NDM 2026 – When Disappoints Come Faster Than the Race Finish

Late post – because life came between February 22 and today!

Some race days do not go the way you imagine them.

This one certainly did not.

I went into NDM2026 (half marathon)  knowing I was not in the best place. It had not been a great season, and for the past week I had been dealing with a sharp, stabbing pain in my glutes that was hard to ignore. Two weeks before the race I ran a good, trail 32 which got me a winner, but fatigue gave me too many niggles and an annoying glutes strain…

So I was realistic. I was not expecting anything exceptional. I was not chasing a personal best. I just wanted a good race. A solid one. A finish that felt satisfying.

Sometimes, that feels like a modest ask. But running has a way of reminding you that even modest goals are never guaranteed.

The start of NDM was chaotic as usual.. the pushing around at the start; even at the 11th edition, the organisers don’t know how to deal with the corral chaos… After running hard in the first km to be away from this madness, I settled to a moderate pace trying to stay in control through the first half. The idea was simple: stay steady, stay sensible, and give myself a chance to finish strong. For a while, that plan seemed possible. But somewhere in the second half, things started to go south.

The pace slipped. The discomfort became harder to manage. And with every passing kilometre, the gap between the race I had hoped for and the race I was actually having became impossible to ignore.

That is the hard part about running. Not every disappointing race is dramatic. Sometimes you do not crash spectacularly. Sometimes you do not stop. Sometimes you keep going, keep moving, keep finishing; but the whole time you know this is not what you came for.

And somehow, that can hurt just as much.

This was my first road half marathon since my last NDM half, and I think that added another layer to it. It is difficult not to compare. Difficult not to look back at stronger days, better races, and fitter versions of yourself and wonder where that runner has gone. It is easy to measure today against your best and come away feeling like you have fallen short.

But maybe that is not always the right comparison.

The life after dengue in last October had recovery in slow motion… you have some amazing run, but you take ages to recover. I had cut down my weekly mileage for efficient recovery. There were no 90km week anymore. It was just 70s or 80s and that was good enough!

I started 2026 with 3 good races… and may be that was a bit too much before the fast half marathon I was hoping for!

Anyway I finished. I learned. And now, I regroup.

The marathon block awaits.