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London Marathon - your thoughts?
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First marathon and I loved the whole experience. Haven't got a bad word to say about it, dream come true
First time running London. Went sub 3. Didn't get frazzled like I feared. The organisation was superb and the crowds and atmosphere just out of this world. I cant wait till next year.
Actually the one negative that I can turn into a positive is that I ticked estimated time 3.15 when I got my club entry however was started in blue pen 4. It took me 3 miles to catch the 3.30 pacer then 6 miles to clear the 3.15 pacer. That suggests to me that I was put further back than my estimated time. The positive was that my slow first 2 miles allowed me to properly warm up and meant when I got some breathing space I was good to open up.
I put down 3:14 and was in blue pen 2 with the 3:15 pacer.
I was in pen 8 and completed in 4:26:15 which I was delighted with! I ran for charity (Stroke Association) as I didnt get in on the ballot. My name on here is "gutted" as i was literally gutted at not getting a place so went for charity. I can honestly say it was one of the best life experiences I have had and I LOVED every minute of it!!! I think for people who have yearned to run this event for so long this is an amazing experience!!! The sights of London, the crowds, the course filled with runners-all was amazing and it was total euphoria as I took in that I was running the London Marathon! Sorry to say -but I think some people need a bit of a reality check and realise how lucky you were to be part of this event!! So many people do not have the opportunity! I didnt find it a whole lot busier than some of the half marathons I have entered such as Reading and Bath Half -these are crazy busy in parts. Thought the start and end organisation was fantastic too (no wait for bag dropoff or pickup). Thumbs up from me!
I was a bit cheeky and started the race from the front of the championships pen. Nowhere near fast enough to justify that but as I'm unlikely to qualify again I thought WTH.
anyway had a great bonus when Paula stepped out to great cheers and slotted in right next to me. Not every race you toe the line with the world record holder, will remember that for a long time!
First time run in London for me, and after reading all your thoughts and opinions, feeling grateful that I must have been lucky to not experience bottle carnage along the course. Never had one in front of me on the ground, never had a problem throwing one onto the footpath (I'm worried that one day I will accidentally hit a spectator with my rubbishing throwing skills), and never had trouble picking one up from the volunteers at the aid stations. I was surprised that there wasn't a good bin setup like Paris to hurl your bottles at/in - Buxton should have a chat with Vittel.
I started in the GFA pen 1 (probably about the middle of it?), and was surprised that the nervous tension being given off by the runners didn't translate to a really fast start - I was actually worried I was a bit over-ambitious in starting from that pen; the pack I was in was running about 40 seconds slower than target pace for the first few hundred metres, so I just did a bit of moving up the bunch with another runner, and found ourselves hitting the first mile marker right on target. By about the time we joined up with the main route, the speed and the size of the group meant we weren't messing up each other's pace, so I just settled into a rhythm with some runners in club vests from about mile 3 to 7, then just did my own thing for the rest of the run. The only time it felt a bit bunched was hitting the turns at the Cutty Sark. I may have had one of those moments at about 32k when you get tetchy for about two seconds at a runner directly in front who has slowed, and you're scared your legs will fall off at the hip if you took a sideways step to go past them.
Really enjoyed the crowd support (it was so loud at Tower Bridge!) so that was a pretty amazing thing to see.
I wonder if there wasn't the volume of runners on the course at the end that it would have been possible to keep the pace going - by mile 23 there was a bit of a battle going on with one, and briefly two, other people - which was much easier to focus on than counting down the distance and looking frantically at the clocks to see if you were still on course to meet the target time.
2:48 in the end - 8 minute PB and a good run at the end of the race, so can't ask for more than that.
I would love to run London ONCE in my lifetime. I have tried the ballot numerous times. I resent HAVING to get a charity place as I have already done a charity once. It feels like begging and I do believe there must be something funny with the money there. £100 for setting up a Justgiving account (!). Why do we have to raise a minimum amount and commit to paying from our pocket should we not get there?
I believe the organisation should devise a fairer way so we all get a decent chance, not one in 16. I read about a points system, so club runners who support their local races get to do London as a sort of reward.
Because the charities have a fury to get the most amount they can for the vulnerable people they support....if you care about a cause you want yo raise as much as you can...as there are plenty of people willing to raise £2000 why on earth would they give the place to someone who doesn't want to raise that.....
Caramba..it's a but selfish to think your right to run a particular race should be more important than the good work charities perform
If you want a reward system suggest to your running club that their places are giving to the members that do the most for the club in racing and volunteering and then you can earn one easily
You could also see if anyone in your club would like to coach you for a Good For Age time. It's not easy but, as discussed on another thread, the times for women are a little "softer"
Enjoy watching London but it's definitely not for me.... waaaaaay too crowded, too noisy, London itself doesn't appeal and the entry process is just hassle.
Have ran Dublin as a city marathon but otherwise have only ran Loch Ness, (about 4000 runners), Lochaber (now defunct club race 300 runners max), Cape Wrath (about 50 runners, and a wee boat trip) - all road races, although you are lucky to see any traffic in CW..., Fort William (part road/trail, less than 400 runners), Glencoe (twice), off road, tough course 600 runners... and a few Ultras, all off road. Cape Wrath especially, you can be very alone for quite some time!! Plus I like to just enter and train... none of this entry costing a bomb, having to raise a fortune or ballot stuff. Much prefer the simple life with epic scenery.... but whatever floats your boat... the litter is also much much less of an issue as especially on Ultras we are encouraged not to throw any and often very very little is dropped.... happy days!!