In Flanders Fields Marathon
Back in 2023, dropping my marathon PR from 3:20 to 3:10 in half a year gave me the idea to drop another 10 minutes of my PR to run a marathon in less than three hours time. The goal seemed reasonable enough: keep on improving, find a fast course, and potentially qualify for Boston (at the time)! It turned out, however, that dropping another 10 minutes of my PR would be quite difficult. I gave it an earnest attempt in Berlin and got to 3:06, which remained my PR for quite some time, despite other attempts at sub-3, including a fiasco in Antwerp, an earnest attempt in Rotterdam and another one at the European Running Championships. At the rather hilly European Running Championships, however, I felt that I was capable of sub-three, given a flat course and a good day. Thus, on the 21st of September, I lined up at the start of such a course, ready for attempt five at sub-three, hoping to get this over with.
The Race
When looking for flat autumn marathons in Belgium, I stumbled upon In Flanders Fields Marathon (IFF for short), a little-known race organised by one of the few people in Flanders certified to measure courses. It runs in the “Westhoek”, past plenty of sites commemorating World War One, culminating in a passage under the Menin Gate in Ypres right before the finish.
I was immediately enthralled by the idea of running the race: the course is flat, the timing worked out for me, the field of participants is small, and the organisation seemed to be no-nonsense and focussed on the participants. Rather than treating it as a gimmick, the organisation also seemed to treat their “theme” with respect. One example of this I really appreciated was the additional name on our bib: besides our own name, it contained the name of an olympian who died during World War One; my bib was graced by the name of Jean Bouin.
The course of IFF seems to vary somewhat each year. This year, the course left at the “Grote Markt” in Diksmuide, after which it makes a large loop towards the North, eventually heading back to Diksmuide, passing the Yser tower. Afterwards, the course turns towards the Yser river, which it follows all the way until Ypres. There, runners work their way around the city, which they finally enter through the Menin gate, which they pass right before the finish.
Click for a scrollable version.
Training
For both Berlin and Rotterdam, I trained using a toned down version of the 18 week, 113K/week plan Pete Pfitzinger proposes in “Advanced Marathoning”. After Rotterdam, I got kind of burned out on training so much, which caused me to run at a reduced volume for a few months. When I got back to training for the European Running championship, I jumped back with the 113K/week plan, opting to run the full schedule instead of a toned down version. Before heading back to training, however, I did work on building some speed by doing some track work in the weeks before starting the schedule.
Since I felt noticeably faster during that last training block, and since 18 weeks feels incredibly long, I decided to do a short 5K block, followed by the 12 week version of the 113K/week plan. That would hopefully help me build some additional speed before jumping back into training. Moreover, I hoped I could keep most of the speed gains I made when training for the European Running Championships.
Finally, I noticed I felt a bit deflated during a lot of the training for the European Running Championships. I put the blame for this on the amount of carbs I ate, which were not nearly enough for the amount of running I was doing. Thus, I tried to prioritize eating more during my training block.
In spite of some particularly brutal weeks, the training went quite well. I’m not sure if it was the increased carb intake or the speed block, but I noticed that I was faster during most of my training, in spite of the hotter temperatures I was running in compared to my last training block. During the end of my training, I did get a bit worried, as the faster times I saw in my training did not translate to faster times in the two tune-up races I ran. Luckily, a few fast endurance runs towards the end of the block gave me the confidence that sub-three was a possibility, but certainly not a guarantee.
Strategy
I looked back at my previous marathons and realised the one marathon I executed well was the one in Ghent. Some reflection led me to believe there were two key lessons to take away from that experience:
- Following a 16K/16K/10K approach wherein I take it easy (heart rate < 160 bpm) during the first 16K, stay focussed during the next 16 (heart rate < 165 bpm) and push out whatever I can during the final 10K (heart rate = absolutely fucked) seems to be the key to achieve consistent pacing. I tried to follow this approach in Berlin, Rotterdam and at the European Running Championships, but I always got carried away trying to hit sub-3 pace.
- Eating often and eating early can help me avoid hitting the wall. I always came up with a food plan and tried to stick to it, but the impact of food on my training made me realise this might have played a bigger part than I expected during my last marathons.
Thus, I decided to follow my 16/16/10 approach while also focussing on nutrition. For the latter, I came up with a food plan of eating a banana before the start if my sugar allowed it, eating two more during the first half of the race and taking some gels (4 in total) whenever my stomach would allow. I also had the last minute idea of bringing some additional sugar in the form of some gummy bears.
