Port Tunnel 10K

Last Sunday I ran ran my first race since running the marathon. I ran the Dublin Port Tunnel 10k & I loved it!

It was much different to other races I have participated in (all 2 of them. Ha) as this race was in a tunnel.... and what an experience!

Phil & I entered as this was most likely the only time a race through that tunnel will occur. I had heard of other people running/ walking through the Mersey Tunnel before that opened in my home town many many years ago & thought I would quite like to be able to tell my story years from now too. Something to tell the Grand kids I thought! Plus, as an added bonus I also wanted another medal :o)
However, the closer it came to race day, the less excited about it I was. I started to think logically...... how cold would I be standing around for an hour at the starting line in mid December....... how hot would the tunnel be...... would there be ventilation....... would there be loads of walkers lined up near the front getting in the way??? The more I thought the less I wanted to do it, but at the end of the day I thought well I'd have just wasted €25 & the chance for someone else to do it that couldn't get a place, so Phil & I reluctantly set off On Sunday morning to run the race.

We parked by Fair view Park & walked up towards the tunnel, arriving at about 10am. The race was not due to start until 11am but the organisers had stated that for health & safety reasons the starting line would be closed at 10.15am. By time we got there there was already about 5 or 6 thousand there, but they were all quite spaced out so Phil & I were able to get up to about half way of the queue for the start. Everyone soon started to pack in though.
Standing around for an hour wasn't much fun as the weather was Ireland's finest but with everyone packed in tightly we were sheltered from the wind. The commentator cheered up the winter morning too by starting a Mexican wave from the back of the queue to the front.

Soon enough though it was 11am, the starting pistol was fired & we were off. There was a bit of a shuffle to begin with but everyone seems to find their pace quick enough & spread out. It took us a little over 2 minutes to reach the starting line which was good going for 10,000 runners/ walkers all heading for a tunnel.

Once inside the tunnel it was a whole new experience.

I quickly realised the echoed sound of feet stamping down on the ground. It sounded an army of soldiers marching I thought. Everyone else seemed to notice the echo too as then came the cheers & the chants that travelled the lenghtof the tunnel. One guy started an Oggy Oggy Oggy chant which was a lot of fun as everyone was joining in. Everyone seemed to be really enjoying the experience & the novelty of it.

But not for too much longer.......

Phil & I started pretty much at the top of the hill so we didn't have a big incline to welcome us into the race, (unfortunately for the runners & walkers further back in the queue to start, they were staring at that hill until 11am when they then had to climb it) so had a fairly easy start. As did a few others as there were hoards of people sprinting past Phil & I & we had to be careful not to get too caught up in it ourselves as we knew that what goes down...... must go up!

No sooner had the tunnel declined when we were faced with an incline for the second half of the Northbound tunnel. This is when we all started to sweat & fight for fresh air. Not that we were out of breath from our level of fitness, but out of breath as there was simply no air inside the tunnel. The time seemed to drag too & even more so when I noticed a window into the other tunnel & caught sight of runners on their way back to the finish!

After what seemed like forever we eventually seen the light at the end of the tunnel & everyone let out a cheer. We all stepped out into the open air & opened our lungs to the fresh winter air. Only for a minute though as we were soon on our way back through the other tunnel.
Still warm from the first tunnel, layers were discarded (2 from myself) & the sweat was dripping off everybody. It was like a sauna! Some fella even collapsed & so an ambulance was rushed through for him.

After half of tunnel running down hill we were nearer to the finish but not before one last hill. Now I don't know if I was just far too hot by this point or if the hill was actually bigger but it very nearly finished me off. Phil however must have sucked up the only bit of air left between all 10,000 of us & was off like a shot. I reluctantly followed. It was worth it though as soon enough we saw another light at the end of another tunnel & then the finish line.... in 58 minutes, 28 seconds (less the 2 minutes 11 seconds to start).

As you can probably tell from my somewhat dramatic entry today, it was a toughie & I don't think I will be running through any more tunnels anytime soon, but with the atmosphere of the runners & a good run in general, I was very pleased that we stuck with the race after all.
I really enjoyed being part of that secret world of runners again AND I got another medal too to add to my now mini collection :o)