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Rotary Shakespeare Marathon
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I did the half last year - albeit slowly as this was my first "event" ever!
I too checked the website the day before - and was surprised that it was still on. I turned up this year to run the marathon having trained since january for my first full marathon.
I heard the announcement when I was waiting to start, frantically called the wife to say be at the finish in 2 hours not 4!. I was upset that the full was cancelled so immediately focussed my efforts in running a good half, and in fact told the wife to be there in 1hr40. I ran at half marathon pace, and all was good until the last five miles. The wind was more than tough, but i kept going. I ended up finishing in 1h44, some 30 minutes quicker than last year so am well chuffed considering the conditions. within minutes of finishing I lost the feeling in my fingers due to the cold. The call to cancel the full in my opinion was the right one for so many reasons, many of which have already been posted, I actually felt as if i'd run a full marathon afterwards anyway!! All of this leaves me with a big dilema though - I have trained for a marathon, and still want to complete one this year, preferably soon.I could do without having to travel too far - Stratford was ideal (25 minutes away), and I knew the course. Anyone have any suggestions? my other option is to do the Wales marathon in Tenby (june), however the course sounds quite challenging, and for my first full may leave me disappointed with my time?
Quintin. Boddington (1st July) and the Kent Roadrunner (4th June) are two of the few road marathons in the coming weeks. Both excellent races.
As you may have seen above, I am the RD for the Kent Roadrunner. As a special offer to those affected by the events at Shakespeare, we are offering half-price entries.
If you want to learn more about the event please see http://www.kentroadrunner.com
If you'd like a place then please send me an email to: info@kenttoadrunner.com
Ian / TZ
PS I concede it's not geographically close to Stratford!
Thaks Ian - unfortunately work dictates that i'm busy on 4th!!
two things I forgot from first post:
last year the medal I got for the half had the dates on. This year, there is obviously a celebration of Mr Shakespeares life, and the year is quite significant - the only reference to the year is on the lanyard of the medal - just though they could have given the medal a bit more of a reference for the year.
and lastly - thanks to the marshall/volunteers - it was horiffic out there!!
If you do the Tenby one Quintin I'll be there to cheer you on as going to cheer my bf on ( above Madasaboxoffrogs ) and i'll be cheering at the Kent one too
I was mad enough to be one of the spectators at shakespeare to cheer him on, the things you do for a bf!!! couldnt feel my own hands at the end!!! so how u lot must have felt!!
Has anyone who did the half (whether, like me, they were doing the full or not) who didn't get a medal on the day actually received the promised medal since? I still don't understand why they didn't just give the marathon medals out to the marathon runners...
Say hello at Kent, ringo100, I'm doing that too (to make up for the Shakey fiasco - I'm not keen to go back and try it again, I'm sure better organised marathons will attract my money next year).
Ringo100 did u do Windermere one did I see Ulen ^^^^ also did that and i cycled it round from Hawkshead Will see you at the Kent one too as ever cheering Ulen on
Haha! Did we mention the medal enough yet?
lol funny Ringo 100, do u remember me biking past you and saying well done , I asked someone how many marathons they had done too, not sure if that was you or not?
Can anyone recommend a hotel in Stratford-on-Avon where I can stay the night before the marathon? Somewhere that is popular with runners, and the staff take an interest in the event, and we all get an early breakfast in the morning and get on our way quickly.
You could try the Church St Townhouse. I haven't stayed there but they are right on the start and the staff are lovely whenever I have spoke to them. They must take an interest in the race because it is literally on their doorstep.
...plus independently run so I am sure they will felx their service to suit the guest, just ask.
Thanks Orlando, but I found the Church St. Townhouse is fully booked on the night before the marathon, and the cheapest room, if available, would be £110. Everything is expensive in Stratford town centre, because of the theatre culture.
Drat - Stratford is expensive - so touristy. Tried the Arden Hotel? Leamington and Warwick aren't that far away but it would mean a cab ride. Or you could try some of the villages close to Stratford that have B and B/ pubs with rooms. e.g. snitterfield, the bell at welford (though they are on the race route and I am not sure if they have rooms). Hope you find somewhere.
The Arden is opposite the theatre and it's expensive. There are lots of cheaper hotels out of town, I guess I'll have to go for one of them. At some events I've been to, like for example the Grizzly at Seaton, Devon, the organisers produce a list of recommended hotels. They are all quite cheap, you just pick the nearest one that has a room available and you find there are lots of runners at the same hotel. It all goes like clockwork in the morning, with early breakfast for everyone. Nothing like that at Stratford, I think they could do better.