 4 rounds on Saturday and 6 rounds on Sunday.

I started with 2 points from the first 4 rounds, not great, but acceptable. Sunday started well with a win. Then, I lost against a Candidate Master. I followed up with two more wins (one also against a Candidate Master). That brought me to 5 points from 8 rounds, achieving my goal of finishing in the top half. Unfortunately, I lost the last two rounds against stronger players.
In the end, I placed 213th out of 475 players. This result put me in the top 45%. Additionally, I gained 5 ELO points.

A New Type of Duathlon?

This experience made me think: what if we organized duathlons that combined very different events like running and chess?

One idea is to use a simple average of ranks or scores across both disciplines to determine an overall winner. A more refined method could involve using normalization. Each result could be compared to the best and worst performances in each category. This approach allows fair comparisons.

I was thinking of a way to compare results from independent events. In this case a rough formula could be:

Eval = 2×ELO Performance−Race Time (seconds)

The idea is to reward high chess performance. The higher the performance, the better. It also aims to penalize long race times. The lower the race times, the better. I’ll work on refining this formula in a future post.

A Special Chess Anniversary

This year marks the 100 year anniversary of the Romanian Chess Federation. With almost 500 players this was the biggest chess open tournament ever organized in my country. It attracted many strong players and also gave me the chance to reconnect with my chess roots.

I was delighted to see my former coaches again.

I first met Iulian in 1992 when he visited our class during a math lesson. He had just opened a chess club and invited students to join. Our teacher asked who already knew how to play chess, and a few of us raised our hands. He encouraged us to learn more about the game. Shortly afterward, I joined the club, and chess became a lifelong journey. Iulian didn’t play this year, but he was there coaching five juniors. I was part of his first generation of students; since then, many others have followed. Here we are 33 years later still enjoying the game.

Cristian, a chess master, coached me between 2018 and 2020 before I moved to Poland. He was one of the referees at the tournament and continues to coach young players. During our time working together, I focused a lot on the psychological aspects of chess—understanding how emotions influence decision-making. Chess often goes beyond logic; it’s also about how you manage your internal state.

I’m deeply grateful to both of them for their impact on my life.

Seeing them again, by chance, after several years was one of the weekend’s highlights. We’ve kept in touch, but nothing compares to meeting in person.

There’s a quote I really believe in:

“In life, what matters most is the people you meet and the books you read.”

What is life?

Valencia half-marathon

This year edition of Valencia half-marathon was a real success. It was a perfect organization, the best from all the races I ever ran. During the race a new world record was established by Yomif Kejelcha from Ethiopia with 57:30. The weather and environment were perfect for running.

There are countless positive aspects to highlight about this event. I recommend that every major marathon organizer send a representative to run in Valencia and take notes. For runners, the course is flat with ample space for warm-ups, and it never felt overcrowded. Organizers provided water in bottles, gels, and isotonic drinks along the route. If you’re aiming for a personal best, Valencia is the place to be, the true city of running.

I traveled from Bucharest to Valencia with my colleague Bobo, and we stayed in a hotel conveniently located near the start and finish lines. We warmed up before the race began and started together.

My race was going well until the 15-kilometer mark. I clocked 10 km in 55:40 and 15 km in 1:23:17, maintaining a pace of 5:33/km. For context, I passed 15 km in Cardiff in 1:25:56. Unfortunately, I experienced stomach issues that slowed me down significantly, forcing me to walk the last kilometer, which took me a frustrating 10 minutes. My official finish time was 2:07:47- not ideal, but I persevered, received my medal, and added another super half-marathon to my list.
Over 24,000 participants finished the race, and the support along the route was phenomenal. I had heard before the event that they were aiming to break the world record and bring it back to Valencia, and I could feel the positive energy during the race. Light rain helped keep us cool as we ran.
Bobo had an outstanding race, running a negative split and gradually increasing his pace. He achieved his personal best of 1:42:05. Congratulations to him on a fantastic performance!

Bobo achieved a personal best in Valencia

Bobo’s achievement wasn’t a surprise; he dedicated a lot of time to training this year. I logged 1,200 km, while he ran a third more and incorporated various exercises. In running, results stem from hard work. There’s no substitute for proper training.

