I arrived at the Castillo Marathon by chance. I had heard about the 100-kilometer Madrid-Segovia race, and while browsing their website, I saw that there were also marathon and 65-kilometer distances. It seemed like the ideal opportunity to run a marathon in September, a month that usually lacks such events. The longer distances were tempting also, but with a packed calendar for the next four weeks, the most logical was to add “just” the marathon to my schedule. So, I signed up well in advance, booking a guesthouse at a reasonable distance from Plaza de Castilla.
All the races share the same route, leaving Madrid and mostly following cattle trails along the Camino de Santiago toward Segovia, where the longest race finishes under its aqueduct. The marathon would take us to Manzanares el Real, at the foot of the Sierra de Guadarrama, after passing through Tres Cantos and Colmenar Viejo.
Since all the races start at 5 a.m., I had to wake up even earlier, at 3 a.m. A light breakfast, and time to make my way to Plaza de Castilla, about a 30-minute walk. On the way, I bump into Antonio Rojas, and we briskly cover the final stretch to the start together. There, I met Pepe Turón, who kindly picked up my bib and race bag in advance. He isn’t the only familiar face. Idoia, Luis, Mario, Fabiani, and David, are there, among other marathoniacs. Time to leave the backpack with my belongings in the van headed to Manzanares.
We set off from Plaza de Castilla, covering the first few easy kilometers through the streets of Madrid toward the outskirts. It isn’t long before we leave the pavement, and have to turn on the headlamps. Brief intervals of light rain refresh us on a pleasant night for running, though the terrain demands constant attention. Besides the frequent elevation changes, the uneven ground, with stones of all shapes and sizes interspersed with wooded areas, make the journey challenging during the darkest hours. I take a sideways fall after a stumble, thankfully without consequences besides a slight hit to my ego.
Being extra cautious, I feel running slower than I should. We reach several streams in a row, that we can cross by jumping over rocks. Nearly slipping on the first one, I decide it isn’t worth being too careful, and run across the next ones. With wet feet but avoiding falls and skipping the lines of runners that form at each one, I gain a few positions.
By dawn, more than half of the race has passed. There are only three aid stations, but with my hydration pack, I am fine. It isn’t hot, so I don’t need to drink much. With some of the steeper climbs in the final kilometers, I am forced to walk.
Approaching the Sierra de Guadarrama, which is getting closer, the outline of the Manzanares el Real castle, after which this marathon is named, comes into view. A downhill stretch bring us to the finish line within a few minutes, which I cross in 4:50:38.
I hadn’t expected to finish so close to the front, but in the end, I place 29th out of 133 finishers in the 42k. After finishing, and although the sports center showers are available, I only change clothes and try to catch the first bus back to the capital.
My third time pacing at 1h55m in the Valladolid Half Marathon awaits me next week.
