Greater Manchester Marathon - UK's Flattest Marathon 2014

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  • Good for age!! I did chester im 3:49:40 so gfa for 41-49 yr old but I'm 60!! It means you can get into london or boston etc without ballot I think....

  • Kirsty...I just ordered mine second hand on amazon...67p plus £2.50 postage I think...

  • Sam.....makes it sound jolly unfair on blokes! Its 4:30 for 60 yr old woman

    Kirsty.....I advocate Yelling plans for first marathon but that's because I did first in 4:15 and did same two years later but put more effort into the sessions and knocked 25 mins off that. I think 4 days a week Iis enough commitment....just make combination of sessions count!

     

  • Kirsty...I just ordered mine second hand on amazon...67p plus £2.50 postage I think...

  • Ha, no, I'm sure it's not unfair. It must be based on average times. It's just knowing that despite all the effort I'm still 'mediocre for age'... 

    Your time at Chester though Bev, was brilliant

  • Ooh - I'll check out the second hand bit on Amazon - just saw the full price version and didn't think to look at those. Think I might giove it a go - did 4hr 17m in March on a very cobbly and twisty route so am aiming for 4hrs in Manchseter (sub if I could squeeze it in!). Was thinking along the lines of 3 x 20 milers and 5 training days a week so ratios look spot on for what I'm looking for. Thanks guys!

  • just had a quick scan of this thread - I am contempleting entering this (for the 3rd time - 3:42 last year and 3:33 this year) but will decide after xmas - I am local (ish) so for the person that asked about the best place for spectating - last year most people moved about the route using the trams (which were unaffected by the road closures) although I think there may have been queues to get on as people tried to move abour the route en masse. For next year there is the option to use hotels in Didsbury - now that it is on the tram system. Nearest stop to the start being Trafford Bar on the Didsbury branch of the tram line.   

  • After failing to get a place in the London marathon ballot again, i'm considering entering Manchester for next year. I was entered into the 2013 race, but had to miss it because of a familty emergency that prevented me from travelling up on the day, and instead did Milton Keynes, which was OK, but quite warm and hillier than expected going under and over the roads on the course. ok day out, but support was very thin in most places and I struggled in the second half, finishing in 4:19, which was still a PB for me after my other Brighton marathon result of 5:08 a couple of years previously.

    I'd like to think I can train for sub 4:00 for next April. My 10k PB is 46:25, which I hope i can improve on too. I'm going to do the P&D 18week upto55 miles plan again. I used this plan to train for the manchester (milton keynes) marathon this year, and thought it was a pretty well balanced plan. Higher mileage than I was used to before, and it did take a lot out of me, but I think I improved because of it, and I think the same plan can help me improve further. The only change i'll make is to add in a couple more 20 mile runs (there are only three in that particular plan) as I think I would have benefitted from more of the long runs in my preparation this year.

    A mate of mine has entered Barcelona in March, and I was tempted to join him, but it will be cheaper and more convenient to do Manchester, plus I'm attracted by it's much-reported flatness.

  • Hotel booked, so I have the added bonus of a Saturday night out in Altricham (thank you whoever mentioned how cheap/practical that option was) - and if that doesn;t make me have an early night I don;t know what will!

  • All the reviews for Manchester looked great, so signed up a few weeks ago! will be my third marathon (first time away from London). looking to go sub 4image, PB at the minute is 4h 19 which was this years effort in London

    Hoping that with a longer training window, only trained for 12 weeks last year, I can lose those 20 minutes. I am going with what seems to be the popular choice, P&D 18 week upto 55 miles plan this time, didnt see the second hand option on Amazon!

    ps thanks for the tips on hotels, will sort that soon!

    hears to a long winters training....image

  • Well, ive paid the entry fee so that's me in image

    Ive booked into the ibis which is a stones throw from the start-£52 for a double room,which I didn't think was too bad for the convenience and I can have an extra hour in bed image

     

  • Think I'm throwing my hat in the ring for this, first marathon too. Fortunately I live near to the startline so no transport/accomodation issues. Got a 1.29 half on compacted sand though I suspect I'm quicker than that now so would hope, with a good winter & spring of focused training, that I can go sub-3.10, maybe faster. Fell-running has killed my straight speed a bit but I'm not touching the hills this winter.

