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"I Look at my Finishing Time Rather Than My Placing"
by Paul Grech
Even with the Maltese public Carmen Hili is a rather anonymous
figure, largely unknown outside the circle of those who retain
an avid interest in athletics. Yet, along with Carol Galea
and Giselle Camilleri, she is among the leading Maltese female
long distance athletes.
She confirmed this by winning both the Gatorade Malta Challenge
Marathon as we;; as the BMW Malta Marathon - the two major
marathons held in Malta - within the space of six months.
"It was my wish," she replies to the query as to
whether this success was her chief ambition, but goes on to
admit that winning isn't always her main target. "My
greatest wish is always that of improving my time from the
previous year. That is the first thing I check: my finishing
time."
"Still, I can't deny that it was greatly satisfying
to win them both."
Especially since these two marathons happen to be her favoured
events, thanks to "the challenge involved in running
such a distance."
A challenge that she habitually overcomes. Her success in
the Malta Marathon came after two years during which Hili
always finished second. Still, as she talks about the latest
edition, Hili fails to hide her disappointment of taking two
more minutes than the  previous
year to cross the finishing line. "This year I was a
little bit slower, even though I won. What happened is that
in the final months I had to miss a lot of training because
I wasn't feeling very well. In fact I did a better time than
my coach expected," she says, almost as if to try and
defend her result even though there is no need.
All of which confirms just how much she looks at the time
clocked rather than her placing. Perhaps that is why her most
cherished memory is the time of 2.59 that she clocked at the
most recent edition of the Malta Challenge. "I was very
pleased with my time at the last Challenge. That I managed
to go under the three hours barrier meant a lot to me."
"The previous year my time had been of three hours and
seven minutes. I was really hoping to go under three hours
but before the start of the race I was skeptical of the possibilityof
taking seven minutes off my time. That I managed to beat the
three hour barrier meant a lot to me."
Ironically, she considers the Challenge to be the most difficult
event to compete in. "I can't stand having to wait from
one day to the next [note: the Gatorade Challenge Marathon
is broken down into three races the combined distance of which
equals that of a marathon]. The wait has become even more
unbearable these past two years when I've been one of the
leaders and therefore there is the added pressure of wondering
whether I'll be able to keep my position. Often I can't even
sleep."
Her dream is to take part in a marathon outside Malta, even
though Hili hasn't got any set plans. "I can't deny that
I would like to. If you were to offer me the opportunity to
go tomorrow, I would. However, at the moment I can't."
Especially as she has other priorities in life.
"You have to take it day by day because there's the
family to think about!"
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