From James arrival to the Start

James came by train from Amsterdam where Rona had done a Half Marathon. Kirsten and Aaron went to pick him up in Gisors. Abbey continued supervising Barry’s recreational program and Jan explored the surroundings for a bit. Because of delays, James missed his connecting train and it was late when he finally arrived. Thanks to our lovely landlady, we could cook some pasta in her kitchen, while Kirsten and Aaron cooked dinner in their van – and also slept in it for the first time on the journey. 😉

We had decided to start a bit later the next morning. The breakfast was sweet but very tasty – especially the fried apple rings, the pan-cakes, the fresh cake and the cheese and…

Finally, we packed the vans and drove to yesterdays finish line in Neuf-Marché. The weather was promising and the wet fields looked great in the early sun. We set up the starting line and Barry and James started into Day 3 heading to Sainte-Saens.

Actually, they headed for Gournay-en-Bray but then changed their mind, turned around and started running to Sainte-Saens.

Check Point #1

The first check point was a tiny road crossing on an even smaller path. Kirsten put the kettle on and we chatted along – except for Jan who was trying to get the video interview running in the blog.

We had not passed Barry and James on the way to the check point. Since our road had been small and winding, we got a bit nervous when they did not turn up. So, Kirsten and Jan got in the van to check if they were on the right track. Thankfully, we did not have to drive far.

The runners were in a good mood and took off quickly with Barry shouting his catchphrase of the day: “See you at the party, Victor.”

Check Point #2

The roads leading to this point made a Scottish single track road look like a dual-carriage motorway, though the scenery was lovely. Aaron got the camping chairs out and we sat in the sun.

The runners came and went on. Barry: “See you at the party, Victor.”

Check Point #3

Shortly after we left Check Point #2, the vans had to follow a detour and we lost sight of the runners. What came next felt more like a Camel Trophy than a Mega Marathon. The tiny streets were slippery with mud, and on-coming traffic brought us close to the hard shoulder where there was deep puddles and it was easy to get stuck. But we made it to the meeting point which turned out to be huge round-about. Looking at the traffic, it actually must have been the most important crossing in the whole area.

Barry and James had a cross-country look as well when they arrived. The wet and slippery streets had been tiring but they were in a good mood nevertheless.

With 29 miles, todays route was longer than a normal marathon. And even though it started raining again, Kirsten got her bike prepared and accompanied Barry and James on the last 15 kilometres.

Barry: “See you at the party, Victor.”

Check Point #4

With Barry and James in good condition, it felt good moving on to the last check point. Two kilometres before Montérolier, we passed a railroad crossing followed by a slight slope leading down to Check Point #4. An information worth sharing with the runners of course.

The meeting point was at a T-crossing in a beautiful little village. It kept on raining though and we just waited in the vans for the runners / cyclist to arrive.

Jelly Beans were served for extra motivation. Than the runners / cyclist took off for the last 8 kilometres.

Barry: “See you at the party, Victor.”

The Finish Line

In Sainte-Saens, the finish line was right in the town centre at a huge church. The arrival of the runners might have went by unnoticed by the local youths if it would have not been for our cheers and claps and whistles.

Barry and James finished 29 miles in about 5:17h. It’s amazing that Barry is still able to walk stairs. And I still cannot believe that he was singing along the way – but then why should James and Kirsten lie?!

Recovery

As usual Abbey’s recovery program started right away and kept Barry busy till late. James, Kirsten and Aaron celebrated the day with some wine and a decent Chinese dinner in the village. While I had my personal pasta party™ with 350 gr. of fresh pasta, 80 gr. of salmon, lots of Creme Fraiche and 2x packs of Mousse au Chocolate as dessert. Ready to go!

* It’s actually: “See you at the party, Richter.” And it is from Total Recall.

PS: Pictures will follow on Thursday.