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Two weeks after Collingwood and Brisbane players tested their limits of endurance in the AFL grand final at the MCG, two-time Australian Olympian Ryan Gregson battled cramps and exhaustion on the same turf as he made an impressive marathon debut on Sunday.
Gregson would be done with his races in about three-and-a-half minutes in his days as a 1500-metre runner, but the 33-year-old’s move to the marathon has signed him up for cut and thrust exceeding two hours.
In a chat with Wide World of Sports ahead of the Melbourne Marathon, the Brisbane-based runner said he wanted to break two hours and 15 minutes in his first hit-out over the 42.195-kilometre distance.
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He nailed that goal, crossing the MCG finish line in second place and stopping the clock at 2:14:54.
Victoria’s Reece Edwards spent nearly the whole race running with Gregson and eventually grabbed victory, posting 2:14:34.
He and Gregson hunted down another Victorian in Liam Adams, the inspirational tradie marathon runner, who attacked from the gun and streaked out to a lead of one minute and 50 seconds, before fading to finish third in 2:15:37.
Adams, a dual Olympian and 2:08:39 marathon runner, had tackled the Berlin Marathon only three weeks earlier.
Gregson entered the MCG and stumbled to the finish line, clutching at his right hamstring and grimacing.
But he didn’t suffer any injury and said he was “very happy” with cracking the 2:15 barrier.
“I think that’s a pass mark for me,” Gregson told Wide World of Sports.
“I’d probably say I felt really good for 32 kilometres … I realised my body was starting to get a bit achy in the legs, and it kind of held together until about 37 kilometres, but over that last five kilometres I started to cramp in my right hamstring and it just made it too hard to really push on from there.
“Engine-wise I really wanted to get on with it and finish hard, but every time I tried to pick up the pace my hamstring kept kind of spasming, and from there it was just about managing my body to make sure I actually got to the finish line, so that was certainly a new experience for me.”
He said he “lost control” of his body and described it as a “weird experience”.
“I wouldn’t say it’s painful; it’s more just your body is completely shutting down and you’re losing function,” he said.
“I hit my leg a bit and it would kind of relieve my cramp.
“Thankfully I got there in the end with a respectful time.”
Despite the gruelling experience, he said he “definitely enjoyed it” and would “love to go again”.
“I’ll have to sit down with Nic [coach Nic Bideau] over the next week or so and hash out a plan moving forward.
“But today was definitely a positive experience and it showed that I can cover the distance.
“Hopefully next time I do it I’m better prepared to make sure instead of my body getting through 37 kilometres, it makes the whole 42 kilometres.”
His wife Genevieve Gregson, a three-time Olympian, was the first woman home in the half-marathon.
The 34-year-old completed the course in 1:10:07 and was quick to give her husband a hand as he staggered over the finish line.
Ryan even walked back to their hotel, which he estimates was three kilometres.
“That was my cool-down,” he said with a laugh.
