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RunLiverpool Marathon 2011
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HannahsmumUK: I was wearing a green/black Anthony Nolan vest that said 'Cynthia' as well as a tan baseball cap
It was later on in the race when you spoke to me, and I was just about dead so probably wasn't very gracious! 
Paul Wilgoss: (actually, your usename might have an 'r' in the surname) I think you were standing behind me in the orange pen! (though we didn't actually speak)
Evening everyone.
Just to share some of my experiences of a back marker. I'm used to being at the back but at times it was a bit demoralising to see the entertainment packing up and the course being cleared and I was no where near the absolute very back. A group cheer leaders had finished and were packing away, and the drummers at the exit to the tunnel had gone altogether. The marshalls on a turn point near the tunnel entrance were too busy chatting to even look at a group of us to the extent that at least 6 of us went the wrong way, missing a left turn. It was only when a car turned out of a junction in front of us that I turned back to signal to a policeman who called us all back. The marshalls were still unaware or concerned that we had gone wrong. I was on target to finish in 5:45 so well within the cut-off. One band of drummers were still going strong and I enjoyed the course as far as I went. I'd not trained much so my plan was to get to mile 14 and see how I feel. I felt fine physically when I came out of the tunnel, but it was pretty lonely at times so I decided to call it a day there rather than risk injury. I could have plodded/walked the next half but the atmosphere at the back was a bit flat to be honest. But then it didn't help me having one of those runs that just didn't work for me so maybe it was me rather than the race.
Sorry to be negative. On the positive, many of the marshalls were very good and encouraging and I loved the stretch along the river from New Brighton with the views over Liverpool. The tunnel wasn't as hard as I thought it would be and the water stations were well manned. Mr SD ran the whole thing (in fancy dres) as his 31st marathon and enjoyed it.
I won't be back but just because its a long way for me to travel. I enjoyed seeing Liverpool and had a good weekend. Thanks to Alan for organising it.
I appreciate what you are saying Scouse Elvis and completely understand what you mean. Run liverpool have done amazingly well at putting this event (and others) on and are clearly passionate about what they do.
However, reading the comments post marathon, I haven't really come across any that were unfair or slander towards the event organiser, they we're just people's experiences of their run.
I'm still happy that my first and last marathon was lpool!
also id like to thank joe the chef, mike (who sped past me on the line) and especially dave who helped me thru the final few miles. i completed it in 4hr 29 and wanted to beat 4hr 30 so was happy as larry with that.
one major negative and this is a pretty gruesome tale. i needed the toilet (like many others) at the start. waited for almost twenty minutes and was getting the "runners please go to your pens" whilst waiting. i knew i had to go. when i did and, how can i put this, fluid left me i noticed no toilet roll in the cubicle. my only choice was to use an already used toilet roll carton (THE lowest point of my adult life)!
after i came out the toilet i went to the burger van and asked the guy if i could possibly have a little blue roll and he said
NO
why not mate?
coz im not giving you any
why
dunno.
i saw red, jumped over the counter, grabbed a big roll, ripped a bit off and with all my might threw it at his head.
pardon my profanity but what an absolute wanker. i hope he reads this and if he does please get in touch with me. i should have threw the shitty one at him!
anyway thats human nature, and nothing to do with the race. alls well that ends well. im chafed, im dead and im tired!
never again!!
thanks everyone at runliverpool and thanks to all the folks who helped me. no thanks to burger bellend though!
The start - I fully understand and appreciate that the delay was unavoidable and beyond the control of the organisers, however I was not alone in the blue pen to be completely unaware of what was causing the delay, and heard the rumour that the whole race had been cancelled. Maybe the stewards could have walked along the pens to tell people the truth of the matter to avoid the chinese whispers?
Once we'd got started, we stopped. This is my 5th marathon, and previously we've shuffled stop start towards the start line, when it's then all systems go. Not the case here, we ran to the start, only to stop again and then shuffle until we slowly got going. Was a bit disappointed that we were still penned in after the start, so very hard to get up to my 9-min-mile pace quickly.
The first half of the race was brilliant. We'd been walking round bits of the course on the Friday and Saturday when it was wet & windy, so was pleasantly surprised that the forecast gales and torrential rain never turned up. Thanks Alan, you did an EXCELLENT job there making the weather nigh on perfect!
The drinks stations were plentiful, well manned, and loads of sports drinks and gels to keep the WALL way beyond the finish line. Top effort from the organisation here.
