The final stretch down Macquarie Road towards the finish line in front of the Sydney Opera House. On both sides of the street, the crowd is cheering. In my head, Chariots of Fire is playing. My feet are so fast, they barely touch the ground. I am flying down the street, throwing my body towards the finish line. In front of my eyes: the iconic Opera House, the harbour, and in the distance, the familiar arch of Sydney Harbour Bridge. I put everything I’ve got into those last 1.2 kilometres. I run, I breathe, I am going to make it. Past the masses, I enter the final stretch. The crowd is cheering, chanting my name: “GISELA! GISELA!” The announcer states my name and home country—Canada! I finished! I did it! I ran the Sydney Marathon!
Running the full Sydney Marathon had been on my bucket list even before I arrived in this beautiful country in 2019. The years prior had been my golden running years (two to be exact—two golden running years), and I was convinced I would and could run another marathon on this continent.
Except I couldn’t. And I didn’t.
If you know me at all, you’ll know that I love to sign up for races and then chicken out shortly before they happen. I would always have the best excuses—something wrong with my feet, my hips, my training, my life… you name it! Ask my team teacher and running partner. She has heard it all before.
But running one more marathon in my life was my goal, and running one in Australia was firmly planted on my list of things I wanted to do.
There I was, one early Sunday morning at the end of August, in a park somewhere in North Sydney, trying to make my way to the start line. Me and 34,999 other hopeful runners.
I had plenty of excuses why I shouldn’t and couldn’t run this race either. I hadn’t been well the first half of the year, I hadn’t trained properly, we’d had all this rain in May and July, my feet hurt (still), I was getting old.
Except you couldn’t cop out of this one. The Sydney Marathon didn’t allow for selling your bib or giving it to someone else. The security around picking up your race kit was tighter than my hamstrings. Plus, getting into this run was decided by entering a lottery—and I had won. It didn’t feel right not to take advantage of this surely-once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Ready or not. Or as my friend said: “Give it a shot. What could possibly go wrong?”
Little did we know of all the things that could go wrong.
The Good (First 21km): Things went really well for the first half of the run. Sydney Harbour Bridge, along Darling Harbour, through the rich and beautiful Balmain—gentrified and posh. Back towards the harbour, a quick snapshot of the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House in sight. So close, yet so far. Another 30k to go.
I was having fun, I was loving it! A beautiful crisp winter day in the city—what was not to like? Through the city down George Street, Hyde Park, and along St Mary’s Cathedral. Running along Oxford Street, the fastest runners were already on their home stretch coming towards us. Oh, how I wanted to be them. But no, I still had over 25km to go.
I was in a good mood. My feet were fine. I had a smile on my face and was high-fiving everyone along the street, whether they wanted it or not. This was great.
Until it wasn’t.
The Bad (Enter: Anzac Parade): An endless wide avenue with nothing but asphalt, sun, and pain for over 10km! Five kilometres out and the same five back. My feet started hurting, and I decided it was time to switch to speed walking. Still smiling, just not as brightly anymore. Forget the high-fives. Why was I doing this again? What lottery? What bucket list?
The Ugly (Centennial Park): If Anzac Parade wasn’t bad enough, at kilometre 30 we entered Centennial Park and wouldn’t leave it again for another 4km. A lazy stroll on a Sunday afternoon—with blistered feet and sore calves. Ten more kilometres never felt so long.
I stopped at every water station and drank every energy drink and every water there was. I read every stupid motivating sign along the way. I hated them all. Some were actually quite funny: “Toenails are overrated anyway!” or “Keep chafing your dreams!” Except I was not in the mood anymore. I was done!
Finally, back at Hyde Park. St Mary’s Cathedral. The Art Gallery. Mrs Macquarie’s Chair. By now I had given up running and was walking only, saving that last little bit of energy I had for my glorious final stretch down Macquarie Street.
And glorious it was! I did it. I had finished my first and last (I swear!) marathon in beautiful Sydney! Crossed the finish line, collected my medal, took the obligatory selfie with the Opera House in the background, and hobbled through the Botanical Garden to make my way home.
Not impressed with my finishing time, but incredibly proud of finishing what I had been wanting to do ever since I had arrived in Australia.