Race Week(end)
In the week leading up to the race, I avoided alcohol and caffeine, and tried to prioritize good sleep. While I succeeded at the former, I only sort of succeeded at the latter. The day before the race, I got a haircut for that extra cold feeling, picked up my bib, and headed to a holiday home 15 mins away from the start. Pre-race nerves made it hard to get enough sleep, but luckily, the little sleep I did get was quite deep.
Perfect conditions.
I at the breakfast I had been using for all my long runs (muesli + some protein yoghurt to slow down the absorption of sugar) and was quite aggressive with the amount of insulin I gave myself to avoid my usual pre-race peak. This seemed to work out quite nicely. A bit of anxious waiting for a bathroom visit later, I was off to Diskmuide and ready to roll. I warmed up quite late, which was possible due to the smaller scale of the race, which was very nice. After, I was pleased to notice my sugar was low enough that I could afford to have a banana before starting out. A few minutes before the start, I got into the corrals and settled in somewhere near the front, making sure I was in front of the first pace group (which were aiming for 3:15). Some nervous waiting later, the (real) gun was fired and we were off!
The Race
The course took an immediate right, beelining to head out of Diksmuide as soon as possible. People seemed to have picked their starting positions wisely, as everybody spread out, with pretty much no weaving or jostling going on. I tried to not care about the people around me too much for now, and worked on finding a nice pace while keeping my heart rate below 160bpm. I was pleased to find out that I managed to hit such a pace without straining myself too much. I was eager to push a bit harder, but kept myself in check, recalling that the first 16K should feel easy, like you’re holding yourself back.
| km 1 | 4:10 | 152 bpm |
Halfway through the first lap, we turned out of Diksmuide and started following a bike path next to the Yser river. It was quite windy at this point, so I opted to stick close to some other runners in the hopes of drafting ever so slightly. Unfortunately, my size means I still caught quite some wind anyways. There was quite some moving of people between groups during these first few kilometres, as people tried to get into a pace that worked for them.
Everybody’s looking very happy.
Somewhere around this point, I decided to eat two of my gummy bears only to realise they are not that nice to eat while you’re running fast. I decided to get rid of half when I saw my family.
| km 2 | 4:17 | 158 bpm |
| km 3 | 4:14 | 159 bpm |
| km 4 | 4:11 | 159 bpm |
By kilometre five, I had joined a small pack of runners who all seemed to be running at a similar pace to me. I stayed with this group for quite some time, though at some point, our small group caught up with a larger group and overtook it. While this happened, people swapped around between groups which means I was now in a group with about 10 to 15 runners. The group around me was welcome, since we faced quite some rain and lots of heavy winds during the next few kilometres. I tried to stay near the back of the group and chill there, recalling the advice Pfitz gives in “Advanced Marathoning”:
Mentally, the first half of the marathon is the time to cruise. Try to save your mental and emotional energy for the second half of the race. All other factors being equal, if there is a group of runners in the lead pack at halfway, the winner will be the one who has cruised along at the back of the pack, saving his or her energy for the demans of the second half of the race.
I opted to be that person, and cruised along behind the pack, enjoying my music, the scenery, the run, and life in general.
One damper on my good mood was my sugar. It had shot up from my banana and was well above 300 by now and was still rising. I was worried it would make me cramp up, as I suspect it had in Berlin and Rotterdam, but decided that there was nothing I could really do besides hold off on taking gels until I was sure that my sugar had start dropping. I did decide to take a banana from my family who I would meet at kilometre ten so that I would have something to eat once my sugar allowed me to.
| km 5 | 4:09 | 159 bpm |
| km 6 | 4:13 | 160 bpm |
| km 7 | 4:18 | 159 bpm |
| km 8 | 4:12 | 161 bpm |
| km 9 | 4:15 | 159 bpm |
| km 10 | 4:12 | 158 bpm |
I was very happy to see my parents for the first time around kilometre ten. I might not have really shown it though, as I was just frantically yelling “BANANA” at my dad while trying to also give him the gummy bears and energy bar I wanted to get rid off. Luckily, I managed to snatch a banana from his hand as I dropped the gummy bears and bar in his vicinity. I ran a bit too fast in my excitement here, but slowed down a bit and was soon back to chilling at the back of “my” pack. My chill was disrupted by a message from my parents, who said they would not be able to make it to the next point, but, unable to reply, I decided to just see how things would play out; I had a banana and all my gels and would be unable to eat any of them for the next few kilometres anyway.
| km 11 | 4:11 | 162 bpm |
| km 12 | 4:11 | 159 bpm |
| km 13 | 4:11 | 160 bpm |
| km 14 | 4:13 | 161 bpm |
| km 15 | 4:11 | 162 bpm |
| km 16 | 4:11 | 163 bpm |
The pack right before arriving in Diskmuide. Try to spot me.