My T-shirt for this race was from “Trupa lui Fane”, a gift from Stefan just before leaving Bucharest. Runners from Trupa lui Fane have recently excelled, with four finishing under three hours at the Bucharest Marathon and winning multiple medals at the Balkan Championships. Bobo’s progress is another testament to the effectiveness of Stefan’s coaching. I also want to thank Stefan for training me remotely in the last years!

Valencia half-marathon is part of Superhalfs. You need to finish all six half-marathons to get the special medal. This was my 5th race with only Berlin left to finish the circuit. In Valencia the first Romanian to ever finish Superhalfs was Cosmin Gabinat. We congratulate him for this achievement! Here you can find a list with all Romanians participating in Superhalfs , 111 people registered at the end of 2024. Given the statistics, the next Romanians to finish Superhalfs circuit will be in Berlin.

Despite my challenges and results, I had an amazing time in Valencia and highly recommend this race to anyone looking to achieve great results!

Cardiff half-marathon

Cardiff half-marathon is part of Superhalfs which makes it one of the most attractive races in England. Initially my thought was to run there because it’s one of the 6 half-marathons you need to finish to complete the Superhalfs series. I didn’t know much about Cardiff or the race before going there; hence, this half marathon was a pleasant surprise for me.

By the time I wanted to register for the event in Cardiff, the registration was already closed. Generally, such races sell out more than six months before the event date, so you need to plan your participation well ahead of time. For example, by October 10, 2024, the Cardiff Half Marathon for 2025 was sold out. According to the organizers, all spots were sold within 12 hours of the registration opening.

If you are late and still want to run there, you can get help from a sports travel agency. Such agencies guarantee your participation and accommodation for a fee. They may also organize training sessions and a pasta party for their clients. This time, I went with Interair, a German sports travel agency, and I was happy with their services; everything was great.

On October 6th, it was a good time to run in Cardiff, with temperatures around 12 degrees Celsius and light drizzle at the start. There was enough space to warm up before the race. The runners were organized in waves, as is normal for a half marathon with 28,000 participants.

The start is at Cardiff Castle, and the route winds through the city, including the bay area, before returning to the center and the castle. The first part of the race is either descending or flat; from kilometer 15, it starts to ascend, with some hills around kilometer 18, and towards the end, there is a significant difference in altitude.

I started with a pace of around 5:40 per kilometer and maintained that until kilometer 10 when the two-hour pacers went ahead of me. I made an effort to keep them in sight for as long as I could. By the 18th kilometer, I was confident that I could finish in under two hours. Then the small hills came, and I thought there was no way I would finish in less than two hours. Fortunately, with a final burst of energy, I finished in 1:59:58!

During the race, I used two GU gels and drank water twice, at kilometers 10 and 15. Water stations were available every 5 kilometers and also at kilometer 18.

One must remember that in England, races are marked in miles—13.1 miles as opposed to 21.1 kilometers in the rest of Europe. In this context, it’s useful to have an accurate GPS watch or to keep pace with the pacers if achieving a specific time is important to you.

As you can see, I’ve run many races in Europe, and I have never seen so many supporters encouraging runners as I did in Cardiff. The respect for runners is high in the UK compared to elsewhere. There were thousands of people spread over the half marathon distance, showing support for the runners. This can significantly boost one’s motivation to finish the race. I believe this played an important role in my success in finishing under two hours for the first time this year.

The other pleasant surprise was the city of Cardiff. The capital of Wales has a beautiful, typical British castle worth visiting. You can explore the bay area, the old market, and the city center. There is a village museum outside the city and a cathedral, but I did not have time to see them. There are nice restaurants and many people partying during the weekend.

The weekend after Cardiff, I traveled to Bucharest to watch the Bucharest Marathon and encourage my colleagues from “Trupa Lui Fane”. They achieved great results, with four of them finishing the marathon in less than three hours! That reflects a lot of hard work and training. There were also good results in the 10K, half marathon, and relay races. Many thanks to our coach, Stefan Oprina, who has been training me remotely for the last four years!