The Mersey Tunnel was fun, and the exit incline was not as steep as the elevation profile had led me to believe. The drummers on the exit were awesome, you could hear them from half way (yay, I was sub-two here!), and to break out into the daylight and have them filling our senses, along with the crowds from there all the way to the Albert Docks really lifted me and gave me the optimism that my sub-four was on the cards.
Then came the real hill. I've done the Liverpool Half (2009) but I really don't remember how long, hard and steep Parliament Street is. Much tougher than the elevation profile shows. Odd that. This was the killer for me, it sapped my strength and then the remainder was a lot harder than planned…
(tbc…)
Sefton park too was a heck of a lot longer than I remembered from the easy amble round the Fab Four on Saturday. The winding loops doubling back on ourselves, and passing runners ahead and then behind and then ahead again was disorienting and somewhat confusing. I missed at least one mile marker along the way here, confounding my already befuddled brain from the extra distance we'd already covered when out of GPS reach under the Mersey. I thought having done (and enjoyed) the Fab Four, that a return to the park the following day would be easy. I could kid my mind I'd already done it, and it wasn't hard. Bit it was. And it hurt.
I would vote for a change to the route to avoid the endless Möbius strip that Sefton Park seemed to become. How about running up to Stanley Park instead? Don't flame me for suggesting this, it's just an idea...
Downhill to the finish couldn't come soon enough. It felt ages until the Parliament Street reappeared, and it was neither as long, nor as steep on the way down as it had been an hour and a half earlier! I was hoping it would give me a boost, even though by this point I had had to jettison my hoped-for sub-four. 26 miles came quickly though, and once again the crowds were amazing. And the last 385 yards felt like the shortest I've done, and I still managed a decent sprint finish to get a PB of 4.04 - so still VERY happy that I've run my fastest marathon on a tough course, the disappointment of missing 3.59 soon forgotten.
I rounded the corner, saw the Liver Birds, and wanted to cry. A truly amazing race, and the fact that it was harder than I thought was down to my unfamiliarity of the course. Perhaps not one to have chosen to try to break the 4 hour barrier.
Last gripe (I hope my post hasn't come across as too moaning - I really did enjoy the race) we were handed all winning the items separately: medal (V nice), space blanket (much needed), t-shirt, water, ice tea, goodness shake, banana, and ONLY THEN a bag to put them all in! I nearly dropped my blanket trying to juggle everything else, and had to ask a kindly girl if she'd mind helping me put the blanket back round me.
It was great to meet up with fellow RWs on the day! Being part of the community on this forum has helped with the build-up, preparation for the day, and the enjoyment of the whole weekend.
Walkie & Mrs Walkie, Scooby Dudek & Cyberev beforehand.
Faz1967 on the course who ran up and said hello to me round Birkenhead docks.
Redhead - I shouted "Redhead Woohoo!!" when I passed you at 6.5 miles (me) / 5.5 miles (you).
and ferrousferret, Scooby Dudek, Mr & Mrs Fit Running Cat, Scouse Elvis, XabiDood (for popping by to say hello) and the pirates: lindyhopper & eccentric in Rigbys afterwards for several much needed and well deserved beers, and top nosh in Liverpool One later on.
Time to sit back and relax and enjoy the time off. Oh, hold on - I'm already a week into my 16-week training plan for marathon number six (Gloucester in January).
Last words:
Thanks Alan.
I'm guessing this is directed at me, as I just posted randomly about possibly being near you at the start
I think it was you, as the person behind me was talking to another runner about their diabetes and the timingof the start, and sorting out their blood sugar levels. 
i was entered into chester mara yesterday sadly coul not take part due to injury
so went along to watch the runliverpool marathon, i was over at birkenhead in the morning as a friend was running and then i made my way over to cheer her on at several points on the liverpool side and i agree with everyone it was great for liverpool, but...........................................
please just take my views as my own opinions to wich im entitled to air.
