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Berlin Marathon 2004
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I'll post up the useful bits later this afternoon.
North, (immediately south of the Haus der Kulturen der Welt).
1. The start worked last year in sequentially lettered pens, according
to start time.
2. The alloted pen is a small letter on your running number
3. At the registration event the day before, when you collect your chip
and number, there is a table at the back of the Hall where you can
officially change the pen if you are not happy with the allocation (this
of course was guided by what you put on your entry form). So if your
ambition has changed since the day you entered, you can change the pen.
4. If I remember, A was the pros, B the mega good club runners, and I
think I started in D for sub-3 target. I did use the alloted pen, and I
crossed the line witin 30 to 40 seconds of the gun, being only 30
metres or so from the actual start line.
5. The luggage etc is in the park in front of the Reichstag. Take a
towel in your kitbag, and a change of clothes - there are shower tents.
These are gloriously German - long marquees with pipes hanging down the
sides - 50 to 100 naked bodies all in there at the same time.
6. Just after the finish, there is an abundance of fruit and drink
available (free), and then you get to the massage beds on the walk back
to the Reichstag.
7. Getting to the start was a bit of an experience last year. For sure,
piddle and poop as late as you can on the Reichstag Park, but not
leaving it so late that the queue is awful. As you progress from the
Reichstag Park to the actual start, particularly heading up to the fast
pens at the front, provided that you are on the North side of the start
road, there is woodland right by the fences. So take some bog roll with
you, as you will be able to have a last minute dump, moderatley
indiscreetly, but not in an ungermanic way, in the woodland along the
pens.
8. We walked inside the wood to avoid the congestion, and then hopped a
fence at the last minute. I hope this will be feasible again, otherwise
access down the committed path is dodgy.
9. There was an horrendous crush going from the Reichstag Park down to
the start road. I seriously recommend getting down to the pens 45
minutes early, minimum. This will reduce stress and allow you much more
comfort. Allow one hour even to be sure. I think we left 30 minutes last
year, and it was beyond the pale. We had to run inside the woods to get
to the pens. Not good.
are quite spread out, and at this point it starts to become an
additional burden if you are trying to keep together. For full
relaxation, I recommend that you make it your own race from the point
when you split to go to the baggage lorries. Use bin liners as usual, or
perhaps the 2004 Welsh Castles t-shirt to keep you warm, to chuck away
at the last minute.
11. Last year we did some very minor looking around the day before, but
I felt that I benefited from having seen the Brandenburg Gate
(BrandenburgerTor) and Kurfurstenstrasse, where there is a really
poignant shell of a bombed out church in the middle of the space. We
enjoyed a late lunch in a café nearby, having done the registration bit
in the morning.
12. The process for placing a deposit for the chip was slightly complex,
and you will benefit from having the required cash.
13. When you finish, your chip is removed from you and you get given
cash there and then in exchange for your deposit. This works well for
cash for immediate goodies, so you don't need to run with any!
14. We took the Metro underground trains to get to the start from the
hotels - we got off at Potsdamer Platz and had a 5 minute stroll up to
the Park. Non-competitors are not allowed into the Park, so its goodbye
to any family etc quite far in advance.
It was really hard to get a beer straight after the race, but we agreed
a very successful rendez-vous right on the terrace infront of the
Reichstag for after the race.
So, 4pm at the pasta lounge at the Expo on Saturday - see you there!
Sim
Told you weather.co.uk was crap!!
I'm arriving late Saturday so will miss pasta etc. Hope I can meet up with everyone post race. Reichstag terrace? I'm so much looking forward to getting it over with!
Zoe - looks like we'll have to travel pretty early on Sunday morning from Pegasus - they are an hour ahead as well. I'll try to find out what room I'm in and will leave a note at reception in case you want to go to the start together. No worries if you are doing your own thing.
I will take your advice Zoe, not sure I can resist a couple of miles at lunchtime though!
I have a track session tomorrow to get used to the pace and then a 20 min run and then fly out on thursday
Easy running all week for me with a couple of miles at race pace on wednesday.