Bupa Great Birmingham Run 2013

Apologies if a thread has been started already, but I can't find it!

Thought it was worth sharing info from the local news launch:

Birmingham Mail - GBR 2013 Launch

Good news that they're changing the route to reduce the hill climb at the end. Hopefully back to the 2010 course which spent a bit more time in Bournville.

Race entry increased by 2,000 to 20,000, which now it's properly organised doesn't worry me.  Should just add to the atmosphere. In fact, good news that they've recognised that last year's route wasn't suitable for so many runners. Hopefully a bit more room this year and a few less bruises.

 

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Comments

  • I did it last October and it had a brill atmosphere at Birmingham. I dont think I can make the 2013 but it was lovely. I would recommend image

  • mrandyyumrandyyu ✭✭✭
    Wasn't the 2009 route the one with more time in Bournville? I ran it in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and the routes were all identical.



    Either way, I'm glad to hear the hill is being swapped out for smaller ones (it's Brum, you'll never really get away from hills).
  • Yes apols, you're right mrandyyu.



    It was 2009 for the World Half Marathon championships. Really liked that course.
  • Any news about whether the 2013 course has been changed to reduce the hill at the end?

     

    This will be my first HM and I have heard lots about that hill lol.

  • that hill is a killer but tbh i really enjoyed the challenge of it. if you paced yourself correctly it wasnt so bad.

    for me the hill is a signature part of the course, something that makes people talk about the race.

  • mrandyyumrandyyu ✭✭✭

    I've just received the road closure map from the council and the course is largely unchanged from the 2010 - 2012 course. The hill is still there (groan) but they've made a slight detour on the Pershore Road around the Selly Park area.

    I don't think the website has been updated to show/confirm the 2013 course, which is quite frankly piss poor considering we're this close to the race now.

  • Mrandyyu, on the Facebook Birmingham half marathon page, they said that the revised course would be confirmed and shown any day now, hopefully it won't be too long.

     

    Has anybody any idea what the ratio of that hill is, you know 1 in 10 or whatever?  (So that I can get a rough idea of it lol).  Sorry about this, but I really like to know the ins and outs of a duck's butt! image

  • mrandyyumrandyyu ✭✭✭

    On a scale of 1 - 10, I'd say it's a 6. In isolation, it's not that bad but because of where it pops up in the race between miles 10 and 11, it's exactly when you don't want it!

    Thanks Lotus for the info that the organisers will be releasing the course info soon.

  • ahh thanks Mrandyyu!

     

    I am putting some extra hills in my training routes now, first new route started today and I really did enjoy it image

  • Only entered this today. What time does the race start?? 

    Anyone got any advice on where to park? 

  • As far as I am aware Jedwards, your start time will depend on what colour number you get, ie orange, white, green, pink etc and that will depend on how fast a time you put down on your entry.  I think I read that the elite athletes will start around 10am and the rest will start off in stages thereafter up to around 11am(ish).

     

    Regarding parking, I haven't got a clue on that one, we are going by train (from Southend) to Birmingham and staying in a hotel overnight and also on the Sunday too.

     

  • mrandyyumrandyyu ✭✭✭

    Having taken a more in-depth look at the course map (now updated on the site), the slight detour in Selly Park off Pershore Road is to cut down on the excessive corners later around mile 12. The previous course suffered from extreme slow down in that area due to all the twisting and turning. Overall, a small but beneficial update to the race.

    Parking will be a nightmare on race day due to road closures if you're not familiar with Birmingham. If you're coming from the North, try and park in the Jewellery Quarter which is free street parking all day on Sunday.

  • Hi all, if any of you or anyone you know is looking for a place in this event, we have free places available with Allergy UK. It is free to enter and there is no minimum sponsorship.

    To register for a place, please get in touch: rebecca@allergyuk.org

    Thanks!

  • Mrandyyu, as soon as I read that there was an updated course map, I went straight there LOL!  