1. once again not enough toilets at the start
2. the pa in the park was not suitable and too far from the runners it was impossible to hear anything and information about the delay was not good enough
3. the start area was too narrow for the estimated numbers thank god there was not 12000 as reported
4. the times show the course was too tough for a city marathon
5. very little entertainement along the course so spectators were not drawn to various parts of the course my friend said between town and the parks was really lonely
6. very little signage and stewards i spoke with a lot of stragglers who were confused what way to go in the parks
7. spoke with one policeman on a bike near sefton/princess park and he told me the delay was due to not enough police to enforce the road closures, it is down to the organisers to pay for police coverage he also said several runners run through princess park instead of round it as there was no steward/signage
8. spoke to local residents who were asking for directions who had recieved incorrect information about access
9. my friend who run in the event wore a nike foot pod thingy as she was aware garmin would not work in the tunnel and she got 27 miles? did anyone else have issue with distance also she said mile markers were not accurate
10. i went for a run at sefton park this morning and was dissapointed to find that there was lots of discarded bottles/gels still in and around the park
11. also spoke with several runners who complained of no vasealine around the course....surely a marathon must
12. the pens at the start where marshalled by young cadets, not a professional look at all and many entering any pen they wanted, after everyone left the pens the cadets where gone and so people entered any pen, similar chaos to the liverpool half, i looked at some pictures online and checked the results there are runners on the front row at the start who went on to do 5-6 hrs is the front not reserved for elites
13. the baggage looked reall good at the start, similar to london with bags going on hgvs but at the finish i have never seen anything like it....my friend and i looked for baggage for almost 1/2 hour (looking for the trucks) only to find that all the bags where left on a muddy wet unused bit of land that was not marshalled and everyone had access to...heard lots of peopl complaining as they had left phones keys etc so were relieved to get them back....never seen anything like it, done the penny lane 10k ealier this year and it is a small club race and the baggage was exceptional
14. sound at the finish again poor and hard to understand
15. surely it should be called the mersey marathon....as most of the course is in birkenhead, and the liverpool section at the parks i was getting dizzy and it was hard as a spectator so must of been tough for runners to do so many small loops of the paths through the parks, a city marathon should surely be a road event? and dont say its all about cost, almost £50 is a lot of money if the organisation can not afford financially to stage the event this city deserves then leave it to a larger
organisation that can
while runliverpool are the controlling factor of this marathon i wont take part as i have chose to not take part in any of there events, if however after the complaints and police reports the council decide to look for a different supplier i would very much love to run a liverpool marathon next year.
for me runliverpool have had there chance now lets get a larger company in to deliver the event this great city deserves, i know run liverpool and mr rothwell have a good following on here and many will not like my honest opinions but it is always the same problems so lessons are not learned and there events keep getting more expensive and yet they continue to say they are not for profit.....what a joke
Alan I absolutely loved it. I thought the course was brilliant and the race very well organised. You've outdone yourself. What a success! I've heard nothing but good comments from everyone I know. Didn't the people of Liverpool do themselves proud! What a reception coming out of the tunnel and such an amazing finish with the streets lined with people.
Sorry about the sweaty hug at the end. It's emotional running marathons!
Congratulations to all at Rothwell Towers and thanks for the many months of hard work.
Tealsocks :- Ah yes, i clearly remember shouting you now and yes you did acknowledge me lol, Well done, its also nice to know that my shouting was appreciated and its nice to know i was shouting some runnerswold buddies on
Run Fat Boy RUN :- Can i ask as a spectator what mile markers did you spectate at, just interested to know how you got around so much of the course, i was on foot, and left Birkenhead park before the start so i could go and stand at mile 2 and when i get to mile 15 after coming across the tunnel by the train there is no way i could have got up to Sefton Park on foot, but I didnt know public transport well enough if there was a way up there via a bus or something ( perhaps i should bring a pushbike next time, i was very tempted )
I'm sorry you've got a problem with RunLiverpool ( I've not had any experience of them before this weekend ) but I would just like to say that the FabFour run which I did take part in on the saturday which was organised by them, i was very impressed with, they put on a bus to take us to Sefton Park from Mann Island ( usually any small runs that i have done like 10k's i've had to make my own way there ) They had music and gave us all Beatles wigs to put on ( along with Fab four t.shirts ) and we were all singing along to Beatles songs and the whole atmosphere was brilliant the best fun run I have ever had, and they took us on a little diversion route of Penny Lane and allowed us to get out and do our pictures outside the barbers
I know that a 4mile run is small fries compared to a marathon but just to say that it was totally totally brilliant and I loved it and would defintely take part again, perhaps next year you could try it
Jo
I'd run the course a few times around Liverpool side and next year maybe put up some markers in Sefton Park cos it definately a long and winding road.The wind did n,t help down Upper Parly but we all took it.All runners who stood in the pens waiting for the start should be proud of themsealves for their patience and should knock off a chunk of there time because of there energy levels were up and ready for 9:30 and no other Marathon could of done that delay.
Alan you're team did well from the greeters in the Park to the cadets in the baggage claim.
