If you ever want to see how fast some of the world’s elite 10km female runners actually run, then I suggest standing right in front of them. And if you have a camera in your hand, looking to get a good shot of them as they accelerate away from the start line of Ireland’s biggest 10km road race, standing right in front of them can become a little bit like a game of chicken. A game of chicken that you’re going to lose.
One of the benefits of the media pass I acquired for the Great Ireland Run was getting access to the start and finish areas of the race. Before the start of the women’s elite race, as stewards shepherded the viewing public back onto the grass and behind barriers, that pass around my neck gave me a special exemption, allowing me to get out in front of the starting line, and frame the shot exactly as I wanted. I was standing alongside a press photographer who’s 400mm f/2.8 monster of a lens was making my lens seem inadequate. He looked like he had been here before, and so, feeling slightly nervous about the prospect of 20 very fast women running straight through me, I thought if I following his lead was a good idea.
We were actually well back along the road – you can see here that this photo was 13 seconds into the race, and the runners are still a bit away. It didn’t take them long to make up the remaining distance though, and as they got closer , I stepped to the side (my photographer friend was still somewhat bravely shooting away in the middle of the road), and, hoping to shoot them in profile as they passed, I quickly changed lenses.
At least I thought I quickly changed lenses. The next shot I actually got was of their backs quite a distance further up the road towards Castleknock, and it dawned on me what that rush of air past my head had been as I had looked in my bag for the lens.
I initially hoped to get another chance to shoot these runners at the 3km marker, which, due to the course layout, was actually just a little bit back behind the start line. However the organisers scuppered that plan. The start of the men’s race (and the main event for the 11,000 non-elite runners) was 10 minutes after the start of the women’s race. And these women would pass that 3km marker after just about 10 minutes.
I opted to stay and shoot the start of the main race, and but did get to the finish in time to photograph the winners of the women’s race at the finish line 20 minutes later, and welcome home Ireland’s Mary Cullen (number 10001 in the center of the picture) come home in second place to Portugal’s Ana Dulce Felix (number 10006).
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