With colleagues and coach after their race in Bucharest

Cardiff was a great experience, and I encourage you to try it; it will be fun!

10000 km run in 8 years

I started running in 2015. After 8 years, I recently crossed a distance of 10k km running. I am happy with my motivation to continue running for 8 years at an average of 2 miles (3.2 km)/day. The 10k km is not a long distance for 8 years. People who want performance in running should aim for at least twice as much as I did. A professional runner covers a distance four times longer than I did within the same time, so 10k km in just two years!

Statistics say I ran, on average, over 100 km each month. The total time spent on running is 41 days, or 1.5% of 8 years. It was the best time invested in one activity as it gave me much health in return. My average pace was 5’52” per km. I ran alone for 6 out of the 8 years.

Of great help for me was running with the running group “Trupa lui Fane”. Although I moved to Krakow in 2020, we continued the collaboration remotely all these years. Many thanks to Stefan Oprina and “Trupa lui Fane” members for their support!

I crossed the 10k km mark at the last training before running the half-marathon in Bucharest. This way, the first and the last of the 10k km were run in the same stadium (the one in the picture above).

My first half-marathon was 8 years ago at Bucharest MIB. As mentioned in a previous post, to celebrate this distance milestone, I chose to run this year’s edition of the same half-marathon in Bucharest on October 15th. I participated in 6 of the last 8 editions of MIB.

With Bobo at the start. He finished 12 minutes ahead of me. Great run!

The organization for this event was amazing, as usual. Music bands, water and isotonic, pacemakers, and many volunteers make it a great event. The only thing I would like to see improved is the opportunity for runners to buy their photos at a good resolution and without a watermark. The pictures are free now but with a watermark, as shown above and below.

I wasn’t in good shape for this half-marathon, but I know my limits well. It was also hot that day, not ideal for running.

I kept my pace around 5’30” for most of the race, with the last 2 km being the most difficult, and ran harder for the final straight line. My official time was 1:57:40.

I met many people I knew before or during the half-marathon. This was cool and makes MIB my favorite race. You get in line with someone you know, exchange a few words, and continue the race. Precisely like in life, only at a different pace.

I registered for 3 half-marathons in the spring 2024 to celebrate this achievement. Lisbon on March 10th, Prague on April 6th, and Helsinki on May 11th. Lisbon and Prague are part of the “super halves”, while Helsinki has a unique story. Superhalfs are a series of 6 essential half-marathons in Europe. You get an additional medal if you finish all 6 in 5 years or less.

Celebrating with colleagues after the finish

Running shaped my personality and helped me deal with many things in life. I met great people while running. It is a walk of life that you can do at a slower or faster pace, how you like it. During the first years, it was hard to motivate myself to go outside in cold weather and run. I had no coach at the time and did everything alone. Today, I am happy I chose to continue running those days despite the hardships.

I had no talent for running and no experience before I started to run. It is never too late to change your life and run, even if this is not your strength. If I could do it, everyone can.

“I’m learning to fly, but I ain’t got wings.” – I saw running as a way to learn to fly.

Malaga half-marathon 2022

We did not plan to participate in another marathon this year, but the experience of running in Copenhagen was fun, and we decided to repeat it sooner. Malaga was a good option as the weather is good for running there, even in winter.

It was the 31st edition of the Malaga half-marathon. There are many things I liked about this event. They have an official 4* hotel, and the price to stay there is 90 Eur/night alone in a room with breakfast included. This is an excellent discount of about 40 Eur/night on booking.com for the same hotel. On the day of the race, you have late check-out until 4PM to allow runners to take a shower and recover after the race before leaving for home. The organizers take pictures of the participants during the race, and you can buy all the photos later for 19 Eur if you want. Finishing inside a stadium is lovely, with people cheering from the tribune. The course is flat, with just 6 meters difference between the race’s lowest and highest points.

