Graubunden Marathon Switzerland - Saturday 24 June 2006 
This was my 50th marathon on my 47th birthday! - purported to be the "Der harteste der Welt" - "the toughest Marathon in the World" - 10,250 feet of ascent!. It starts from Chur, Switzerland and finishes at 9000 feet on the summit of the Rothorn mountain. It is perhaps a good event to celebrate my 50th marathon as my two passions are both marathon and fell running. With a course record of around 3 hours 30 minutes I expect I will do well to finish in under six hours. 
The Race With only 300 runners in the marathon event it was a very laid back start area close to the centre of Chur. Having checked the start list I was aware that I was the only UK pre-entry in the race. However, as I lined up at the start I heard the sound of English voices and saw there were four army chaps ready to start, two dressed in combat gear and back-packs. We chatted briefly and discovered they had only entered a few days ago having read about the race on my website! "It's your birthday today and your 50th marathon" said one of the team! A small world eh! 
The race started with a very pleasant run through the streets of Chur then along the river before starting to climb. From hereon it was up up up. Despite being my 50th marathon this was different from all the others. I don't think I had ever run a race with so much climbing over the distance. Therefore the strategy was to take it easy and enjoy the magnificent scenery that I knew was ahead of me. It was also 80 degrees and rising and survival was an important factor. 
"in fact it was the best ever marathon event that I had ever competed in" The strategy worked and there was never a point in the race where I felt uncomfortable - in fact it was the best ever marathon event that I had ever competed in. The weather, views, race organisation, support team were first class. My wife Anne and her mother Irene..... To be continued.... 
Mile
Marker | Split
(hh:mm:ss) | Lap
(hh:mm:ss) | Distance
(mi) | Avg Speed
(mph) | Avg Pace
(min/mi) | Elev. Change
(feet) | Avg HR | Ascent
(feet) | Descent
(feet) | Altitude
(feet) | Latitude | Longitude | Start | 00:00:00 | 00:00:00 | 0 | 0 | 99:59:00 | 0 | 98 | 0 | 0 | 1923 | N 46° 51' 11.6" | E 9° 32' 10.1" | 1 | 00:12:37 | 00:12:37 | 1.001 | 4.8 | 12:36 | 16 | 127 | 225 | 203 | 1939 | N 46° 50' 43.5" | E 9° 32' 11.4" | 2 | 00:20:35 | 00:07:58 | 2 | 7.5 | 07:59 | 181 | 162 | 257 | 76 | 2120 | N 46° 50' 4.2" | E 9° 32' 47.9" | 3 | 00:34:41 | 00:14:06 | 3.008 | 4.3 | 13:59 | 396 | 161 | 443 | 65 | 2516 | N 46° 49' 48.9" | E 9° 32' 52.7" | 4 | 00:49:05 | 00:14:24 | 4.003 | 4.1 | 14:28 | 445 | 154 | 554 | 97 | 2961 | N 46° 49' 