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leicester marathon 2013
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Entries are now open. Course looks pretty flat apart from the very last mile up new walk. When you enter be prepared to pick up your number a week before the event from Leicester as no numbers are being posted (This is a bit short sighted in my view as it may well deter people from entering) LEts hope the city wakes up to what is a well organised run with plenty of unrealised potential.
Egyptian Toe, sorry, I can't say I noticed if there was anything specific for children in the park - I'm not a parent so don't tend to think about it! I think the local radio station had some sort of music/entertainment on, and there was plenty of space for ball games etc. Also, it wasn't too far from the city centre, so I guess there would be stuff for children there. Maybe someone else could give you some more useful info.
again no children, there was stuff in the park, but not enough to keep them occupied all day, but it's 400m from the edge of shopping area, and another few hundred m further doen to the big new indoor shopping centre. Lots of food places around outside the shopping centre and a cinema.
Many thanks. Are you the same booktrunk who was calling me allsorts on another thread!?!?!
Lets not discuss that thread... You chose to ignore the point I raised, quoted someone complaining about your post from two pages previous.. so let's just agree to disagree about that thread....
please let's just agree we differ on that.
so I`m not `a liar`?
Question for people who have run this before - can you pick up the number the day before or does it have to be a week before?
Thinking of doing this one ... if I can transfer my Chester number (need to be elsewhere that weekend). The final 2 miles appear uphill but it looks like it's only about a 100 ft climb, so presumably not that bad (given anything at that stage is bad!)???
Matthew, it says on the entry section of the web site that you have to collect your number in Leicester the week before as they won't be posted out. I took this to mean you could pick it up on the Saturday as well (I hope so any way!) Might be worth e-mailing the organisers to see if there is any on the day collection. i'm hoping they'll put up a bit more information about it on the site as it gets closer.
Dan, I guess everything is relative but I didn't think the uphill at the end was that bad. It's definitely noticeable that you're on a hill but it's definitely not mountain like in its steepness. Also, i think by the time you get to it you know the finish is at the top of it so that gives you an added boost. Also, you definitely don't feel like you're climbing for the last two miles. I seem to remember it more as a last minute 0.5-0.75ish mile final effort.
Imagined I`d drive down from Sheffield on the day. Not sure about being there day before though. Ought to be other options.
Thanks KP, I'm hoping to do the same as I don't really want to travel to there 2 weeks running as I live in London.
Matthew, I agree. I have family in Nottingham, which is why Leicester is quite convenient for me, but live in Manchester, so I won't be able to travel down before the Friday night/Saturday morning. It's so much easier when they post the numbers out!
Where`s the logic / reason? Don`t want outsiders?
Cheaper / less work?
Also maybe trying to build up the collection to have the odd stall to make it into a mini event?
Probably not correct, just my random guesses.
d'oh!! One thing is that they only rent the timing devices so I think only have them for the weekend? Or week as they were collecting them back when you crossed the line. So if they only get them in the week before not really time to post out 2nd class.
Last year I picked up my number the day before as I was staying in Nottingham overnight.
A marathon of this size is completly nuts not to post out numbers in advance.It is not as though they want you to go through an expo - its more like pick up your number, and pass Doris' tressle table as she has some Gels for sale. I'm sure it puts a lot of runners off. It is not a bad marathon course, but last year I found the administration of it a little amateurish at times.
I have had a reply from the organisers saying...
"you can pick your pack up on the day at Victoria Park where the race starts so no worries"
Thanks Dr. Dan - that's good news for to my ears
Has everyone started their training for this now? I started this week, after coming back from lots of beer and pasties on holiday with very little running taking place!
I'm 3 and a bit weeks in to my 19 week home-made plan (although I basically follow "Hadd's" training principles). It was originally an 18 weeks plan for Chester but have shifted to Leicester instead and so get an extra week
.
