Name: Sahibi Noureddine
Age: 29
Nationality: Belgian
Occupation: Operations Trainer/Production Assistant
Distance: Full Marathon
Final time: 4h36min04sec

Experience: This was my first GWM and my 4th marathon this year, I started running marathons last January.

How did you train for the GW marathon?

The training was really hard in the beginning for the first marathon in January. Meriel (my training partner) wrote a training schedule with informations she found in a book and we followed it, that’s it.

After that, it was like a habit, a routine with 4 to 6 runs every week. Long run, fast run, hashing on weekend, etc…

As I knew that the GWM was a though marathon with many steps, I did the Hangzhou Mountain Marathon to prepare it, with many steps and a positive elevation of 3000m.
Now, I could say that’s a way of life.

What were your favorite moments?

Certainly, for me it was sharing stories with other marathoners. This Canadian guy with whom I ran 4-5km has the same addiction to marathon and this Australian woman who pushed me and encouraged me when I was really exhausted in the second loop on the wall.

Tips for first timers?

Believe in yourself, search the pleasure and when it’s really difficult like it was for me on the wall, don’t think too far, one step at a time and be proud of this step, redo it again and again till the end.

Would you consider yourself to be a very competitive person?

I don’t think so but my friends think the inverse.

What was the most challenging aspect of the marathon for you?

Fighting against myself and prove to myself that I can do it.

What surprised you?

The solidarity between runners is incredible. I feel like I got a huge family when I run. There are no differences of nationality, color or religion. We are all there because we want it and we like it.

Would you do it again?

Yes, of course. I’ll go in July with some friends for running the Sunrise to Sunset Race. It’s a 100km race in Mongolia in a natural reserve, probably the best running spot ever.

Regrets? How you might do it differently next time?

No regrets, I enjoyed it, I found my pleasure there.

Was it as difficult as you expected it would be?

It was like I’ve expected till the second round on the wall, that was so terrible but the satisfaction to achieve a marathon like that is so great at the end.

How much of it did you walk?

Every drink stop, I walked to drink to avoid cramps and dehydration.

Did you have injuries before or after the race?

Yes. I started a hip inflammation two weeks before at the North Face Race (40km). I was still using pain killer for the GWM.

What did you wear? What type of shoes do you run in?

A classic running gear, short and T-shirt. I run with running shoes (not specific as trail shoes), Asics Kayano.

Did you stay in Beijing for the night before the race or did you stay at hotel locally?

I stayed in the local hotel; it was more convenient to have a good rest before the race.

Did you enjoy it?

Totally, I enjoyed it a lot. We were a group of twenty hashers, and we all spent a great weekend together.



Image: Sahibi shows off his forty-two-kilometer smile at the top of the Great Wall.

Check out CTn's Feature Story: China's Great Wall Marathon: Feel the Love.

For more images from the Great Wall of China Marathon 2009, go here and here.

For interviews and reviews of the 10k and half marathon:

Great Wall of China Marathon 2009 Interview: Anne Halvorson
Great Wall of China Marathon 2009 Interview: Mathias Guillin
Great Wall of China Marathon 2009 Interview: Sabina Leopaldi
Great Wall of China Marathon 2009 Interview: Andrew Wilcox
Great Wall of China Marathon 2009 Interview: Brandon Frerking