Maybe if the event got more publicity from the start the ECHO had a few snipetts now and then and it summed it up tonight Mon 10th BBC North West said FA about any of the marathons but gave the Manchester 10ks loads of coverage.
Well done Alan and co ,the race helped me get my Grand Target for Breakthrough Breast Cancer Charity and my nick name Yozzer got people chee in me on .Thanks to all my sponsors.
not sure if the link will work but just found this, i'm the runner in the red top ( i'm quite proud i'm in the Liverpool Echo lol ) but this was such a fab four run lol ( sorry if i'm repeating myself )
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/multimedia/news/latest-news/images/2011/10/08/run-for-your-life-fab-four-fun-run-warm-up-for-liverpool-marathon-100252-29561964/
If you click through the photos you will see Ulen MAABOF in the luminous green tshirt as well, oh and you will see i'm having to hold my wig on in some of the photos lol
I agree with you tj, all previous posts up to that point were people' opinions, I meant that occasionally you do get people who appear to pop up to create disharmony, people such as Run Fat Boy Run who appears to have managed to get around the whole of the course, both at the beginning, and the end as a spectator following a friend who was a straggler, talking to the police and locals on their view of the event and then walking the route again this morning just to see if it had been completely cleared less than 24 hours after the event?
RFBR, just a couple of points for clarification, not to argue or slam, just points of clarification. There was vaseline on the course before the tunnel on the Wirral side (although I imagine most people, like myself, used their own stuff pre-race? Or am I a bit weird for not wanting to dip my hands in to a communal pot of vaseline to then rub on my groin?)
Looking for the baggae for half an hour? I had just ran the marathon and had the sense to ask a volunteer where the baggage was, He pointed to a place about 100 yards from the finish and said, over there by that 30 foot high needle and I was there within a minute of finishing.
There is a difference between putting forward constructive criticisms of an event (I mentioned in my first post that we could have been better informed of the delay at the start) and appearing to come on with a lengthy list of what appear to be mostly unfounded comments in an attempt to spark hostility or emnity towards regular posters or the organisers themselves.
I am off to bed now as I have just seen a 30 mile trail race in Yorkshire in mid november that is open to walkers (so not breaking my no marathon ruling) and I was thinking of signing up!
I was enquiring about your suggestion about an "r"...
Nope, not me - I wouldn't worry another runner about my problems like that, I've had people assume that I'm type I and about to go into a hypo before now and try and shepherd me around the course... which doesn't do me or them any good. So I very rarely talk about my health conditions on the start line... I also get similar reactions when I mention my heart defect (I was born with it) so tend not to mention that either unless asked...
Paul
ps sorry - no idea why its quoting twice and it won't let me delete one...
I don't know why some people feel the need to jump down the throats of anyone who dares to make a negative comment. It is the negative comments that will make the event bigger and better.
A race day experience is a very personal experience and certainly for first timers it is easy to blame the race organisers if your run didn't go to plan. A marathon race is whole different thing to a 20 mile training run.
Well done to everyone that completed it. Try not to dwell on the bad points but look for the positives.
The parks weren't that bad, were they?
RFBR you are in no position to comment as you didn't even run and your 'facts' are way off the mark.
Hope everyone is recovering well. Try a little half mile jog it will help loosen the muscles.
It also says "this is primarily a RUNNING event" 15 minute miles is 4 mph and I can walk that. I suggest you stick to LWDA events. I'm slightly bored of you now so we'll leave it be.
So let's get this right - you don't RUN in RL events, but yet you felt the need to come on here and slate something you had nothing to do with and no experience of? FOR WHAT?
I suggest you go and find something better to do in order to get over yourself. Anyone can see a mile off that you have a personal issue with Alan and only came on here to cause trouble.
Run along Fat lad....
There's positive criticism and then there's just mindless negativity. Positive criticism would include the suggestion that maybe the Sefton park multiple twists were too long and negativity would be something like "the delay was Alan's fault and he should be blamed for stuff that has nothing to do with his organisation".
Positive criticism is healthy. It can be done in such a way that nobody feels attacked or devalued and it DOES make for a better experience next time. Let's not forget that this was the BIRTH of the marathon and there was always going to be "something" that could be tweaked to improve it. If you ask Dave Bedford, I bet he's made some changes to London in the last 30 years.
I take issue with people deliberately coming on here to complain and cause trouble when their ONLY true mission is to have a go at RL and they do by saying "I'm only being honest" which is rubbish. ALL our opinions are biased by their very nature.
