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Coventry Half-Marathon
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Has anyone got any info about the profile of the course??
Hilly / flat???
Thanks.
Rich O
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There could be a route map on the website but IMO,if you can do 13 miles,you can do those hills.
Is there a map anywhere showing the elevations???
Rich O
I would be grateful if anyone who has done the race before could give me some info/tips on car parking. Race info only shows what looks like limited parking in 3 places in city centre. Do these get filled up very quickly?
I don't mind walking a while to the start - rather do this than be stressed out queing to get into an overcrowded car park, or circling streets looking for somewhere to park.
Just wondering if there is any scope to park and ride, or park within a manageable distance, which isn't going to be as horrendously busy as the ones near the start?
Thanks
Claire
Claire
There are lots of car parks in Coventry city centre (see map)http://mediafiles.thedms.co.uk/publication/wm-cv1/downloads/maps/CarPark.pdf
The half marathon starts in Hales Street/Trinity Street - I would probably park in the Skydome or Retail Market car park - it would be a 5 min walk to the start then.
There is park and ride - but I'm not sure about the service on a Sunday (the nearest one is the South one which is actually on the route of the half)
Hi started running 6 weeks ago done 3 5K'S and 1 10K average time 8 mins a mile.
Doing the Coventry Half Marathon hoping to do 1hr 45.
Anybody doing the race with the same pace that i can run with?
Regards Bev
I can't imagine parking being a problem - I'd go for the Belgrade Plaza myself (just off ringroad) but imagine bus station also good.
Ran it last October and I thought the last couple of hills (miles eight to ten-and-a-half-ish) were pretty tough. Definitely worth factoring in the fact that there are a couple of steep climbs left, especially if you go through half way feeling full of beans and are thinking about going for a fast time.
See you all there!
Hi all,
Have just signed up for this, am from Cov, but moved away about 15 years ago, my running is mainly done around hilly yorkshire these days so I'm hoping I'll be able to cope with the cov hills! Hoping my legs will be up for a half after running London last sunday.
Them aint hills ........ if you want a HM with hills do the Leek HM ..... now those are hills
Seriously did this last year, and the year before, and the year before that, and ......
the up bits aint that bad. just remember what goes up must usually come down. the course isn't bad at all the only dodgy bit is where you turn right and go down a path that does a 180deg and then through a tunnel under the road you were running along which takes you into residential roads. This is quite late in the course so everyone is strung out so its not much of an issue unless you like to run with your mates in a group.
The run through the memorial park is a good part of the course and one place I pass through with respect to the memorial put for all those people who were killed in the blitz which everyone has to pass, this is where one of the race photographers is so remember to smile.
I've just registered for this one cos I'm fairly local so thought I ought to give it a go. Not sure how I'll get on cos I ran the Sheffield Half last weekend.
Thanks for the info about the memorial park, Darkman.
At the risk of starting up a well known debate......
Anyone know what the reaction to Ipods is at the Cov half? Says on the website that runners are 'strongly advised' not to use them. Does these mean they are banned or will I get away with it???!
Emily
Think you will set this message board alight asking that question. I personally couldn't run with one and don't mind anyone running with an iPod so long as they are responsible and aware with whats going on around as they could be quite deaf to things thats happening around them.
I just get annoyed if ones running with iPods get in the way when I try to overtake by wandering all over the road/track/path because they can't hear you comming. There is also the hot potato of not being able to hear any instructions from a race official or marshall, myself I would prefer to hear the bus/lorry thats about to squish me rather than run to the pearly gates and St Peter say "I told you so!".
If the website says "runners are 'strongly advised' not to use them" I would say that you can but they would prefer it if you didn't for the obvious safety reasons I mention above. If I remember right most of the roads are closed to traffic anyway whilst runners are on that part of the course, so being squished by a lorry/bus isn't that much of an issue anyway.
I leave the debate open, no doubt others will add their pennies worth .......
Cheers for that - Last time i did a half i didn't use my Ipod for alot of the time but it was still nice to have it there as a safety blanket on those tough bits!
Just when you feel really knackered, there's always someone whose breathing sounds more ragged than your own, I find. Does your iPod give you a boost like that??
If you absolutely have to wear an iPod, only Coventry-related songs should be allowed, like "Ghost town" by the Specials (although they actually wrote that about Liverpool) and "Crash" by the Primitives.
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Disclaimer: this post is not meant to be taken seriously. The writer of this post has no strong feelings one way or another about mp3 players.
Ah I should be ok then... Pete Waterman was from Coventry so that pretty much covers Kylie, Jason, Rick Astley and Sonia.... sorted!!!
Aha! A new Cov HM thread - I thought the old one had gone quiet!
You don't get rid of me that easily though...
Re iPods etc - I'm not going to get drawn into the main debate (no, I'm not... definitely not
), but on the sub-subject of what you can play (sort of) I will just add that I get perhaps unnecessarily annoyed by those playing them TOO LOUDLY! It can sometimes give me the motivation to get past and away, but more often I find I'm stuck listening to someone else's 'taste' in music for miles! It's like being on the bus.
I echo every-one's comments on the course. The hills can be tough if you 're not used to them (and if you're not, why not?!) but overall it's a nice course - perhaps surprisingly so given Coventry's reputation (Ghost Town could have been written about it). The only slightly grim sections are where we cross the ring-road leaving and returning to the city centre.
Got my number/race pack this morning, by the way 533.
Hi everyone,
If anyone's entering the Coventry Half Marathon please would you consider joining the Children Today team? I'm not looking for lots of sponsorship (although it would be lovely if you could as we raise funds for local disabled children)
BUT I am trying to get the biggest team running in our name!
All that means really is enter as normal and then email me that you'd be happy for me to put your name down on our list for the organisers. You don't have to do anything else unless you want to.
The idea is it will get us some local publicity and more people will know we are there to help and that we need support. So if you are running anyway please please join the team!
Thanks for listening
emma@childrentoday.org.uk
Good that someone started a new thread for this years race - well done!
Re parking - I always use the Belgrade Plaza as it is staffed 24 hours a day, has toilets and lovely clean lifts and hold 1000 cars, so virtually never gets filled up.
i-pods - mmmmmmmm I couldn't use one as I am deaf enough and need lots of help trying to hear that bus coming! But think the Coventry music only theme is a hoot - what about The Enemy?
This year I will be looking out for the stall selling the Coventry Half merchandise which I totally missed last year
I am getting excited now - and I am not even running! I will be working on the day, and will be shouting all you brave souls over the line - good luck
GraemeK
You brought back horrible memories of the Cresswell HM a few years back you rotter,
I will be in therapy for months now. Just the thought of running with the first lady just behind me and the sound of those plodding feet sends shivers down my back ..... oh god those plodding feet 
. And the incessant calling of "well done, you are first lady", then every hill powering up and hearing them get further back only to hear them get closer on the downhills again ..... damn those plodding feet. 
What I would of done for an iPod to drown out the beating of those feet on the tarmac.
On the subject of car parks, I always park in Ford Street can be a bit of a problem trying to get out afterwards with the volume of cars but if you get there early enough its easy parking and quite near the start area.
GraemeK, you make a fine point. However, the Dan method is ready for all contingencies.
The only problem with the ragged heavy breathers is if they start slipstreaming you and you can feel their hot breath on the back of your neck and hear their heavy feet hammering the road directly behind you.
Whatever our aims / expectaions, I'm sure we can all agree to getting a slight boost when overtaking someone who's stopped breathing altogether.