drinks panic

[Deleted User]

i just got my race pack this morning from the manchester marathon....they sent me a list of rules (b.a.f rules for runners) in which it says that "no drinks may be carried by a runner other than those provided by the promoter" ....this bothers me somewhat as i heard that they only supply water.....ahhhh....are these standard rules they send out and subsequently ignore or is it serious....i aint running 26 miles on water!
does anyone have any knowledge about this sort of thing?
alice

[Deleted User]

I think this is one of those rules which are widely ignored. I've run London three times carrying my own drinks.
And who is going to stop you? At the start of the race there will be thousands of people milling around, many of them wearing bottle belts or tucking energy gels into their socks and so on.
The standard rule for marathon preparation applies: stick to the routine/kit/food and drink that works for you.
As long as you don't break the world record UK athletics will leave you alone!

I wonder how they interpret this rule for the elite marathoners who pick up and carry drinks supplied by their coaches instead of those laid on by the organisers?

good luck with Manchester.

[Deleted User]

The Manchester Marathon has always said that, I haven't done any other marathon which has though.
And Manchester do only have water!
See you there.

[Deleted User]

timothy, are you going to take your own stuff too, then? i was planning on taking my hydropod pack as it's much more comfy than a bottle belt....there's nothing about packs in the, so i figure that if they're stupid enough not to know that you need more than water for a marathon, then they won't notice my pack....
so is the general consensus that no one will actually care....
a

[Deleted User]

Hi, I'm going to carry a few gels in a small bum bag and hold a bottle of energy drink which I'll finish after 10 miles or so.
I did that at the Wolverhampton marathon and had a fabulous run. Again, it really makes a difference having the carbohydrate.
What sort of time are you hoping for?

[Deleted User]

about 3.40 ish....you?

[Deleted User]

Well, this is the difficult bit!! Around 4 hours but I'm doing London to Brighton this weekend so I shouldn't be running at all. Except I live near the route.
I did the same in '99 and 2000 after L-B and did 3:51 both times at Manchester.

Hilly

Apparently Fluffa though the rules say no starting with your own drinks, there is no rule saying someone can't pass you a bottle/drink pouch whatever once you've started. This is what some elite runners do and was the case in the Manchester Marathon this summer.

Personally I would stick a small drinks bottle down the front of my sports bra (I quite often run with one there in the summer) and one in my hand then if I was asked (very unlikely)to dispose of the one in my hand, I'd still have another!

I don't really think anyone will say anything anyhow, unless you're elite!

[Deleted User]

Another solution to the "why do female high-mileage runners bother with bras" question which so puzzles my husband. I've told him the're really extra pockets for keys and coins and mobile phones and sweat-rags.

[Deleted User]

haha...indeedy
although i don't actually own a bra....
i've actually just got through to the guy who's organising it, and he said it's something to do with drugs, and it's ok as long as i agree to give a urine sample if asked....eh....what...? well with my time i don't think anyone'll be fussed about drugs!
he also said it'll be ok, and no one'll complain....so i'm pleased about that one....i know i was being paranoid, just marathons have to be perfect or they hurt even more, if you know what i mean!
was stressed too (driving test on thursday and stress breeds stress....
oh, and timothy, i wish you all the luck possible with l to b...i might see you there next year...it's something i've always wanted to do......and a marathon the week after....well, no comment....

cougie

Oh noooo - putting bottles down your bra has been mentioned. Just wait until Snoop gets hold of that - he'll have a whole thread about underwear again.

Glad to see they aren't enforcing this rule rigidly. Just seems quite pointless. If you were going to take performance enhancing drugs you'd find a way to do so.
Not taking a bottle with you wouldn't put you off would it ?

And what drugs do they recommend ? ;-)

[Deleted User]

I'd worry, Fluffa - after London this year, I couldn't have produced a urine sample for about 6 hours, and if I had it would have been so concentrated that, like happened to Linford, they'd probably have detected naturally-produced nandrolone in it.

XFR Bear

I would have thought there was a health and safety aspect to not allowing carb drinks?

And why is it banned to start with a drink, and then OK to pick one up 50cms down the road?

Iain

[Deleted User]

apparently they have isotonic drinks in their first aid stations ....