  • Hi all, just entered this having not got a placr for VLM through the ballot/running club. Does anyone have accommodation tips? I live north of Leeds so it is do able on the morning, but preferably I'd like to stay over. At this time I'm hoping for around 3.05. Seven daughters I'd say 3.10 is definitely on the cards.

  • Blue moon - theres a few suggestions and links from myself and a couple of others on page 3. Personally I would avoid Manchester centre unless you really want to be there. The trams will be hammered getting to old Trafford in the morning. Even if u wanted a night out on the Sunday that's easy from the Quays/Sale/Altrincham. 

  • Looks like lots of us are doing p&d 18 weeks 55 miles- should be great to have some virtual moral support.

    My parents live in Chester and I was planning on crashing withthem and traveling to Manchester on the day- is this practical those of you who live nearby/ have run this before ?

     

  • Bluemoon: there's an Ibis Budget within walking/warming up distance of the startline. That said the trams will be running early that day so wherever you find, you'll be able to get near the startline. Many will opt for central Manchester and tram outward toward Old Trafford, but the option to go a smaller B&B in Sale or Altricham and take the tram the other way may be the wiser choice.

  • siony, I'm sure it's possible to stay in Chester as long as you're driving and don't mind an early start...it should take under an hour at that time on a Sunday. I don't think the road closures would affect the route in to Old Trafford though obviously check beforehand! 

    Anyway, cool, another for the 18 week 55 mile club. Has anyone worked out when week one is yet? End of November? 

  • Week 1 would be 2nd December.  I was looking at a 16 week plan and that starts 16th Dec

  • Monday 2nd Dec would be the start of the 18 week programme for Manchester 2014

  • after a bit of a layoff this summer i'm spending the intervening few weeks getting some slow mileage back in my legs to improve endurance. currently up to about 25 miles per week, hoping to ramp up to about 40 before Dec

  • Hi all,

    I ran this the last 2 years and its been a happy hunting ground for me with PBs both times (3:16, 3:05). I have a GFA place for London but am thinking of defering to go for sub 3 at Manchester as I know the course and there'll be no risk of not getting a clear run because of the number of competitors.

    Both years I stayed in a cheap B&B in Sale and trammed it to the start in the morning. 

    I'll be following the P&D up to 70 mile a week schedule as its worked well for me in the past.

    Cheers

    Gaz

  • def agree with you Siony, virtual moral support will be good... 

  • I'm in again after running the first on in 2012, booking but missing last year due to work/training/injury problems... really looking forward to doing it again although hopefully not have the same weather as 2012 image

  • DeliH, Its so rare that Manchester has awful rain and cold winds.  Honest image

  • ChrissiChrissi ✭✭✭

    oh no i've gone and joined a thread full of fast people again image 

    after my half at the end of November i'm planning a couple of 14 milers in Dec, then 2 x 16's in Jan, then a couple of 18's and a couple of 20's with 6-8's on the inbetween weekends and 2-3 runs in the week of 4-6 miles.  At least thats the plan.

  • Chrissi, we're not entirely speey here. egg chaser and I both have a 4:19 PB, so we'll be keeping anyone company who is nearer the back of the pack.

    Having said that I'd like to nip under 4:00, but we'll see.

  • ChrissiChrissi ✭✭✭

    AG - still speedy compared to me Snowdoina last year was 5hr 36 but on the flat and provided training goes well i'm hoping to sneak just under the 5hrs.  Main thing is to finish and enjoyimage

    I've read P&D thoughimage

  • Chrissi- only thing that matters to me is that I've trained and ran to the best of my ability and have enjoyed it. 

    Nice thing about an event thread is we will all be going through the same highs and lows and can help each other out now and againimage

     

    Im  impressed by anyone with the guts to take on snowdonia- don't think I've got the balls!

  • Sam - sorry for the late reply.  I really enjoyed the plan but I have nothing to compare it against as Manchester was my first marathon last year.  I achieved a time that I was very happy with and avoided major injuries.  I I could find fault, I flagged really badly in the last 5 miles which is why i'm going for the longer plan this time.  It has more longer runs and runs up to 22 miles which should hopefully help me avoid a repeat of the dodgy last 5 this time.

  • Cheers SB, that's good to know. I made up my own training plan for Chester which involved five 20+ milers going up to 24 miles - and on the day still flagged badly over the last five miles. So who knows. I'm a bit nervous about the 55 mile plan only going up to 20 miles max so I might bump one or two up to 22. Which I guess will make it a 57 mile plan.

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