“to run where the braves dare not go” – Man of La Mancha

I did not like that you turn 90 degrees left immediately after the start, and people had to stop there because of a bottleneck. You start running and immediately stop because of that. As a result, I ran my first km in 6 minutes, compared with an average of 5’20″/km for the whole race. It was also hot weather that day, November 13th.

Although the pictures show something else, I did not run with my thumbs up for the whole race 🙂

The race was perfect for me despite the first kilometer and the need to recover that lost time. I was hoping for my best time this year, below 1:54, but I knew that I couldn’t do much better because of the injury that limited my training. I did not put pressure on myself, just enjoyed the run. This race went according to my plan, with a slower start and constantly increasing speed throughout the distance.

Palm trees are on both sides of the street for the whole distance.

The start and finish are close to the airport. The participants run on the street next to the beach towards the city center for 10-11 km and then return. It is a race on asphalt but near the beach. You enjoy the sea breeze and see the waves. Because it’s a flat race, the elite runners finish it in 1 hour or even less. Also, 50% of the finishers had a time better than 1:52:30, which makes it a speedy race.

Unfortunately, a 58-year-old runner died after finishing the race, as I read later that day the news. It was the first time since I ran half marathons that such a tragic event happened in a race where I ran. Statistics say that in marathon races, 1 runner dies for every 150000 finishers, while for half-marathon, the death rate is 40% lower. The advantages that running brings to one’s health are worth taking this minimal risk.

This was my 5th half-marathon in 2022 and the one where I got my best result in 1:53:10. The rest were in 1:54 except for Krakow, where being injured, I had to stay with 2:00. I learned my lesson after the mistake I made when preparing for Krakow half-marathon. I took a break for a week before preparing for Malaga, which was a good idea. This time, the Voltaren and Nurofen were enough for a race without pain before the start. My focus was not on time but on reducing the pain and enjoying the race.

In long-distance running, you must learn from your mistakes to avoid suffering.

As always, many thanks to my coach Stefan Oprina who provided me training programs remotely and discussed the plans and strategy for each run! He has done that for the past 5 years. A coach is vital for people who intend to run many long-distance races.

I am happy that I could finish five half-marathon races this year, and I hope that by the end of 2023 to run at least one half-marathon in less than 1:50. I know what training needs to be done to reach that level as I had run 3 times half marathons in less than 1:50 in 2018 and 2019.

Krakow half-marathon 2022

For people interested in running, the Krakow half marathon offers great city center views and an excellent organization. The city hall organizes the event. During this race, you will run next to the world’s oldest mall, from the XIII century that is still open, churches 1000 years old, the Wawel castle, and finish inside the biggest arena in Poland, the Tauron Arena.

I like that they offer the best pictures for runners, the race course is very well-guarded, and the pedestrians don’t get in front of runners like in other races. The transport in the city is free for runners that day. You also get an SMS with your time once you finish the race.

The race course is not flat as Copenhagen, and this can be seen in finishing times. One useful metric is the time of the runners at the middle of the ranking. For example, that average was 1:55 in Copenhagen and 1:58 in Krakow. The number of runners is also lower, with a limit of 7000 runners this year. Last year the maximum allowed number of participants was 5000. They could increase this limit to at least 10000 runners. There are pacemakers for all types of people from 1:25 to 2:30. Although only a few runners can keep up with 1:25 or even 1:30; for example, in Bucharest this year, precisely one person was running with the 1:30 pacemakers. As I mentioned in Bucharest, the week before this race was MIB with 1700 runners in the half marathon race with an average time of 2:04. MIB’s average time was slow as the route is flatter than in Krakow.

Usually, I don’t run with the official T-Shirt, but this one I liked

The weather was perfect on October 16, in the range of 15-19 Celsius. Many people encouraged the runners along the way, which was a positive attitude during the race. However, what surprised me was the considerable number of people injured that needed medical assistance during the running. In every half marathon I have run until now, I saw 2-3 people fall injured during the race. I saw maybe seven people lying down on the last kilometers of this run, and I don’t know why.

Another thing that impressed me was a blind runner tied up to another runner. The other runner was also guiding him. Blind runners for long distances are rare (or I haven’t seen them). I am used to blind chess players, which is quite common in tournaments. Blind chess players can rely on their opponents to make the moves, and it’s easy. Blind runners need someone to be able or willing to run a half marathon at their speed. Training for a long-distance race might be difficult, too.