A few days after the race, each marathon finisher received a finishing video. With the theme of Chariots of Fire still playing in my head, I opened the link and loved it initially. The Sydney Harbour Bridge, tens of thousands of runners crossing it in the rising sun…
Then came my finish line moment. There I was, number 33907, only metres away from the finish. But what had felt like a gazelle flying over the line looked, in fact, like someone hobbling in slow motion towards the goal. The music in my head stopped abruptly, and the bruised toenail on my right foot started pulsating immediately. This was painful to watch—literally!
I clicked delete and erased the video forever. Some memories are best kept in your heart. And your bruised toenails.
A few days after the race, a friend asked me what was next on my bucket list. I hadn’t even thought about it, still in a daze about what I had accomplished.
“Swim in the ocean,” I said! “Swim in the ocean with whale sharks. Item 43 on my never-ending Australia bucket list.”
Just don’t let me sign up for any more marathons, please!
My 42.2 Australia Bucket List
- ✓ Cuddled a koala (and pretended I didn’t notice its smell)
- ✓ Took the Ghan train across the continent (and loved every minute of it)
- ✓ Swam in the ocean despite knowing about sharks (because YOLO, apparently)
- ✓ Ordered a long black with a dash of milk (and felt like a proper local)
- ✓ Joined the local trivia club (where my expertise is all things exotic)
- ✓ Ate crocodile and kangaroo (tasted like chicken, obviously)
- ✓ Watched sunrise over the ocean more times than you could count (and will never tire of it)
- ✓ Encountered a snake in the wild (the school playground)
- ✓ Found a huntsman spider in the house (and saved a friend’s life)
- ✓ Saw a cassowary up close (or did it see me?)
- ✓ Traveled to every Australian state (this country is ridiculously huge)
- ✓ Rode a camel (surprisingly comfortable, surprisingly smelly)
- ✓ Had a drink at the bowlo
- ✓ Visited the most western point in Tasmania (and played an imaginary flute)
- ✓ Had a proper barbie with the locals (Happy Chrissie!)
- ✓ Bought a bottle at the bottle-o
- ✓ Witnessed the 2019 bushfires and Covid (just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse)
- ✓ Lived through major floods (and so did my classroom)
- ✓ Endured weeks of endless rain (when the land of sunshine forgot its name)
- ✓ Experienced scorching heat and freezing cold (you try living in a house without heating)
- ✓ Ran from the city to Bondi twice (because once wasn’t enough punishment)
- ✓ Walked 38k at night to see sunrise in the south of the city (questionable life choices, excellent views)
- ✓ Found a local cafe that knows my name and order at 5:30am (true love exists)
- ✓ Been called “mate” more times than I could remember (I try to feel loved)
- ✓ Enjoy steak on Monday steak night (medium-rare with a large glass of expensive Shiraz)
- ✓ Ordered a schnitty on Tuesday (see above, but with breadcrumbs)
- ✓ Navigated Australian taxes and their confusing June year-end (July 1st was the real New Year)
- ✓ Drove on the “wrong” side of the road (not by choice)
- ✓ Did a trail run in Bouddi National Park (hardest thing I have ever done)
- ✓ Went to the Australian Open (and watched some tennis too)
- ✓ Hiked the Three Capes in Tasmania (where I ran out of food on day two)
- ✓ Snorkeled the reef in Queensland (and embraced my fear of the ocean)
- ✓ Tasted wine in the Hunter Valley (and snored on the bus on our way home)
- ✓ Felt snow in the Blue Mountains (Australia’s adorable attempt at winter)
- ✓ Went on a whale tour and almost died (seasickness is real)
- ✓ Swam in a rock pool (me and a few other sea creatures)
- ✓ Hiked to a waterfall (and tore my knee)
- ✓ Walked on squeaky beaches (sand with sound effects)
- ✓ Tasted Vegemite and didn’t like it (looks like Nutella but surely isn’t)
- ✓ Learned what a bacon and egg roll was (bacon-and-egg-on-a-roll, with rocket)
- ✓ Joined a book club and found a writing partner (because I need intellectual stimulation)
- Finished the Sydney Marathon (the ultimate Australian flex)
Thoughts From the Upside Down 