It would literally be the biggest of my marathon medals- all 24 of them thus far. Indeed, a sizable memento from a city that likes to host grand sporting events at land and at sea- from F3 open-wheel formula racing to dragon boat racing. The bling would come from my having done the 30th edition of the Maratona Internacional de Macau.
Lying west of the Pearl River delta, south of Guandong, and bounded by the South China Sea on both its eastern and southern fronts, Macau (澳門) was settled by the Portuguese in 1535 and returned to China only in 1999. A special administrative region of China, it is 145 km from Guangzhou and only 60 km from Hong Kong.
Macau’s economy is heavily dependent on gambling and tourism. Even the marathon event was sponsored by Galaxy Entertainment, undoubtedly one of the biggest and newest hotel casino resort outfits in Macau. From my hotel window just across the street, the grandeur of this leisure resort was simply hard to miss.
Organized by Macau's Sport Development Board and Athletic Association, the marathon aimed to promote running, foster global friendships, and develop regional sports tourism. Elite athletes and runners from various countries added luster to Macau’s growing reputation as a new melting pot for leisure and sports.
Despite living in the most densely populated region of the world, the Macanese have the second highest life expectancy at 84.4 years old. Holding three events- a full marathon, half marathon, and mini marathon (6.5 km) to maximize local participation no doubt added a day or two to this impressive statistic.
I arrived two days before the race and claimed the race kit at the Olympic Sport Centre Stadium in Taipa island. Included in the kit were the race bib, a timing chip, and an information booklet. The singlet plus towel would have to wait until after crossing the finish line. There was a small booth for souvenirs but no exposition.
Running business dispensed with, Macau's top attractions were waiting. The new theme park Fisherman's Wharf that replicates port towns around the world allows one to visit the Italian Riviera, Cape Town, and Amsterdam all in one day. Shoppers can explore Senado Square while the adventurous can bungee jump from the 338-m Macau Tower.
The race day temperature was predicted to be 15 degrees Celsius. But with a 15 kph wind gust, it certainly felt much colder. Many of the runners opted to wear and run in layered attire. I chose to wear a Skins compression shorts and a short-sleeved shirt under a singlet and running shorts.
The 1,000 full and 2,000 half marathon runners had a mass start at 0600, followed by the 3,000 mini marathoners at 0615. When I arrived at the start/finish area, the Olympic Stadium, elite runners were already warming up on the synthetic track oval, perhaps dreaming of the US20,000 top prize for the women's and men's 42K events.
And when the starting gun was finally fired after a brief ceremony, all 3,000 half and full marathon runners sped into the night, soon finding themselves passing through the grounds of Galaxy Macau, with its uniquely-themed design fit for its billing as Macau's first 'World Class, Asian Heart' integrated resort.
The full marathon course, certified by AIMS, was basically a 21K loop repeated once. It took runners from the Olympic Stadium to Cotai, to Taipa, to Macau proper via a bridge crossing, then back to Taipa, to Coloane, and finally back to the Olympic Stadium. Required finish time was 5 hours.
Macau city proper is connected to Taipa via three bridges- the Bridge of Friendship, the Macau-Taipa Bridge, and the new and cable-stayed Sai Van Bridge. Only the Sai Van Bridge remains open during typhoons. Runners crossed this 2.2 km bridge 4 times. I particularly enjoyed the 2 uphill climbs with the Macau Tower in the distance.
Though few and far in between, there were some very interesting entertainment along the race course that forced some runners to slow down or even stop, thereby losing valuable time. I don't think they minded this at all in retrospect- one simply had to experience what this entertainment thing was all about.
Race Support SystemsAll the required race support essentials were provided- from hydration stations that served both water and isotonic drinks, to medical and first aid stations, to port-a-lets, to sponge tables and even two showers for cooling down. Only the frequency of these stations- roughly every 4 to 5 km- could still be improved.
Of the 740 full marathon runners who finished the race within the 5-hour time limit, only 98 or 13% were women- a rather low level compared to most other races I have done thus far.
Yellow jacket-clad volunteers were visible throughout the race. They efficiently manned the race claim area, critically sorted out runners in Olympic Stadium, patiently staffed the water and first aid stations, effectively directed traffic and runners in critical intersections, and even happily awarded medals at the finish.
And what finish it turned to be for me. Running on cruise control most of the time, happily soaking in the sites of Macau and taking photos here and there for good measure, I checked backed in at Olympic Stadium more than a quarter of an hour before the mandatory 5-hour limit- the biggest of 2 dozen 42K medals in 19 months in 13 different countries in the bag.
Truly reflective of the efficiency of Macau, and something that all marathons using timing chips can emulate, results were already tabulated as one entered the finisher's holding area near the finish line. Not too many members of my club, the Marathon Maniacs, ran this race- one of them being Hong Kong based MM#3337.
When it was all over, the pleasures of Macau were there for the taking- from the soothing gondola ride at The Venetian,
Not to forget that this was, after all, first and foremost, an entertainment city- the Las Vegas of the Far East! And boy wasn't most everything I saw, even the pataca-guzzling slot machines, cool!
Obrigado, Macau! 谢谢 (Xièxiè)!
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