14.8" | E 9° 32' 43.4" | 5 | 01:01:10 | 00:12:05 | 5.002 | 5 | 12:05 | 338 | 170 | 489 | 157 | 3299 | N 46° 48' 39.2" | E 9° 32' 27.6" | 6 | 01:11:45 | 00:10:35 | 6.003 | 5.7 | 10:35 | 246 | 144 | 276 | 32 | 3545 | N 46° 47' 52.6" | E 9° 32' 7.2" | 7 | 01:25:37 | 00:13:52 | 7 | 4.3 | 13:55 | 413 | 169 | 432 | 15 | 3958 | N 46° 47' 5.8" | E 9° 32' 24" | 8 | 01:36:13 | 00:10:35 | 8.002 | 5.7 | 10:34 | 218 | 146 | 222 | 0 | 4176 | N 46° 46' 47.1" | E 9° 32' 46.7" | 9 | 01:48:39 | 00:12:26 | 9 | 4.8 | 12:28 | 433 | 170 | 440 | 16 | 4609 | N 46° 47' 24.4" | E 9° 32' 45.7" | 10 | 02:03:03 | 00:14:24 | 10.001 | 4.2 | 14:23 | 432 | 164 | 464 | 31 | 5041 | N 46° 47' 57.4" | E 9° 33' 2.8" | 11 | 02:17:45 | 00:14:42 | 11.002 | 4.1 | 14:41 | 568 | 167 | 569 | 0 | 5609 | N 46° 47' 23" | E 9° 33' 40.3" | 12 | 02:27:37 | 00:09:53 | 12.009 | 6.1 | 09:49 | 0 | 160 | 175 | 168 | 5609 | N 46° 46' 39.7" | E 9° 34' 5.3" | 13 | 02:35:00 | 00:07:23 | 13.005 | 8.1 | 07:25 | -340 | 171 | 0 | 338 | 5269 | N 46° 46' 45.5" | E 9° 33' 42.4" | 14 | 02:42:40 | 00:07:41 | 14.001 | 7.8 | 07:43 | -301 | 170 | 0 | 292 | 4968 | N 46° 46' 34.7" | E 9° 33' 40.5" | 15 | 02:51:39 | 00:08:59 | 15.001 | 6.7 | 08:59 | -18 | 160 | 34 | 63 | 4950 | N 46° 45' 46.1" | E 9° 33' 41.3" | 16 | 03:05:46 | 00:14:06 | 16.003 | 4.3 | 14:04 | 215 | 169 | 250 | 30 | 5165 | N 46° 45' 11.7" | E 9° 33' 32.8" | 17 | 03:13:58 | 00:08:13 | 17 | 7.3 | 08:14 | -249 | 164 | 0 | 252 | 4916 | N 46° 44' 35.7" | E 9° 33' 14.6" | 18 | 03:24:23 | 00:10:25 | 18.001 | 5.8 | 10:24 | -28 | 124 | 32 | 60 | 4888 | N 46° 44' 16.1" | E 9° 33' 0.1" | 19 | 03:36:46 | 00:12:23 | 19.002 | 4.9 | 12:22 | 88 | 145 | 142 | 56 | 4976 | N 46° 44' 4.5" | E 9° 33' 12" | 20 | 03:47:28 | 00:10:43 | 20.003 | 5.6 | 10:42 | -76 | 160 | 98 | 181 | 4900 | N 46° 43' 45.3" | E 9° 33' 33" | 21 | 04:18:50 | 00:31:21 | 21.001 | 1.9 | 31:25:00 | 1118 | 164 | 1137 | 17 | 6018 | N 46° 43' 43.1" | E 9° 34' 25.5" | 22 | 04:32:48 | 00:13:59 | 22 | 4.3 | 14:00 | 165 | 158 | 213 | 47 | 6183 | N 46° 44' 29.2" | E 9° 34' 22.6" | 23 | 04:52:55 | 00:20:07 | 23.003 | 3 | 20:03 | 410 | 151 | 431 | 30 | 6593 | N 46° 45' 4.3" | E 9° 34' 52.4" | 24 | 05:15:35 | 00:22:40 | 24.001 | 2.6 | 22:43 | 697 | 156 | 705 | 0 | 7290 | N 46° 44' 41.6" | E 9° 35' 10.4" | 25 | 05:39:45 | 00:24:09 | 25 | 2.5 | 24:11:00 | 786 | 153 | 791 | 0 | 8076 | N 46° 44' 14.5" | E 9° 35' 15.2" | 26 | 06:06:38 | 00:26:54 | 26.002 | 2.2 | 26:50:00 | 884 | 152 | 884 | 0 | 8960 | N 46° 44' 26.1" | E 9° 35' 54.6" | End | 06:26:27 | 00:19:49 | 26.381 | 1.1 | 52:17:00 | 427 | 134 | 427 | 0 | 9387 | N 46° 44' 33.2" | E 9° 35' 51.1" |
 
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