At kilometre 17, I saw my my sister and her husband who had also driven all the way to West-Flanders to cheer me on. My brother in law helpfully offered my supplies, but I declined since I still had everything I needed. I saw my mom, who evidently had made it1 and quickly told her that I was having some issues with my sugar but that everything was going very well otherwise. Motivated by some familiar faces, I ran this kilometre far too fast. Luckily, I passed the 16K point, which means my heart rate was allowed to go every so slightly higher.
After leaving Diksmuide, the course turned Westwards, right into heavy winds. I quipped to somebody else that all that wind would be blowing right into our backs soon and pushed onwards. I also noticed that my sugar was finally starting to drop and took the opportunity to eat my banana. Of course, right after peeling it, the top half of it fell off. Oh well; I ate the remaining half and stuck to the pack. Some time later, I also took my first gel of the race.
| km 17 | 4:07 | 164 bpm |
| km 18 | 4:11 | 167 bpm |
| km 19 | 4:12 | 168 bpm |
| km 20 | 4:09 | 169 bpm |
Around the halfway point, I noticed that the pack was speeding up, and that I could not follow them without running close to a heart rate of 170 bpm. I stubbornly stuck to them for some time, but eventually decided that letting them go and running a race at my own pace would be the smarter thing to do. It really helped that this was not an official pace group, as it meant that letting them go was just a normal decision rather than some admission that I could not make sub-3.
| km 21 | 4:14 | 168 bpm |
| km 22 | 4:15 | 168 bpm |
| km 23 | 4:16 | 167 bpm |
| km 24 | 4:15 | 166 bpm |
Over the next few kilometres, I was joined by a fellow runner who I had seen earlier in the race. For some reason, I had the idea that he was running incredibly consistent splits, which is why I called him “the metronome” in my head. Over the next few kilometres, we were sharing our splits, assuring each other we were still on track for sub-3. However, I was getting worried around this point. Some parts of my body were starting to suffer and I noticed that my average pace had dropped towards 4:15 min/km. That would still be enough to finish a hair under 3 hours, but I knew it would be hard to maintain that pace until the very end of the race. I took some comfort from the fact that my average pace for the whole race was at 4:12 min/km, which meant I had a little bit of room for slowing down. That being said, I was stuck in my head a bit too much during this time, and had a hard time staying in the right mindset. For the first time, I started to fear today might not be the day after all.
Somewhere during this time, I also took another gel.
| km 25 | 4:17 | 167 bpm |
| km 26 | 4:16 | 169 bpm |
| km 27 | 4:15 | 167 bpm |
| km 28 | 4:16 | 167 bpm |
| km 29 | 4:17 | 171 bpm |
Luckily, I met my sister, bother in law and their children again a bit after the 28k point. I took a banana from them, ate half of it, and realised my stomach would not be happy with the second half. I offered my second half to the metronome, who (gladly? communication at this point was hard) accepted it.
I’m not sure what happened here; maybe it was meeting my family, maybe it was the bizarreness of sharing a banana with a stranger, but I suddenly realised I only had 14 more kilometres to go, that my legs were feeling okay, and that I was still on track for sub-3. I got out of my head for a bit, and started enjoying the run again. My mix hit a sweet spot and I got hit by what might be the mother of all runner’s highs. I felt like I was floating and I was feeling ridiculously happy all of a sudden. A mild, nice, refreshing bit of rain only helped to elate me further. I legitimately shed a few tears of joy. I don’t know what was happening, but I loved every second of it. I accelerated without even thinking about it, leaving the metronome behind (sorry!) and sped on towards the finish, which felt laughably close. I passed a man and told him there were only 12 kilometres left, and that we did that in training without even breaking a sweat2. I messed with my music to keep the hype going and, looking at my watch, I started to believe that sub-3 might actually be happening today.
Loving life again.
| km 30 | 4:09 | 171 bpm |
| km 31 | 4:12 | 172 bpm |
| km 32 | 4:17 | 171 bpm |
| km 33 | 4:15 | 170 bpm |
My sense of elation came to an abrupt end when the course took a sharp turn up some steep banks to cross the river to the other side. Luckily, my parents were standing here, who motivated me to keep going. I knew that the finish was only eight kilometres3 away now and told myself to keep pushing until the very end. I did not want a lack of carbs to fuck me up now, so I took another gel in spite of my protesting stomach.
Trying to make sense of what my legs just experienced. Spot the flying dextro gel.
| km 34 | 4:17 | 172 bpm |
| km 35 | 4:08 | 172 bpm |
| km 36 | 4:15 | 173 bpm |
I was evidently not the only one struggling, as I passed a few other stragglers of the pack over the next few kilometres. At kilometre 36, we had to climb a short hill, but luckily, I noticed my sister’s kids racing me here which motivated me to get up faster.