The October half marathon has a special meaning for me. In October 2015, I ran my first half-marathon race in Bucharest. Since then, I ran every year a half marathon distance in October. Even when injured (like this year) and even in 2020 when there was no official race because of Covid. Since 2015 I have run more than 8500 km and around 20 half marathons. It is never too late to make a change in life.

I was under an injury after Copenhagen when I started preparing for the Krakow half marathon. When you run only 12 km long runs and then you participate in a half marathon, there is a risk that you will get injured during or after the race. The reason is that the difference between 12 to 21 km run is hard to be absorbed by the body. That is why when increasing the running volume, you should do that by 10-20% every week, but not more. You run 12 km, then 14, 16, and 18, and only then are you ready for the half marathon. I knew that, but I hoped that I would be fine. It wasn’t the case. I got a muscle injury in the back area of the left kidney. After three half marathons in 1:54 this year, I wanted to finish one at a better time and pushed the limits. I made a mistake and learned from it. On a positive note, since Copenhagen, I have lost three kilograms by reducing sweets. They say that if you drop five kilograms, you could improve the half-marathon result by 10 minutes. That works until you reach the ideal weight, then the time to finish increases if you continue to lose weight.

When there are clouds in the sky, you’ll get by.

On the morning of the race, I took Nurofen, used Voltaren, and hoped for the best. Things were ok until the 16th kilometer. At that time, the race predictor estimated I would finish in 1:56. Unfortunately, the pain in my back started to grow. I decreased the pace directly proportional to the increasing pain. Around 18km, I thought to walk instead of running. From a speed of 5’20” -5’30” per km up to that point, I had to drop to 6’30″/km. At km 20, somehow, the pain was gone, but I chose not to push my luck. There was not much to do anyway. The official time was 2:00:16. Ranked 3377 from 6605 people who finished the race.

Fun section. My running club is called in Romanian “Trupa lui Fane”. In English, that translates to Fane’s group or Fane’s team. But in Polish, this reads as “Lui Fane’s corpse”. In Romanian, “trup” means body, but in Polish means dead body. The word has Slavic origin in both languages, but the meaning evolved differently. The word “trupa” is a genitive form of “trup”. All the other runners could see my club on the registrations page. In Polish, “Trupa lui Fane” sounds more like a club for pirates than for runners.

I want to thank Stefan Oprina for training me remotely this year!

Warsaw half-marathon for peace

This years’ edition of the Warsaw half-marathon was a run for peace. Given the current situation in Ukraine, it is vital to show solidarity with those suffering. Since the beginning of the war, millions of people had to leave their homes.

Together with my friend Bobo, we planned to run in Warsaw. He came by plane from Bucharest, while I took the train from Krakow.

That morning, March 27, there was only 3 degrees Celsius at the start of the race. Since we were well equipped, that did not influence the experience during the event. Around 7500 participants ran in the Warsaw half marathon.

Being a symbolical run for peace, we chose to wear shirts with our country’s name on them. We had badges with Ukrainian flag colors to support this country facing invasion.

The route was exciting and full of symbols. The start was on Muranowska street near a monument commemorating the Russian invasion of Poland in 1939.

With Bobo after the race in front of the monument at the start of the Warsaw Half Marathon

Also, on the same street was located Umschlagplatz. During WWII, the trains took around 300000 Jews from the Ghetto to the Treblinka extermination camp at this railway station.

The route continued to place Wilson. He was the US president that sustained Polish independence after WWI. For continuity in the relations with the United States, the night before the race, we witness a powerful speech of the current US president in the courtyard of the Warsaw Royal Castle. Then we crossed the bridge over the Vistula river.

On the other side of Vistula is the Prague district of the capital. It is here that during the Polish Uprising in 1944, the Russian troops waited for the Germans to annihilate the Polish resistance before crossing the river. The route continued near the National Stadium. These days the stadium is the headquarters for Ukraine refugees. Then we crossed the Vistula river again. This time on the left, we could admire the Siren statue, the symbol of Warsaw. The last 4 km were in a straight line with the finish near the Multimedia Park Fountain, a modern city symbol.

