Review: EDP Rock'n'Roll Madrid 1/2

So exactly a week ago, Alex and I left sunny London to equally sunny Madrid so that I could run in the half marathon the next day. When we left, London had already been experiencing a few days of tank-top-and-shorts-weather, and we experienced the same in Madrid (maybe Madrid was even cooler actually). Right after we landed at the airport, we headed to the Expo because it was only a few stops away on the metro, where I picked up my kit and t-shirt.

I'd rate the expo 8/10. It was big and perhaps too big, but there was little queue to pick up stuff and there were lots of vendors. I just didn't like how everything was in Spanish and so it was impossible for me to try the products or read about them.

T-shirt is definitely a 10/10. I appreciated that they had different designs for the different races. The half one is blue and pink while the marathon one is blue and white. Definitely highlights each distances' achievements even more by having different t-shirts.

I then went for a cheeky 20 min run around Plaza de Espana near our accommodation to loosen up my legs for the next day.

I was excited because this was going to be my second Rock'n'Roll race, the first one being the Liverpool half, which I got my PB and had so much fun at. On Sunday morning, Alex and I took the 30 min walk to the start line, which already was pumping with classic rock music. Later I found out there were 37,000 runners that day, so I could really feel the excitement at the start line!

Can you spot me?

Port-a-potty line as always

I had been feeling burned out the past few weeks. There are days in which I have stopped enjoying running. My pace had been getting slower. And I have been feeling frustrated because of all those things. I really needed to regain my motivation for running, and this is why I wanted to run a fun race. Not aiming for a PB or a great result. I just wanted to enjoy it.

The course was hilly and a little warm, but the roads were wide and the spectators were so supportive. Even the runners were gregarious and encouraging each other, which definitely made me smile. At water stations though, it got a bit scary as runners were pushing each other. I was very disappointed with the amount of music on the way though. At Liverpool, I remember there was one almost every mile if not every km. Madrid had much less. Nonetheless, I got to see so much of the city, and I am glad I run it. I wasn't as slow as I thought I would be either. You can check the route here:

Overall, I enjoyed it. It was good fun. I do find Rock'n'Roll races to be a lot of fun, so hopefully I'll get to run the half at Dublin in August. Until then, I'm decreasing mileage until my marathon training begins in either June or July!

#spain #madrid #travel #traveltips #running #runningtips #race