     

    Does this mean that hill is now reduced?  

  • mrandyyumrandyyu ✭✭✭

    Hehe, the update is so minimal that you could blink and miss it. Sadly, the hill between mile 10 and 11 is still there in all its glory.

  • First half for me but doing some hills in training and No time goal just want to run the distance. 

  • Okies regarding the hill business, I have decided to take the bull by the horns image and attack hills in training, even if I end up looking like this -- image 

     

    hahaha hopefully, I won't end up looking like that, but I am going to get prepared.

     

    I am so excited image

  • Did this as my 1st running event last year and it has been a hard one to top.. i havnt done half mara event since so would be a good systems check and would definatly wanna shave 15- 30 mins off my time ( is that possible over 1 yr ??) . Great City, Great route , people are great , and that hill at the end ...well ......i gotta come back just for that!!! 

  • we always park on the NIA car park. if you get there in good time their should be plenty of spaces available. .

    rollerbladerunner - it is possible to knock that time of in a year but depends on how your training has progressed and what time you acheived first time. from 2010 to 2012 i knocked 30 mins off my half marathon time.

     

  • Any ideas which roads are being used on the new bit of the course in Selly Park?

    The details on the website are very unclear.

  • I couldn't work out what roads we go on in Selly Park either when I did a reccy run of the half marathon route. The best I managed to achieve was a square in and out of Selly Park rather than their triangle on the course map.

    I did 3x reps last night of the Charlotte Road hill. Definitely not as bad as I remember it even running at race pace, but I didn't have 10 miles in my legs before doing them. My advice would be to take it a little easier during mile 9 and using the downhill portion into the Leebank Middleway as a free recovery.

  • This will be my first HM. Looking forward to it.

  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    Is there a gradient profile of the whole race anywhere showing the peaks and troughs?? I find it useful to know when there might be a flat few miles etc?

    Saying that, as it is a city race (i have read about the hill at 10-11) is it generally a flat profile?

     

  • Try this: http://www.mapmyrun.com/gb/birmingham-eng/bupa-great-birmingham-run-2011-route-36302618

     

    It's from the 2011 race, but this year's course is largely unchanged.

     

    Don't worry about the rise leading up to 5.3 miles; it's imperceptible since you're running on a long, straight road.

    Personally, I'd say if you were to exclude the hill between miles 10 and 11 then it's a pretty much flat race. There are a couple of short inclines and dips here and there but nothing to worry about.

  • DT19DT19 ✭✭✭

    Thanks for that, just what i was after.

    I e-mailed the organisers about 1 week ago asking for start time but no response. Anyone run it last year who recalls the start time. I am sub 1.30 so would be in first section i would expect.

  • You should be in the orange wave like me then, which starts at 10am. There will be two starts from the two different sides of the dual carriageway; facing forward, the right is the side the elites start from so my advice would be to get into that wave for a slightly faster start.

  • I've done the course twice as the Birmingham half and the Great Birmingham run.  The first year the hill did catch me out - I struggled up it. The second year I was really surprised at how easy I found the hill.  I think I'd been building it up as this beast from the previous year. Attack it - it's not too long and once you're at the top the run down to the finish is all down hill.

    Looking forward to a new pb this year.

    Also, best place to park is the NIA car park.  Take plenty of change as the money only pay machines had no queues.

  • I think the triangle hill in Selly Park goes up Kensington road and back down Selly Park road and back onto the Pershore road. The Hill is pretty tough but its nice downhill stetch on Selly Park rd. Total distance of the detour approx .6-8 m



    Lucky to have alot of the course on my doorstep.





    Shame they have taken out some of the old route as I always thought it was a good challenge and a real sting in the tail before the downhill finish.
  • Shame/annoying they've been dumbing down the course ever since the first edition, might as well make it entirely flat and get everyone to do 500 laps of Centenary Square image

  • That hill is 1 in 18 going by that route on MapMyRun.

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