YASS Member, Matthew Ferguson’s account of his experience running a marathon at the “Running Grand Prix, Goodwood Motor Circuit” on Sunday 7th December 2025.
“It’s overcast and spitting rain a little as we pull into the Running GP at Goodwood Motor Circuit, I’m surprisingly calm!
My last marathon was 2011 which took me around 4:30 and I’m sure I can beat that. My goals for trying the distance again were mainly to push me to increase mileage again. My goal on race day is to try to negative split the race and come in under the 3:30 mark. Set a benchmark for marathons and then decide if I want to keep doing them.
Warm up and activations done and we’re on the start line. It’s a small field of just over 135 doing the marathon but the 50k ultra marathoners are already out there and we’re going to be followed by runners doing the half, 10k and 5k. It’s going to be an out and back followed by 11 laps of the 3.8km course. The rain has dried up and it’s warm enough to take my jacket off. My short pockets are laden with gels. Then the horn blows and we’re off.
I’m really mindful of holding back at the beginning and not being pulled along by faster runners at this stage. I settle into just over 5min/k or 8min/m pace which is just right and let my body warm up into the run. 2k in and I’m chatting with some people and my pace creeps up to around 4:45/k. I was planning to let this happen more like the 5k mark. It’s the race pace my running plan was for, so it should be fine. I was just intending to be a bit more conservative at the start. I don’t want to hit the wall. I’m just going to have to really watch the pace and monitor myself.
1 lap in and I’m happy that it’s a pretty flat course as advertised. There is a gentle slope leading away from the water station but I’m gliding up it with hardly any increase in effort but I’m starting to need the loo! The info pack said there would be a porta-loo on the course, but I didn’t see one on the first lap and a marshal confirms it. So I pull in for a quick pitstop on the side of the track.
I’m in the zone and I’ve been ticking off the laps and I’m at about 21k. The laps are great. I like being able to gauge how far I have to run and to know exactly what’s ahead of me and I’m taking a gel after the water station each lap so staying well hydrated and fuelled. Still feeling strong and I’m overtaking people up the slope. It’s confidence building even though I have no idea what distance they’re doing. Only downside is the steady drizzle, my headphones have got water in them and are only working one side. I’m only using them to tell me my km splits at the moment, but I was hoping for a music boost in the last 10k.
30km in and I’m feeling tiredness in my legs. I was hoping to get to 32k before I started to feel this and I’m now worried I’ve gone too fast! The wind has picked up a lot and it hits you when you come into the final straight and then you’re running up the hill into it before you get to make the first turn. It’s not a slope now, definitely a hill and it’s a push to get up. I try to balance conserving energy with not letting my pace drop off too much. The rain is coming down steadily now and my headphones are dead!
34k in and I realise that means I still have 2 laps to go. 2 whole laps! That headwind is picking up. I allow myself to slow quite a lot through the water station breathing and drinking is more difficult now. Push up the hill, but don’t let the breathing get ragged. Ok out of that wind, now relax, just let your body cruise and keep your feet turning. Can I do this for a whole lap more?
Final time past the home straight and people are finishing. The mental torture of thinking maybe I should just finish too. The wind is horrendous and I’m battling so hard even on the flat that my breathing like a beached whale. God is in on the metaphor, and the rain is pouring down. I still have 3.8k to go. I make a decision and allow myself to walk through the water station, catch my breath and reset. Ok, now get the legs going and we have to climb Everest. Loads of people are walking up it. I want to, but I don’t let myself. The reset has worked and my breathing is heavy but under control.
3k to go I’m talking to another runner. In my head I’m just going for 3:30 still but they say they’re hoping to get sub 3:20. This blows me away. My glasses are covered in rain. I can’t see my time but I know that I need to push. I could really achieve something here … Then my laces come undone…!!
Now I’m pushing hard 4:39/km and my right glute is twinging, is it going to cramp? Can I ease off a little?
4:31/km … Twinge has gone, but can I maintain this for another km? Yes, I’m almost there, just concentrate on the km I’m in.
4:16/km I’m now in the fast part of the course and I’m in a group of 3. I’m holding onto them for dear life.
400m to go and I’m into the final straight and a hurricane slams into us! I’m pushing but feel like it’s having no effect. 4:12/km. I’m breathing like a Welsh coal miner and I’m being dropped by the other 2, but I know I don’t have enough to kick the whole distance.
Now 100m to go and I give it everything. I sound like an asthmatic donkey, and the world has run out of air but I’m running at 3:26/km.
And I’m finished, 3:20:04 with first half in 1:31 and second half in 1:29. I have my negative splits. I’ve run a perfect race and I’ve smashed my expectations.
I think I might do this again … Just give me a few weeks!”
A great achievement Matthew, thanks for sharing your experience. I am sure this will inspire other members to try a marathon distance!