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Manchester Marathon 2013
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what was the start like last year? I imagine key pens like sub 3 hours is madness
Emperor, I found the start chaotic. The spectators were mixing with the runners. The areas were marked with predicted times but no barriers etc. My start area of 5+ hrs was part way round a roundabout! Also could not hear the start gun. Just followed the other runners ahead of me. Also if you are far back be careful not to trip over discarded bin bags. Things may have changed this year as I think the organisers have listened to the feedback. Good luck!
I am running the Marathon of the north instead for a change but appreciated all the RW members support last year.
I founnd OK but I was near the front with the 3:15 group so it wasn't too crowded and I got away OK at a steady pace.
Don't worry about the start, it's the finish that'll get ya!
In such a large marathon will I have to go in an area/pen for 4 hours or will I be able to sneak forward a bit to avoid some of the chaos that may well occur behind ? How will the marshals know if I'm not in the right place or don't they care ?
It didn't matter last year Carter. There were markers with times on at the start you could use as a guide but you could stand anywhere you wanted.
Hi Everyone.
After reading all the comments & replies, I thought I would add my piece. After being persuaded my a friend, this is my first marathon ever enterred, to be honest I never have really ran alot in my life, and being 30 (On the race) I felt it might be a last chance to start haha. I play football often, but never enjoyed running at all, but since signing up for this, I can actually say I've changed my lifestyle completely. Gone are the takeaways, drinking etc and in with the running. My distances are progressively getting further (I'd only ever ran 10k) and after the Wednesday nights 10 miles and Thursdays 6 miles (I know, nowhere near 26) I felt very good. I'm just looking forward to the next 3 months of training, Originally I set myself 4.30hrs target time, but the more I run, the more I feel better and feel I can go further faster. I'm hoping to stay injury free and run different distances, 4 or 5 times a week so I'm hoping come April I will have changed my target to something aroung 3.30 - 4.00 Hrs. Here's hoping haha.
I've also signed up for The Great Northern Half in Blackpool, to see what stage I've got myself too.
I am looking for any advise anyone might have for a beginner and appreciate any comments / help I'm given, and I hope everyone has an injury free training and a great Marathon
Paul
Hi Paul
First time for me too in Manchester. On another thread (http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/forum/spring-marathon/rw-forum-six--330--400/236025-18.html) I am being mentored by Spoons who has helped me with my training plain etc. If you get yourself over there you might pick up some useful tips
CarterUSM, Gaz is spot on, you can stand anywhere you like. However, if you are too near the front you are likely to either get swept along too quickly with the whippets (which will cost you big time later on) or you will get in the way of the aforementioned and hack people off who are trying to get past you. Best bet is to make an honest assessment of your likely time a few weeks before the race and stand in the relevant pen. Worst case it is a bit busy which slows you down a few seconds for the first mile but this will probably do you a favour in the long run.
The organisation of this event last year was farcical (see previous threads). And, regrettably, I wouldn't put too much trust in the organisers this time around to improve on things. I entered the 2013 race in the Autumn.. Two days later, I get an invite to a pal's wedding the previous night with a free bar. I find another pal to take on my marathon entry and tell the organisers thinking it would take just a minute to change some details on a database.
Two months of prevarication and exchanging emails and I'm told this isn't possible...despite many other Uk events allowing this to happen (to a deadline).
A pathetically petty application of some small print.
So, £50 lighter, my only option is to defer my entry to 2014. Which I now find out will cost me another £10.
If you're running this event you'll get great support from Mancunians on the route. Only the people organising this event made such a shambles of it last year..and clearly put profit before common sense and good PR.
I wish I'd had said nothing and just let my pal run in my name.
Gaz - Not allowed to sell the number without prior permission from organisers.
EKGO - I would, if I had a guarantee these eejits will be organising the event and that it will take place next year. Like I said in my rant, it's profit before common-sense and fair decisions. They can't afford any cockups on the scale of last year -see link and comments underneath: http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1492583_greater-manchester-marathon-organisers-apologise-over-runners-bags-fiasco
Just don't bloody tell them simple.
Hundreds of runners run in other people's names. Some people may raise their eyebrows BUT it ain't crime of the century.
1. No
2. Pardon?
3. They shouldn't
4. They should
Now that's sorted, how is everyone's training going?
Slower runners who start at the front should be shot.
I'm easy on the Ipod issue, I don't use one myself but if it helps someone get through a race then I can't really see the harm.
(And I'd def. be selling that race number if I could Ian! On the medical side theres nothing to stop the buyer putting his own details on the back of the race number rather than yours)
As a slower runner myself I always go in the correct estimated time pen and it works fine for me.
Do slower runners often go too far forward? I love my i pod and would not train without it. I obeyed the no using an i pod at GMM last year or you will have to leave the race rule and wished I hadn't. The long lonely country lanes after the Dun, or was it before would have seemed less bleak if I had some music. Since then I have used my i pod but only ever have one ear piece in so I can chat to other runners, hear the marshalls etc! My moan is fuel stations, never gels left for me
are there not enough provided or do runners take more than one?! I now take my own and it isn't a problem. Also after GMM no space blankets left at the end either! Did love having the medal actually put over my head though
.
I've entered again. I think it's going to be great. They know they messed up with the baggage last time, & were fast to say sorry, & tried their best to put it right. Had the weather been dry, then the baggage cockup wouldn't have been so bad....
Lily.....I'm a slower runner....5:18 PB....But I like a faster start than other people with that time.....So if I'm on good form I'll probably go with the 4:30 people, as I like a half way time of around 2:20.....So I guess start with the people that represent your first half speed!
Pyjama girl, sounds the perfect place to start, had not thought of it that way! My GMM time was 5:17:56 so we must have finished at a similar time! I am not running Manc this year but the Marathon of the North in Sunderland instead for a change. Then York in Oct.
Oh I had a shocker at Manc last year! I was 1 hour 20 outside my PB without walking any!!
York sounds like it will be good. I'd have done that if it didn't clash with Amsterdam. Is Sunderland on the same day as Manc??
Ah, yes...Sunderland same day....grrrr!!
To be fair PG, the conditions last year for Manchester were atrocious and probably didn't help times. I'm struggling a bit in training for Manchester at the moment, still can't shift this cough I've had since Christmas and am getting out running but probably running times that are a minute per mile slower than I was running in the build up to Christmas.
Hopefully things will pick up and I am getting the runs in distance-wise
does anyone know what the deal is with aid/water stations at the manc marathon for 2013? The website here mentions Cliff shots and Iconiq water pouches but it's not clear whether they are just promoting/advertising them or if they will be available throughout the race. Anyone know for sure? What happened last year? I'm tempted to do my long training runs with just water and my own nutrition (jelly babies or cliff blocks or something), that way i can just use the water on the day. There's always water, right?
Water pouches and cliff stuff will be used during race. They are in process of finalising which isotnic drink will be used and that will be announced later.
It was a bit damp wasn't it Robin!
People looked so fed up. They were running in space blankets, & the sweep bus seemed very busy picking people up that had simply had enough. But the rain was forecast, so I simply wore the right clothes, & wasn't too cold.....
I think we all feel slow right now.
Ginger, they had some great plastic water pouches last year, so sounds like they'll be back.