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Thames Meander Marathon
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10 days to go, how's everyone doing?
I've just done 13.5 plan is now 4 wed, 20 thurs, fri and sat r, sun 7, m 5, tues 13,w 5 thurs and fri rest.
aiming to do do 8mm for first 40 mins then 8mm aiming for sub 4.
Crickey ADG - you'll be storming ahead
For some strange reason i'm starting to get a little worried about this one. I have no idea why as i'm better prepared than London, more miles in my leg and have a better idea of what to expect but i'm already starting to get nervous 
When are people planning to arrive on saturday morning? I was thinking of 8am but i'm wondering if that's too late?
I'm getting off the sleeper about 7 and heading straight there via macdonalds for porridge so aiming ot be there about 9. Think what's worrying everyone is the weather, either hot and sticky or hot and rain seems to be the forecasts
Emmy bug I m really getting nervous now as its my first marathon. I hope the day is n't to hot
just done 18 and a bit, slightly under my planned 20 because mapomtre isn't as accurate as my garmin (which once again is playing up and doesn't want to upload) but a good lsr non the less. very slow at about 9-10mm, and I stopped to buy a mars bar and a packet of wine gums at 14 miles to get a sugar hit. I hid my powerade and water behind a fence and did laps, so I had to stop on each lap. New way of doing things as I usually run non stop. Think I'm ready now.
gave the garmin a rinse under the tap and it's working fine now, I htink it's all the salt from my sweaty arms messes up the electrical connections.
Hope all the first timers are planning on enjoying this. this is my 9th, and everyone has given me some great memories
Good luck everyone!
I m just seriously scared. Does anybody who has experience of running a marathon really feel ready or trained enough for their first one.
no one is ever ready for a marathon. 45 miles in a week is a good mileage,
Change of plan for me, I'm staying in kingston on thames overnight after the race,
Just updating myself on this thread.
It will be my 33rd marathon - hopefully - and I'm just kind of back from having injuries and managed to get myself around Salisbury 5.4.3.2.1 just over a week ago. Am just reading your posts and see some folk are getting nervous. That is understandable but seriously, please don't. Marathon running of this kind is so much fun and way less stressy than london, Brighton or any othe other manic ones. I have run lots where there have been 100 marathon club runners and the atmosphere is always uplifting and very encouraging. A very friendly bunch indeed.
Running this distance is always a challenge but is such a buzz when you finish. I am not fully fit but I am looking forward to this one a lot. It will be FUN and you'll get a lovely medal at the end to show off and add to your collection.
The weather is looking cooler as well so that's a big bonus.
See you all there and looking forward to it loads !
Morning all
I'm getting excited (and also slightly nervous) for saturdays race. I can't wait. I'm planning to get there around 8/8.30am to relax a little bit before the start and get sorted. I only managed 12 miles on saturday due to the heat (i literally melted).
Does anyone know a good place to meet up? I'm not sure what i'm wearing yet but I think it's likely to be a tank top (union jack maybe) and shorts.
I think I'll drive up from the south coast for this one - straight up the A3. Weather looks cooler and a relatively flat course.
Metr one of the organisers at the Chichester Challenge. Looked like a guy who knew how to plan an event.
5 sleeps until the race.
Yesterday I did 20miles along the stretch between Richmond and Putney and I'm sure that it'll be just as beautiful on Saturday, although I'd appreciate a good 5 degrees off the thermometer. I drank half a pint of water before I left the flat, 2l out of my camelbak and still needed 2 more pints of water when I got home. I think we must've had a high tide overnight as there was a lot of debris on the route.
Twinklestar - I'm always a little nervous, but think this is good as 26miles needs to be taken quite seriously. I agree with Possum Hopper and Emmy that this is going to be fun whatever happens. This one will surely be friendlier and more relaxed than the chaos of that marathon that starts downstream each April. I don't think that there'll be many pb's due to the undulation near the start/finish, and the uneven, narrow Thames Path. I also think that the presence of lots of other users (on bikes or walking dogs) may justify an extra level of caution.
I'm especially looking forward to the lunch. Does anyone know what's on the menu? Caviar? Fois Gras?
Thank you Ally for those kind words. That is one of th reasons I chose this marathon as my first one. less people, by a river and beautiful scenery. My biggest fear is not pain, but not finishing within the six hours.after all the training. A Marathon is a distance that I have always respected and admired others completing. Also its the scaryness of the unknown feelngs of the last 6.2 miles.and will I be able/confident enough to handle them.
Good luck to everyone running, plodding or just completing
Twinkle
I live in a country nearly below sea level so The only hill training I get is running over motorway bridges
Good luck everyone with the rest of their taper
Hi Emmy - there are a couple of hills in Richmond Park, nothing major to panic about. I worry more about the rollerskaters.
Thanks Kate. Can you offer any other advice or tips?
The main hill is the one in the last mile - remember to save something for it - you'll know exactly what you are expecting as you go down it on the way out
Otherwise its on the towpath and flat I believe, here is the course map with elevation:
http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/102157959
I wouldn't wear uber thin shoes as some of the towpath can be stony as are parts of the park. Saying that I am wearing Nike Free's!
