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Abingdon Marathon
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Comments
well done all - I was cycling around with occasional bouts of shouting and clapping etc. Blisters, thanks for the bottle at 23miles!
Lovely to see a few familar faces, hope everyone was pleased with how they ran!
RW's very own Catherine was 3rd lady!!! Major congrats to her!
...well I hope you enjoyed the perve Kaz....lucky for me I had loose fitting shorts on!
I hope the day went well for you!!!
Run went ok Nick. Went through a bad patch after Hippo and Keith pulled away from me (around the time I saw you just after half way) but once I'd settled into a rythm I felt a lot happier. Wasn't a great time but was still the fastest run I've had for ages so all in all a not bad day.
Nick - were you cycling around the front a bit as well? I had somebody on a bike giving me status reports on the guy in first a couple of times. Was that you by any chance?
Great event. 3:35. Not only did I beat my brother - I overtook him at 21 miles (at that noisy drink station) - but I beat my PB by just over 2 minutes and his by about 15s!
1st half 1:47:26, 2nd half 1:47:33, so managed to do even pacing. As seems to be usual for me in marathons I overtook lots of people in the 2nd half but was overtaken by no-one.
Not worried by small things like underpasses - i think I overtook two people there!
Thanks to all organisers and helpers.
chidge - I bet already you are changing yourr mind about that being your last marathon ...
T Rex-impressive even pace (i faded to a spectatcular 21 min positive split!).
Oh well something to improve on for next time...
Victorian - I'm loath to even hint at criticism of the organisers, as i thought the whole thing was superb (not your post i know but i'm not sure how they can be responsible for kerbs????) anyway back to hot drinks....................... .....
Someone with what i can only assume to be a warped sense of humour had set these up at the back of the stand (over on the right) i got as far as the bottom of the steps but then realised they may as well be another 26.2 miles away given the responsiveness of legs. Fortunately my brother went and got me one otherwise i'd still be stood there now!!
Joolska - totally agree with your comments and hope youre back up and running soon. Presumably the organisers had decided that max for race was eg 800 and therefore accepted 1000 entries knowing that eg 20% would drop out.??
Finally - i ran the first 18 miles with someone who i think is called Keith Hammond from Bedford, if anyone knows him please could they pass on my e-mail address - mark @ chidgey . com (no spaces) as i would love to share our very different experience of the last 6 miles. He was hoping to go under 3:15 and ended up with a superb 3:11.
Hope you all had a good run and thanks to everyone for their support, especially those at the drinkls station
Unfortunately I had to drop out just after the 20 mile mark with a badly strained hamstring, at its base where it joins in at the knee. I just couldn't run any further; this morning I can barely walk, I'm seeing physio on Thursday just in case it's torn. Shame as I was feeling good and was well on for my target time.
Really well organised event, as an example within five minutes of pulling out I was on a warm minibus with an icepack.
T-Rex,
Well done on your PB, nice to see you briefly before the start ! Is this your last marathon of 2008, or are there more to come yet ?
Well done all. I was very jealous of you yesterday.
Thanks for all the nice comments about the marshalls. I had a great time.
As well as directing people in the stadium foyer before the race, i was marshalling at about the 25.5 mile where the pavement ran out and you had to run beside a crash barrier, a few hundred yards before the entrance to the park.
Hopefully i can run it next year.
However, I agree some of the support was spectacular and I really enjoyed the event. Only downside was there was alot of pavements and if they are "dropped" pavements its up and down, up and down. Minor complaint though.
For the record i got round in 2.57. Was hoping for 2.50 or better, and was well on target for this at halfway 1.23, but at 18 miles i was starting to slow down, and the last 10k was a struggle, with several walk breaks. Still, well pleased to break 3 hours for the first time.
Well done to everybody who ran.
My best ever 3.29 marathon up on the 3.43 last time. I'm am un-controllable at the moment anyone who wants to listen I tell them all about it.