I think the consensus is that most people had a wonderful day and are delighted to have taken part. Mr LB is still really struggling (and he was one of those who DID take 6 hours and this was his 12th marathon) but I'll make him get out of bed today and go for a little run!
I KNOW how hard it was for those who took the longest time on Sunday. I was there to see the pain in their eyes. You can only imagine how satisfying it was to see them 100 yards from the finish KNOWING they were going to make it. It was like Christmas morning when you're 5!
Liverbird - why are you so attacking of anyone who provides any comment that is less that 100% positive? Or is something personal against me, I don't think we've ever met!
No run is perfect, I've offered my view in good faith, you seem to have decided to be the defender of the faith, and my views don't count.
I've said nothing that others haven't said here or on Facebook, I may have a different aspect/view on them - and that is to be expected we all ran different runs, because we're all different.
I've run in RL events for about 4/5 years, and promoted them to friends and work mates, so you can't dismiss my views on that count, you can ignore them because they bore you - that is your right (though telling everyone that you are is an odd way of ignoring them -as by so doing you are drawing attention to them).
Paul
Morning all - wow - some people are not happy! This was my first marathon so can't compare against others, but have run quite a few 10k's and 1/2 marathons and thought overall this event was really well organised.
As someone has said, with races of this size you need to expect the unexpected.....the delay was a bummer but we all got going eventually and the start seemed ok to me, they're always congested in my experience. Sefton park was hard, but as someone else has mentioned post 18 miles in any race would be hard, but this seemed doubly so due to hills leading up to it. Maybe in future this part of the course could be revised....
What made it for me was the spectators...never experienced anything like it. I have ran in races with lots of crowds, so maybe it was the distance and the fact I was tired that made it so much more important. Quite pleased with myself that I was still high-fiving little kids in the very last bit of the race....and I managed to see my own kid which was really special for me.
In short, I thought it was brilliant.
Huge thanks and respect to –
This was my first marathon and I was disappointed with my time (worst ever age related performance) but I am so proud that I did it.
Strange eh ?
Oh just noticed yesterday that the race was called the long and winding road. Very good Alan - I see what you did there !
LOL Cougie!
Would you believe I have a half decent photo of you too?
Llamafarmer - someone stood quite close to me in the park seemed to have a never ending supply of jelly babies in a kids pram!
The grateful look on some of the runners faces as they realised they could bite the head of these colourful sugary men at 20 miles was a sight to behold!
People are really very generous. My favourite EVER thing given at a race was an ice pop at Great North Run. They were being handed out by people who didn't seem to have much to spare but wanted to support the runners. I love it when communities come together.
What time did you do Cougie? You were first pirate by some distance. So much for ambling round you hustler!
I took a free isotonic drink off a shop owner (he was giving them out so it wasnt theft) in New Brighton and a banana off someone just coming out of the tunnel.
LB did offer me some teacakes (i think that's what you shouted) but I was more interested in her umbrella at that point in the rain
Posting on here again as realised forgot to say well done Alan and the RL team for a great 1st Liverpool marathon.
Reading through the comments / criticisms the biggest issue people are raising was the delayed start. This does need to be sorted for next year, although I don't think anyone could have reasonably been expected to anticipate idiots driving round bollards/closed road signs. There were some complaints of congestion at the start but I've experienced this in every marathon I've done and thought Liverpool was better organised than most (Edinburgh, which is often criticised for its poor organisation, has the best start of any marathon I've done).
The circuitous route through the parks in Liverpool. No they weren't fun, but as Cougie has already pointed out those miles aren't fun whatever the scenery. There is always going to be a trade-off between the best route for runners and the cost/inconvenience to residents of road closures. Personally I preferred Sefton Park to Holme Pierrepont at Nottingham or The Greenway at Stratford.
The hilliness of the course. No it wasn't a PB course but nor was it a particularly hilly marathon.The route was well publicised and we need a variety of courses - Liverpool is a welcome addition to the marathon calendar.
Not enough support for slower runners. One of the things I love about running is that it is such an inclusive sport. However there does have to be a cut off and, to me, if someone is taking more than 6 hours they should be entering LDWA events rather than marathons. The comments earlier indicate there may not have been complete clarity on the cut off time and I am sure that the RL team will take this on board.
Like Prince I am something of a marathon tourist (5 marathons, 5 different cities). Where I differ is that I would put this on my list of to do again marathons. Off to Manchester next and hope its first marathon is as well organised as Liverpool's.