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Liverpool Marathon 2008
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I enjoyed Longford this year
I guess the biggest issue will be to not clash with other races
and to get local support
I can see that the Tunnel both ways may be a bit of a drag. So can we finish in New Brighton please ? Then I can walk back to my parents for a bath. Ta.
I agree 100% with Liam - if you run an autumn marathon you train over the summer anyway and I really can't see it being that hot in Liverpool in August, even with a 9am start. Besides which, thousands run marathons in the likes of Rome and Madrid which are a touch hotter than Liverpool!
As for teh route I don't know Liverpool that well but I would be attracted to a route that showed off teh city's history. Something that takes in the docks, past some beatles stuff, out past Anfield and maybe through the park and past Goodison. Get that right and I'd sign up in a shot.
If you start at 9.00am most runners will finish between 12.00 & 2.00 - now thats very sensible.
I'm out !!
How you can say its stupid to train then is beyond me ? It was warm but not saharan heat. Anyway - we were running the marathon part of IMDE in 30 degree plus heat.
The worst race I saw for heat probs was the Wilmslow Half a few years back -so that would be in March. It was a warm day, not hot by any means, but warm compared to the past few weeks and people were dropping like flies.
Shall we ban races in march ?
Like Liam says - set a date and go for it.
Its a shame people waste time posting comments to say they won't be running it. Such comments are a complete waste of your time and ours.
but if thats when this event is, I will be there
its probably going to be a one off anyway, and i dont want to miss the opportunity to do it
God knows what weather we'll get anyway - it could be anything from 80 degrees to 6 or 7 - but the same thing applies from April thru to October !
In fact, to try and cobble together all the ideas so far - how about assembling at the Pier Head, using the ferry across onto the Wirral, running back through the tunnel, out to the footy grounds then back through the city centre back to the starting area?
<Wanders off to find a map and check if he's just proposed a 40 mile marathon - in August!>
ooooooh
an ultra!
I'd "run" a marathon in August but I wouldn't "race" one.
The route is debatable.. the tunnels would be cool.. the city would be dandy.. the football grounds.. well thats an option.. so long as we hit goodison first... that way its down hill past liverpool! I think really a race like this would have tons of support from runners and "hav a go harrys" 08 adds to the draw..
I think the most logical route however would be a cultural tour.. take in some of the sites that made liverpool the capital of culture! it will also make a more attractive backdrop for the photos and may distract from the red, sweaty, grimacing faces..
Sefton Park is good tho - lots of space and scenic.
If you wnat to show Lpool in its best light - lets do that. Not much point showing Anfield and Goodison, as every footy fan knows them ? Show the unexpected bits - like Aigburth Prom, the parks, Rodney Street - and all that kinda stuff.
Of course - road closures etc will play a big part, so it may end up with 8 laps of Sefton Park...
Simple enough to chop and change bits to start on the otherside of the Mersey and finish at St Georges Hall.
Getting 20,000 people thru on the underground would take some doing tho?
Sefton Park seems the ideal place for the start and finsih. Its a large, nice area with plenty of nice bars, restuarants and so on around it, as well as being well-connected to routes out of the city.
If you want to show off the good bits of Liverpool, you need to show what tourists will like, not what Scousers would like. The view of the three graces is the main thing, and you can only get that view from the Wirral. The tunnel would also be quite a welcome shade if it was a warm day.
I like the route Alan has suggested on here - it shows the intersting architecture Liverpool has and makes the Mersey a focal point. Add a few Beatles covers bands playing as you go past the docks and so on and you're giving the tourists what they want.
I think some coordination with the Mersey Ferries is essential to this idea. A park-and-ride at Seacombe Ferry would be very useful for people travelling from the Wirral/Wales and again so off Liverpool's plus points well. Also, with a Sefton Park-New Brighton loop, you allow the families of runners the opportunity to watch the start, head down to the docks to see the runners (on free shuttle buses, going down Garston Prom to show off more of the city to them), and spend time in the docks, and free travel to Seacombe to see the runners with the very impressive backdrop.
But the thing that this race is screaming out to me about is the connection with the Fire Fighters Olympics. Its hardly going to be difficult to attract people from New York to take part in a marathon in Liverpool (a city it has close links to) which also celebrates the work of firefighters. In terms of making a marathon in Liverpool which will gain much respect and prestige for the city internationally, there does seem a lot of potential for a one-off event.
It seems to me there is much potential for a Liverpool marathon to be used to attract some many visitors to the area that the council is begging for it to be staged as an annual event if marketing correctly to people outside the region.
Yeah ST - I can see what you mean about the crowds, but I guess the council want to get the runners and families coming back again. Must admit I dont really do much sightseeing in London after I've run a marathon. If you can get scenic bits in on the run, they may want to come back again to have a look.
If you just let them run around say a bleak part of town (mentioning no areas) - they prob won't bother coming back, no matter how good the support is.
Loads of people associate Liverpool with red brick terraced houses and a great community atmosphere - think grainy black and whites of teenaged beatles. Personally I think it would be wrong to just ponce about showing off fancy buildings and not take advantage of the thing that makes Liverpool unique - the people. It doesn't have to be out by the footy grounds (although again football is strongly associated with the city so why not?) but it would be nice to see some of teh real city.
Glad you found acceptable running weather throughout the summer - I recall one Saturday morning setting off to do 10 miles and abandoned it just after 6 miles because the heat was unbearable - perhaps I am a winter runner. I did 10 miles this morning on the front and it was grat - a stiff breeze in the face, still a bit warm though.
Mr Happy,
I suggest that you go back and check the start of this thread - it asked for opinions on holding a marathon - that means people who disagree with you are allowed to post - as much as that pisses you off !!
I do, however, have fundamental problems (and not just logistical ones) with using parts of the Wirral. I also don't think that Sefton Park is that well connected, although if it serves just as a starting point & we finish somewhere in town (there's got to be loads of NW runners who would come in for the day to Lime St) that might be a compromise. A few years ago the 1/2m started at the Pier Head & finished in Sefton Park - it seems to make more sense to me to do the opposite.
Mind you, Scousers argue about everything so finding a route & time that we all agree on for a mara (can we agree on 26.2m?) isn't going to be easy.
;-)
Whatever route it is though, I'd sign up as would I'm sure many others.
My husband ran the Liverpool marathon in 1982 or 83 (he's getting on a bit so can't remember, bless him!) and then never ran another. I need to add it to my collection so he can't go on about it anymore ;-))))
Please, please, please organise it and make it a decent route with lots of crowd support rather than a sightseeing tour.