Putney Bridge is likely to be busy and is deceptively steep I always find - as the turn around point is on the bridge you will need to keep that in mind. The Towpath from Hammersmith Bridge to Mortlake is absolutely wonderful - serene and secluded! I've not run the stretch around Kew but Richmond Bridge to Petersham Meadows is fab. There are two gates there to be aware of and then again after crossing Petersham road. It flattens off again once you are out of the park
I'm doing this as a long run so am looking at around 4:15, but really there isnt any pressure. Apart fro the hill at the end it should be fast for those looking to race.
Should be good fun. I love the idea of having a meal afterwards as long as the half peeps dont eat all the food!
All the postings make me feel a lot happier about the event now, despite all my training having been back-end loaded over the last week and a half. Almost looking forward to coming back off holiday now.
I will most certainly be using this as a fun day out to stretch the leggies.....I am poised to enter Comrades next year which will be crazy and very scary, as whilst I have done some ultras, the furtherest I have run is 30 miles and I said never again !
At least I can now look at marathons as 'just' a training run.....lol.....26.2 miles a training run....how easily it just trips off the tongue but how tough it is to run.
Possum - my friend is also running who has run a 62 mile race recently (nutcase
), its amazing how a marathon is just a training run for her these days!
Comrades eh...OH wants to do it before he is 50...I am yet to be convinced.
Morning all,
Tomorrow is my last training run before saturday and i'm starting to get excited. Does anyone know what the course is like? Is it dry or wet in places?
@Possum - Comrades is on my bucket list so i'm very jealous!
Emmy - its dry in the park at the moment (we did club session in there last night a few spots of rain around 8-9pm but nothing major), but is forecasted to rain Fri/Sat. Mostly showers which is perfect marathon running weather
Emmy, on Sunday the route was almost completely dry. There must've been a big high tide over Saturday night as there was a line of debris on the footpath, which was a little bit damp still. The large puddles and nasty mud sections - at least on the Richmond-Putney stretch - that were there a month or so ago, have all completely dried up. The Barnes bit gets particularly muddy and this is now fine. We shouldn't have to swim outside Stein's, either.
I'm going to be wearing my racers (I'll leave the minimalist shoes to Curly and my Vibrams will stay at home - I'm not quite up to 26miles in them yet), and I don't think trail shoes will be needed unless we have a lot of rain before Saturday. There is a bit of rain in the Netweather forecast but we should be ok. Temperature seems to be below 20 too but it might be humid initially.
Does anyone know what the drink stations are going to be like? Is it going to be cups of water every 3 miles or so?
Hi Ally and curly - thanks for the update on the conditions. That's good to know.
I've read that there will be drinks stations every 3 miles - what this means (bottle vs. cups) I don't know. Maybe Meltcelt will be online before saturday?
Ally - those are my only trainers so its them or nothing
Oh no I lie, I do have some track spikes!
Emmy here is the list from the FAQs of aid stations and what they have, I imgine thats cups to be honest:
Marshal / Aid Station – Ham Gate (near road crossing) 2.3miles / 23.9miles
Marshal/ Aid Station (Thames Path at Kissing Gate) where the course splits 4.0 miles / 22.2 miles
Marshal / Aid station (Kew Gardens) 7 miles / 19.2 miles
Marshal / Aid station (Barnes Sports Club) 10 miles / 16.2 miles
Marshal / Aid station (Putney Bridge) 13.1 miles
All the Aid stations will have a selection of food / drinks including, GU Gels (Electrolyte Energy Gels provided by our sponsor), Jelly Babies, Crisps, Banana's, Water and Fruit Squash. If you require Electrolyte Drinks and use these we would suggest you bring either a hydro pack or a bum bag, containing this.
Hi Everyone!
I'm doing this race on saturday (LOVING the fact its saturday not sunday) and am very excited!
Can't reiterate enuogh the comments said above a) path was nice and dry last week,
b) Path can be quite stony so not really suitable for barefoot shoes, though I will be running in my vivobarefoots (!)
c) The one main uphill is right at the end, the last mile of both the half and full marathon, you should save energy for that!
I did the richmond park marathon (my first) earlier this year, and it was amazing, having a small field (also 250 people) in such beautiful surroundings helps lessen the pain a bit.
Good luck to everyone!
See you on race day!
Hi all,
This will be my fist race above half-marathon distance.
Reading through the comments it seems trail shoes aren't needed after all. However, I've bought and trained in some Brooks Cascadia's especially for this race and think it would be a shame to go back to my normal running shoes. Is that daft? Will I suffer by wearing trail shoes if they aren't needed?
Your be fine with your Cascadia's, I'll either wear old road shoes or a light trail shoe. The only shoes you don't want are fell shoes or with thick heavy soles.
Thanks, Peter.
Just need to decide what sort of top to wear now (Long-sleeve Skins, T-shirt or vest - Hmmm). Decisions, decisions! Does anyone else struggle with these choices or is it just me?
My biggest concern is being able to hold back enough over the first 20 miles, so I don't collapse before the end. It feels very odd pootling along when I know I can go much quicker over half-marathon distance.