Racing the kids. Somehow still smiling. Some of the people I passed behind me.
The struggle started to become very real over the next few kilometres. My legs were starting to cramp up quite badly, and the temptation to just take a short walking break crept up in my head. Luckily, I stopped that thought by realizing I would never forgive myself if I missed sub-3 when I was this close just by giving in to a moment of weakness. I tried to take another gel at this point, but gave up when my stomach revolted after just a few sips.
| km 37 | 4:09 | 174 bpm |
| km 38 | 4:15 | 172 bpm |
| km 39 | 4:15 | 174 bpm |
I was miraculously doing quite well at this point in the race, in spite of the agony in my legs. I even took the opportunity to say a few words to some of the people I passed at this point:
- One man encouraged me as I passed him, and I told him to stick to it, saying there was only 3K or so more to go. He misunderstood me and told me I’d comfortably finish under three hours.
- The leader of the half marathon flew by me here, along with his police escort. I encouraged him briefly and he replied by sticking out his fist (in a friendly manner).
- I saw a runner who I recognised from the pack stop to stretch his legs against a house. I encouraged him to keep going, saying there were only two kilometres left.
With three kilometres to go, I turned on the power metal and started pushing out everything I had left. I passed my sister and brother in law a final time here, who cheered me on, saying the end was in sight and that I was doing great.
The final thee kilometres of the race were quite brutal. I pushed as hard as I could, but my legs were starting to give up. Nevertheless, I kept going. I talked to the stretching man from before for a bit here, convincing him we could both still make sub-3, as he seemed to have a hard time believing it.
| km 40 | 4:19 | 175 bpm |
| km 41 | 4:19 | 175 bpm |
With just a kilometre left to go4 I glanced at my watch and saw 2:53. I knew I could make it, as long as I could just keep on running. However, that final kilometre seemed to drag on forever. Every time we turned a corner, I expected to see the Menin gate, but I was left disappointed time after time.
| km 42 | 4:23 | 177 bpm |
Suddenly, it was there, and it was filled with people cheering us on. I ran through it, overwhelmed by the noise5 and glanced at my watch: 2:58:??, could I make it? I saw the fences lining the finish chute around the corner, but no finish line in sight yet. I started pushing for a final sprint and felt my left calf and thigh cramp up completely. I yelled out in pain, which amused some of the spectators around me, and tried to push through it. I finally saw the finish, and crossed it soon after.
| km 43 | 3:49 | 180 bpm |
Before I could proceed through to accept my medal and see my official time, I met the organiser of the race right after the finish. He was there to personally shake the hand of everybody who finishes the race. Props to him.
Results
I looked at my watch before I well and truly finished, and saw a “2”; 2:59:07. The result screens at the finish did not show a net time, but showed the time of arrival instead: 12:59:something. Since we left at 10, I knew that I had finally done it.
| Official Results | |
|---|---|
| Time | 2:58:50 |
| Ranking | 29 (out of 505 finishers) |
The official results are even better and put me at 2:58:50. I am not really sure how accurate that might be, as 17 seconds is quite a big difference. The official results also claim that my chip time is equal to the gun time, which seems like a stretch. Regardless, after 2 years of trying I finally managed to finish a marathon in less than 3 hours, on my fifth attempt! Moreover, I felt surprisingly okay after the race, though evidently my legs were completely destroyed.
Compared to my previous results, things look even better, as I improved my previous best by 7 minutes.
| Marathon | Date | Time | Links |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brussels Marathon | 2017-10 | 3:42:03 | strava, report |
| Brussels Marathon | 2022-10 | 3:20:34 | strava, report |
| Gent Marathon | 2023-03 | 3:10:11 | strava, report |
| Berlin Marathon | 2023-09 | 3:06:29 | strava, report |
| Antwerp Marathon | 2023-10 | 3:24:51 | strava, report |
| Rotterdam | 2024-04 | 3:07:41 | strava |
| European Running Championships | 2025-04 | 3:08:02 | strava |
| In Flanders Fields Marathon | 2025-09 | 2:58:50 | strava, report |
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It turns out they barely made it in time, passed my supplies to my brother in law who ran to their car and that my dad had to stay in the car since he could not park it anywhere. Props on them for making it work! ↩
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If that guy was suffering at that point, he must have hated me. I know I would have hated me if I was. ↩
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An important number, as that is the length of my usual recovery run. ↩
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According to my watch, in reality it was a bit longer still. ↩
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Besides the crowds, it seemed somebody invited a bagpipe player. ↩