Kyneton ultramarathon runner Greg Wilson returned home from the USA earlier this month where he competed in the World Age Group Marathon Championship hosted by the Chicago Marathon.
With his performance (three hours, 43 minutes) at the 2022 Townsville Marathon, Wilson was chosen as the Australian representative in the M70-74 age group.
Wilson expected that a head cold, long flight and lack of sleep, combined with a lack of warm-up opportunity, would adversely affect his performance.
“Negotiating through the enormous field of 49,000 runners was another challenge,” he said.
“The 2900 age group runners gathered pre-race in a huge marquee and then walked through a sea of humanity – all marathon runners!
“Once our start corral was reached, an hour was spent shivering in singlets on a chilly Chicago morning.”
Wilson said the elite corral athletes set off at 7.30am for 42.122 kilometres through the city streets.
“Every 10 minutes, for hours, another corral would follow,” he said.
“Corral E shuffled down to the start banner to the strains of the US national anthem, and we were sent on our way.
“Every street was a solid wall of runners, surrounded by enthusiastic supporters.
“There was no sight seeing, as intense concentration was required to avoid other runners and road hazards while maintaining race pace.”
Early on, Wilson was joined with a Brazilian woman at the required pace. They progressed through the field past the 3:40 pacers and then the 3:35 pacers. The five-minute-per-kilometre pace was smooth, even and consistent. Gislene Calligaris and Wilson stayed together right through to 35 kilometres, where she lifted the pace to the finish.
Wilson maintained his five-minute-per-kilometre pace right through to the finish, which was a turn uphill into Columbus Avenue for 300 metres.
Wilson’s finishing time at three hours, 32 minutes, 43 seconds was only five minutes, 26 seconds behind the M70 Championship winner, but within that gap were nine other runners. This placed Wilson 11th of 37 elite M70 finishers.
