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SIG Insulation Sheffield Half Marathon
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I didn't take part in this race but I am a regular runner and partake in half marathons. I'm not a world record holder but I can comfortably manage it in about 100 minutes with proper supplies.
My experience is that unless you are near the front at the start, it is very difficult to hear the announcements. In general, they tend to be about following the pace car and obeying marshals, but further back you just follow the rest of the runners. So many runners further back will have just been discussing the day and the race amongst other things and wouldn't have heard that the race was cancelled. If the front of the pack set off, you would just follow.
From reports this seems to have been the case for the majority of runners. All I can say is that, unless I was carrying a supply with me, I would never run a half marathon without water supplies on the route. This is very dangerous and I have seen the results of runners who become dehydrated. It is not 'just a half marathon'. 13 miles can be a long way for many.
As it turns out, it would appear that people and places along the route supplied some water, as the official supplies were diminished. But no-one at the start of the race knew this before letting it continue.
But let's not kid ourselves that there was something brave or noble about the runners doing the race anyway which seems to be how some wish to portray this.
Cancelling the race was the right decision, but then letting the runners do it anyway with no guarantee that they would have water on the way was hugely irresponsible.
This was an organized race that went badly wrong and could have ended in disaster. The organizers ( at least temporarily) dodged a bullet here.
Well water company today issued a statement saying reason it wasn't supplied was because they had not been paid the £3,000 as agreed in the contract. Now the organizers took £26 at least from over 4,000 runners so why did they not pay?
On a personal note I have secured a replacement race thanks the awesome organizers of the Plymouth HM
Studs - is your assertion based on any scientific evidence, or anecdote? I doubt very much it's possible to become dehydrated in a half marathon in England on a cool day in April.
In fact, I would hope to become dehydrated - speeding up as my weight is reduced.
On sunday I, like others, won't be drinking during the full marathon as there is simply no point. There is no danger.... only advantage.
http://runningresearchnews.com/News_And_Events.php?cid=1&iid=151
As we know, there is a very great danger from drinking too much though. People have drunk too much of the supplied water and died before now. Far, far better, in my opinion, to have ONE water stop around mile 9 or 10 for those feeling particularly thirsty.
Estimated entrants on starting line 4100 x £25 (average entry fee) = £102,500.Would love to know whose pocketing that money now they are not giving any refunds.Its a scam and maybe refund policies should be looked at for cancelled sporting events by government.Hope the organisers sleep well.
Most of the money will have been spent. Traffic management, medals, t-shirts, numbers, race packs and postage - all payable up front. That's why most races have a no-refund policy. The solution would be to have insurance to cover these costs, but that in itself would have to be paid for
If a bit of water is essential to making it through a cool half marathon - you have to wonder if the people were fit enough to do the race ?
Race organisers have to have water stations under UKA rules as I understand them.
However I 100% agree with cougie, Lord Dids and others that you can run a half without needing water.
I seldom run with a drink, certainly don't in winter and that includes runs up towards the 3hr mark, obviously the same doesn't apply to summer.
Yes the organisers did what they had to do - and this post isn't about the rights/wrongs of refunds - but I would imagine those some of those that chose to run weighed up the risks and has been broadcast, shared drinks where needed. Also lets not kid ourselves, this is Sheffield, not Brecon, moors or Lakeland. I'm sure there are garages that have water, public conveniences, outdoor taps, heck even knock on a door and ask someone.
Not all runners need to be wrapped in cotton wool and need their hand held to cover a half marathon.
so Water direct had supplied the water for the last 2 years, so you could say that Sheffield Half Marathon are good customers if it does turn out that for what ever reason the bill was unpaid, then they should have still delivered the water.
The MD of that company is at fault here, knowing the job he undertook and knowing that his decision not to deliver would mean that 5000 runners would be affected, is IMO disgraceful he then tries to hide behind "payment triggers delivery" as though it is the computers fault
the offer of free water next year, not only do I find strange, but also to be an admission go guilt
or on the other hand why didnt the race organisors just pay the bill upfront as the contract they signed stated. its they who shafted the runners not the water company.
And what if they had delivered the water only t be told on the morning that an alternative source was found and that is why patment wasn't made...
The supplier sets the terms and conditions, I fail to see how the supplier can be at fault if the custome doesn't meet them.
yes they should have paid it if that was the terms of the contract, how it keeps happening in this perfect world I don't know, but something went wrong.
If you ran a company that supplied an essential part of a mass participation event, (and had supplied this a number of times), then the event asked you to supply again. You send a invoice and terms to the event- is that it would you leave it there if the event did not reply/pay??
Surely the company would make enquires as to why the event organisers have not paid, Mistakes do happen the invoice could have been overlooked.
If Water direct did not make any attempt to chase payment or reinforce to the organisers that no water will be supplied then they must share some of the blame.
We the runners (the customers) deserve to know the facts.
As far as a refund goes, the organisers can not expect to make a profit from this, I understand they paid a lot of fixed costs- the gross profit from this should be made public and that amount should be split between local charities anything else is just plain wrong and there will be a large number of runners -me included who will not race an event organised by this company
in one of the news reports it said the water company contacted the race organisors many times to chase payment up front. i guess they just ignored it.
What if in previous yrs the race organisors delayed payment and left it months to pay the bill after the event. so this yr demanded they pay upfront. i dont have any extra insight but that would seem to explain why this could have happened.
I don't think it's any business of the runners why it went wrong. Just that it did and everyone who entered should be given a refund even if it's only a part refund. There must be some money - there's a chunk they didn't spend on water for a start.
It`d be more than that. There were more entrants than that and the entry fee would be a bit higher as the vast majority are not UKA affiliated.
13 - good luck with that challenge. Great work so far. Sounds very tough to me and needs quick courses. Don`t do Eyam!
The water company have to share some of the blame for this unless they had made it very clear to the organizers they were not going to deliver the water, It would appear they were making a point no pay no delivery.
That's fair enough BUT if you are in business you do what ever you can to firstly maximize profit and equally get positive PR. They failed on both accounts here.
The water company now said that they will supply next year for free, a move to improve PR- So they will supply for no charge next year, but was not prepared to supply and be paid late this year- Really does not make any sense.
And of cause TimR the runners have a right to know what went wrong, yes its a race but its also from the organizers point of view a commercial project, if they can not be open and honest to the original problem and the subsequent measures put in place to make sure this will not happen again a lot of runners will choose to spend there entry fees elsewhere. This is not a local low key event organized by a few keen runners for there friends its a major event ran by up to 10,000 people who all invest in a high entry fee and other costs involved to actually get on the starting line.
It would be a good idea for them to explain why it wasn't delivered, which they have done.
It would also be a good idea for them to state that they have put measures in place to assure it doesn't happen again and maybe to tell you what they are. Most people seem to agree that the water or bowsers should have been delivered 24hours beforehand.
Other than that no one has a right to know the details of any legal dispute between the organisers and the water company.
If the race organiser will not or cannot return the entry fee paid for this event then runners should consider a claim against the credit card company behind the online entry system.
Thanks The Egyptian Toe May is Edinburgh, although I've always wanted to do Eyam
Chesterfield Marathon and Half Marathon are offering discounts. Has anyone done this race and is it any good?