I was getting pretty fit at the end of March and had already put in six hilly LSRs of 13.2 miles, building up to May's Leeds HM. But April and May were wiped out by a foot injury caused by racing my son in a 5K without doing any speed-work in the preceeding few months. Managed to get in 300+ miles commuting on the bike during this injury period and finally restarted running at the start of June ... 25, 31, 33 miles per week so far (plus 40-50 mpw on the bike) and planning to build to 50 mpw over the next 3-4 weeks. Hoping to race Lake Vynrwy HM 4 weeks before Leicester and will base my taget time on how that goes. Hoping for sub-3:30 (PB 3:32) but really I should be capable of better times based on my shorter distances (40 10K, 90 HM) so need to concentrate on stamina and endurance.
So, what's the anti-pastie training plan MN?
Ah cool, sounds like you are right on top of getting your training going then. How come you switched from Chester? I did that a couple of years back and loved it, great organisation and not a bad course although I still have memories of turning the corner onto the hill at about mile 22 and swearing to myself!
I’m basically following a 16 week realbuzz marathon plan that I got a few years back – I peak at around 55 miles a week and average around 40 miles. It basically involves running everyday bar one in the week and that day I do resistance training! I have preveiously followed the plan very loosey, but I want to decrease my time and break 3:30 for Leicester so I’m planning on sticking to it as close as my body feels right to do. I’ve got Ealing HM lined up a couple of weeks before, just to finalised my race routine and the like. Sounds like you are very quick over the HM, I’m a bit shy of getting under 1:30 myself with a PB of 1:36 but likewise I’m also going to try and concentrate on staminia and endurance as that is what let me down in Manchester marathon in April this year.
Oh, I might still fit a pastie in here and there as a treat!
That's some impressive work going on there!!
I've done just over 100 miles in the last 4 weeks, got my 10k time down below 1 hour, and done two runs half marathon or longer. So not in your league but getting there... Hoping to go sub 4:30 but it all depends as i've signed up for another run 3 weeks pre the marathon i should be recovered fully, but might need to take it gently.
MN ... I'm sure that, fuelled on pasties
, we can crack the 3:30 barrier
! I also did Chester 2 years ago. I was quite fit but ran it badly ... got over-confident and carried away at 14 miles, started slowing at 20, and then suffered at 23 with bad cramp ... ended up with 3:32. Great marathon though! What made you switch to Leicester? Last year I got ill just before Chester, so missed out ... I entered it again this year too, only to find out that my daughter starts Uni that day, so I'm on "taxi duties". I officially transferred my place to someone though and got my £40 back, so am now free to race Leicester instead. It's my old uni city (mid 1980s), so it will be good to go back and end the marathon in the park next door.
bt ... good start to the campaign
. I will race a HM 4 weeks before, but also a10K 3 weeks before (my local 10K race). It's supposed to be good to keep some high intensity in taper, while reducing over-all volume.
First 13.1M training run and first 40 mile week sicne March ... onwards and upwards.
Hope everyone slapped on the sun tan lotion if they went out sunday. Unlike me...
bit red in places.
Dr.D – Ah, that is the problem I had with Manchester, I got carried away around mile 15 or so and was cramping up from 22 onwards - Oh well, I’m sure I learn! No real reason from switching from Chester to Leicester, I just wanted to do a different marathon, so far I’ve not done the same marathon twice. I use marathon weekend as an excuse to get away (I live in London) and have a little explore around somewhere I don’t know. Leicester fit the bill as the timing was right and I’ve only been there once for a gig when I was at Derby Uni.
BT - I hope the sun burn isn't too bad. I did managed to do 15.5 miles yesterday in sun, but it was very hot out there and had to do it slower than I’d have liked. Luckily I did remember to suncream up otherwise I’d have burnt to a crisp!
The suncream was not required in sunless/windy Leeds!
15.5M sounds good Mattew ... those LSRs can be as slow as you like at this stage ... just about getting the miles in the legs.
It looks like it is going to be another sun lotion weekend this weekend! I plan on doing my LSR on Sunday (as I almost always try to do) and the weather forecast is saying 27 degrees C! Going to work up a sweat in that for sure!!!
I will be LSRing on Sunday too ... planned route is13.2M over some big hills ...but will head out at 6am to avoid the heat.
Dr. D - Very wise, I might copy that idea!