Queenstown man Martin O'Malley at the finish line of the
42km Everest Marathon, the world's highest marathon, which
he completed this week. Photo supplied.
Martin O'Malley has conquered Everest - or at least the
Everest Marathon.
O'Malley, Queenstown Lakes District Council's infrastructure
services strategic project manager, left for Nepal in October
to acclimatise ahead of the event, the world's highest
marathon.
In October, the Otago Daily Times reported O'Malley was
attempting the 42km race to raise money and awareness for
Jigsaw Central Lakes.
Jigsaw is a national network of more than 40 independent,
community-based, social service organisations working to stop
child abuse, neglect and family violence.
O'Malley said at the time it was "almost a taboo topic that
people don't want to hear about".
"What I would love to do for Jigsaw Central Lakes is get the
awareness out there. Hopefully, that will be really good for
them and the people they help."
In an email to the ODT, received late on Tuesday night,
O'Malley reported he had finished the gruelling race in 33rd
position, in a time of 6hr 51min.
"There was a small crowd at the finish line and I was a happy
camper to be at the end of this gruelling run," O'Malley (37)
said in his email.
"You can see the relief and delight in my face for the finish
line photo. I'm not sure I'd ever take this beast on again,
but also realise time eases the leg muscles.
"I finished in 33rd place overall, one better than I was
told, in a time of 6hr 51min ... there was a course record
set that day, 4hr 32min. Unbelievable."
However, the race was not all plain sailing. O'Malley was
affected by altitude just 100m into the race, describing it
as "breathing like a large man trying to get out of a small
hole with a plastic bag on his head".
"My sides ached, lungs burning, I was sure the onset of a
massive heart attack was exactly like this.
"So, 200m into the run, I pulled to the side pretending I
needed a [bathroom break], gasping lungfuls of cold, low
oxygen air.
"The joys of running at 5100m altitude."
About the 25km mark, O'Malley was listening to Meatloaf's Bat
Out of Hell on his iPod when he was "overtaken by a monk".
"I couldn't believe it.
"This dude, with prayer beads in one hand and flip flops
passed me ... talk about soul destroying.
"Then Lou Reed came on my iPod with the song Perfect Day and
I thought 'actually, yes ... this is a perfect day, despite
being overtaken by a praying monk'."
Arrowtown's Ken Hardman (60) also finished the race, in 9hr
45min.
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