8m/m spot on just as my sheet said with a little spurt every now an then to get it under 3.30. The cruel subway at 24 and the last detour at the end had me confused and suffering but overall brilliant,
I even found a new running buddy who I owe a lot to you know who you are. Don't know who was more stubborn though neither of us gave in the whole 26.2 and we only met at about .2.
Great day perfect conditions for me and hats off to the marshall's, fetch and the organisers. The medal was well up to spec which is now taking pride at home.
Boy did I laught at the Turkeys at the farm about 1mile. I'm sure they were all shouting "go go go"
Best comment just as we came out the gate at the start "Keep going now far now!...."
so many dropping out does seem high. I can see it from both sides as I never made the start line for the Dublin marathon in 2007 as food poisoning the night before and ran Edinburgh when I probably should not have. Just glad to have stayed clear of germs and injury. My sympathies go to people like Joolska picking up an injury and so near. I also find it hard to believe that others enter without intending to run. Its a marathon not a 10k!!
Hope u all had a good day - well done to all
we enjoyed it very much, though the last 10k was hard - that path made it hard second lap
HM's now until Luton FM ( 3 lapper ) , that'll be a nice rest
I felt that it was a nice touch to organise the double back to go around a whole building rather than a road cone island. They really knock the pace badly, so I was happy to swap the traditional British Standard road cone for a lovely industrial tin box rear-face architecture. It made the green bits more lush.
(Teenagers take note: that's lush as in verdant)
loved your post dough boy, lol at that steward, wish I'd been there !!
just looked at the fetch marathon rankings, never seen so many PB's !! definitely a great day out. legs a bit stiff now but went for a very slow 2 mile jog yesterday to start them on the road for recovery.
when's the next one ?? 364 days and counting ! can't wait
well done to everyone especially stewards and organisers, looking forward to next year already !
cheers
beders
Well done everyone. I was leaning out my flat balcony at the Marina, clapping you on in my dressing gown until some guy told me to give him a flash, at which point I went and put some clothes on!!
Was a lovely day for it.
Well done everyone who ran at the weekend.
I noticed a couple of comments that some Garmins measured the course a little over 26.2 miles. Always worth remembering Garmins aren't 100% accurate and that unless you have a clear run on the course you can't always take the shortest line.
The course has been officially measured and permitted - details can be found here http://www.coursemeasurement.org.uk/detail.php?no=2008089
I had a brilliant day - thought it was well organised and the marshalls were just fab! They kept cheering all the way -even for the slower runners at the back like me!
I was lapped by the leader at mile 11 which I thought was hilarious - but good on him - he was speeding along. I had a great run - felt fine all the way around although my legs were a bit sore by the last few miles, but I was expecting that after Berlin 3 weeks ago - it was the first time I'd run two marathons so close together so fully expected to have to run/walk the last few miles. I didn't in the end and finished in 4.31 so thrilled to bits as only 6 mins slower than my PB in Berlin.
Am definitely going to do the course next year. Which Witch - you & Hellen have inspired me to push myself more - bring on FLM 2009 and a sub 4.15 finish time!!! And one day I'll have the magical "3" at the start of my finish time - oh yes, it will be mine.......
Thanks to everyone to organised it - it was just a brilliant day!!! I loved it!!! And it just made me remember how much I love marathon running!
Thanks time lord. I knew I couldn't trust the Garmin, it was just a bit odd that every one who had one would have it beep before the mile marker and not after which should have been the case.But hey...I proably took the the outside line overtaking so many people(not)
. AND I will be back next year even though after 10 marathons I told every body it was my last.
Once again I missed out on going sub 3:15 after an extra hard training routine.I felt queezy after 20 miles and even though I had only eaten 4 gels I couldn't take in another one.I lost 40 seconds between mile 25 and 26 and another 30 on the mile before that.I wish I had taken advantage of the jelly babies.
Thanks to all the marshalls and organisers and Gavin who retrieved my mobile.
Where is the link to the official photos.My paperwork was in my bag with wet running gear and a wet towel, so I threw them away when I got in.