My First Marathon in Toulouse 🎉

I finally did it — my very first marathon!
42 km around Toulouse, 3h45 of running, thousands of steps… and yes, my legs still hate me.

Before the Race

The night before, I did what every pro runner would do: eat too much pasta, double-check my shoes 15 times, and sleep… almost nothing.
At the starting line, I felt both nervous and excited. The crowd was buzzing, music was playing, and I thought: “Okay, let’s just survive this thing.”

The First Half (fresh and optimistic)

The first 10 km flew by — Toulouse looked beautiful, and my legs felt like wings. I even smiled at the photographers (before I started suffering).

By the halfway point, I was still doing fine. I had energy, the pace was steady, and I was even thinking: “Marathons aren’t that bad!” (spoiler: they are).

The Famous Wall 🧱

Then came kilometer 30.
If you’ve ever run long distances, you know what I’m talking about. Suddenly my legs turned into stone, every step was a negotiation, and water stations felt like oases in the desert.

The Route

The course took us through so many parts of Toulouse — from big boulevards to small side streets, across bridges and along the Garonne. Crowds cheered us on with “Allez, courage!” and high fives. Honestly, their energy kept me going when mine was gone.

The Finish 🏅

Crossing that line was pure magic. Exhausted, proud, and already forgetting the pain.
Would I do it again?
Ask me the day after: no way.
Ask me a week later: where do I sign up?

Aftermath

• Walking down stairs: impossible.
• Sitting down: painful.
• Standing up again: even worse.

But after the shower, food, and medal photos, the suffering didn’t matter. I had just run my first marathon.

Marathon #1: done.
Next challenge? Who knows… but for now: beer, food, and rest. 🍕🍺