As I was expected to finish later than Bobo, we set the meeting point, after the race, upstairs from the fountains in front of Marie Curie’s statue.

Bobo finished 6’30” before me and waited for me at the statue. We did not race together as he was faster and better trained. Our estimations before the race were accurate. Bobo finished at 1:47:59, while my time was 1:54:27.

I was happy because the result improved by 2’30” my time at the previous half marathon. Besides, I trained on the treadmill during winter, and running on a treadmill is not as good as running outdoors. I am very grateful to my coach Stefan Oprina who did his best to train me from a distance for this run with special programs for treadmill running.

One funny story is that, before the race, when I got off the elevator in the hotel lobby, I saw Bobo talking to 2 girls volunteers from the organization team. They were looking for the elite runners to take them to the photo session and technical meeting. The girls knew only that the runners were foreigners. I went back up to the room to leave my phone. In the meantime, Bobo clarified things with the girls. We were, by no means, elite runners. The fun part is that it is elementary to spot the difference between the elite runners and us.

In the end, I must say that I am impressed with how the citizens of Poland mobilized themselves to help the millions of refugees from Ukraine. The Ukrainians leaving their own country are people that need help and support. When walking next to the huge tents with refugees in the center of Krakow, I think about those people who left everything behind and how hard it must be for them. The only way to fight this absurd war is to continue everyday life and help the refugees however we can.

In front of the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, it is written дети. Same as in front of the bombarded Mariupol theatre. A powerful reminder of innocent people that were killed during the war.

Krakow Half Marathon 2021

The 7th edition of the Krakow Half Marathon took place on October 17th. The Krakow Municipality organized this event. Due to Covid restrictions, this year, organizers allowed a maximum of 5000 runners at the start. They did a great job. The highlights were: running on both sides of river Vistula, in Krakow city center, and impressive finishing on Tauron Arena, the biggest arena in Poland.

We were crossing the bridge over the Vistula.

The weather was cold that morning, around 10 Celsius, but great for running. It was the 7th year in a row when I ran a half marathon in October (starting from the MIB edition in 2015). For this race, my goal was to finish in under two hours. Since I was familiar with the half marathon distance, I started slowly. According to the statistics, after 10 km, more than 3000 runners were ahead of me. From 15th km, I increased the pace to faster than 5′ 30″ per km.

For the last 2 km, my speed was above 12km/h, which means running less than 5 minutes per kilometer. Indeed the finish on Tauron Arena was spectacular. There were lights and excellent visual effects in the vast hall. During the last 5 km, I went from place 3007 to 2478. The reason was not necessarily my increased speed. It was because many people ran too fast in the beginning and got tired. That happens every time. This race made no exception.

The official time was 1:56:53. This is 10 minutes below the personal best. However, this time is much better than the result at Bucharest Half Marathon. Given the current situation and my training, I am happy.

One important aspect is that one week before the race, my coach, Stefan Oprina, suggested running 15 km in less than 1 hour and 25 minutes. I told him that I couldn’t do that as this year I am not in great shape. In 2021 I could run 15 km only in 1:27 or longer. Stefan said: “That is fine. Run whatever you can and let me know how it went”. That day I ran 15 km in 1:24. That made me believe that I could run this half marathon in less than two hours.

A gift from Stefan Oprina and the finisher medal from Krakow Half Marathon. The message is the motto of his running team: “Together, we are stronger!”

Stefan’s recommendation relied on the fact that I trained with him and the team for six weeks in Bucharest. During the first training, I was not able to run a kilometer in 5 minutes. Before leaving Bucharest, I managed to run 3 km in less than 5 minutes each.

I’ve learned one lesson from the Krakow Half Marathon experience. Often your brain sets the limits for you. In my case, it was 1:27 for 15km. Once you overpass that limit, you will feel free and boost your self-confidence. For example, last weekend, I ran 15 km in 1:21.