RACE. On April 18, Mélodie Gilbert, an athlete from Saint-Georges, took part in the 125e edition of the Boston Marathon, one of the most famous sporting events in North America.
La Beauceronne completed the 42 km course in just 2 h 48 min. Before the race, she was aiming for a timer of less than three hours. With such a performance, the Georgian athlete finished first in the standings among all registered Quebecers.
“It’s incredible to participate in such a big event. We were more than 25,000 people to participate. Throughout the course, people are on the side of the road to encourage us. The atmosphere is simply indescribable,” says Mélodie Gilbert.
She also finished at 5e rang au Canada, in 59e position in women and in 1166e place among all participants. This achievement is even found in the 25 best Quebec performances in the history of the Boston Marathon.
Unexpected results
Before registering, Mélodie admits that she did not expect to perform so well in her second marathon in life. Soon, she will meet her trainer to discuss her future and her goals in the racing world. Usually, Mélodie practices the sport called trail running.
“Achieving this result is very motivating. I know the major marathons are much more numerous and the scholarships are of greater value. Even if I will not give up the trail, the marathons will certainly not be ruled out, ”she says.
Next competitions
Now that the Boston Marathon is over, Mélodie Gilbert intends to resume her training for her next trail season. Last year, in her first year of competition, she won four of her five races.
“It is certain that I continue the trail competitions, but I will perhaps register for other marathons. The two events are very compatible and allow me to adapt my training quite easily. I will only have to adjust my schedule so as not to affect my performance, ”she says.
This year, several events are already on the Georgian schedule. She will participate in Québec Mega Trail and at the Whistler Alpine Meadows from Golden Trail World Series, routes of 50 km. Other 25 km provincial races are also on Mélodie’s agenda between now and next fall.
