Glasgow Half Marathon 2012

Hi

Is anyone else doing the Glasgow Half next month?

How's your training going?

Also, as it's my first ever race any tips on what the atrmosphere and course etc are like would be appreciated.

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Comments

  • Eggyh73Eggyh73 ✭✭✭

    I'll be doing it for the 5th time this year. It's a good event.

    Course is pretty much flat as can be for Glasgow. One small climb at the very start and that's the only hill of any note on the course. There are some very slight undulations in the Pollock Park, but if you are pushing the pace they probably feel a bit worse than they actually are. It does tend to be crowded at the start and not a lot of space about to find your rythme until you get over the Kingston Bridge, so the first two miles are as much about dodging other runners as anything else. Once you've cleared that the roads are much wider and the runners thin out giving you space to tap out your own rythme.

    Atmosphere, it's very busy at the start. After that the crowds do thin out until you come out Pollock Park (about 8/9 miles in) and the Asian community are out with their own water stalls and music. That for me is the best and most atmospheric part of the course. The bigger crowds pick up again when you get onto Glasgow Green.

  • My favourite race of the year, I'll be doing it again and will be hoping for sub 1:40.



    Best tip would be to take it easy until you come out of Pollock Park then push it. The Asian community as described above is the best part of the race. They do a great deed every year.
  • yer majyer maj ✭✭✭

    I'm doing this for the first time this year - can't wait, as I used to live in Glasgow and I miss it every day!

  • How's everyone's training going?  I was doing 15 milers but then I was out for 6 weeks with a knee injury, I'm back up doing 10 miles comfortably now at 8.5 minute/mile pace so should be ok for the race

  • Eggyh73Eggyh73 ✭✭✭

    I'm marathon training just now, so I'm just using this one as a training run with a medal and a mars bar for a reward. I ran a half PB at the weekend of 1:43:51 in Helensburgh  so hopefully should be in that zone for Glasgow too.

  • yer majyer maj ✭✭✭

    My main Half this year is Cardiff on 14th October - Glasgow is a trial run to see if the training has worked.  This has been my first real go at speedwork so it's been tough training...Glasgow will be the first indicator of how successful it's been!

  • This will be my first time at the event.  My family are travelling up for the weekend and my son and I will be running, so it'll be fun image

  • Aye I'm running with two of the lads - H Smith and Ian though we'll no doubt get seperated pretty quickly.

    Smith and I's first race but Ian has a sub 4 hour marathon under his belt already.

    I'm quite looking forward to it actually.  Anyone got any advice for what to have for breakfast?  I'm generally an evening runner and never run in the mornings

  • ATMATM ✭✭✭

    image It probably says a lot about me that I find running over the Kingston Bridge pretty exciting..  Matthew and andy, it's a great day out. There's usually good crowd support...the Sikh and Moslem communities out in force on the South Side and providing their own water/sweets..., pipers etc and a short, straight line to the Finish for your 'Olympic' moment.There's lots of food/entertainment on Glasgow Green so your supporters won't get bored waiting for you and there's a huge massage tent. As Eggy says, there's a long slow hill within the first kilometre or so and a short ramp up onto the Bridge.Lots of the run is within the parks. Expect pouring rain and, with any luck, it'll be dry and you'll be so surprised and delighted, the run will be easy.

  • yer majyer maj ✭✭✭

    ATM I lived just along from the Kingston Bridge and I'm very excited about running across it....image

  • ATMATM ✭✭✭

    We don't get out enough, yer_maj...

  • Thanks ATM - I used to run from my hotel in Pitt Street, down to the river, and out to the SECC so looking forward to this event.

  • andyp thanks for the heads up.

    Hopefully this nice weather continues over the next few weeks. Training has been up and down but I'm looking forward to this race. I missed it last year for the first time since 2005 and it is one of my favourites.

     

  • Race pack arrived yesterday.

    Looking forward to our weekend away now image

  • Eggy, this is also my 5th GSR.  Hoping to beat PB of 1:52, also in marathon training at the moment (Berlin) but always enjoy the GSR greatly.  Never miss it unless injury prevents.  They mentioned pacers on the website this year but no word of them in the race pack.  Wouldn't mind trying to follow an 8:10 to see what happened image

  • Eggyh73Eggyh73 ✭✭✭

    Strunner - I did Berlin last year, wonderful city and a great event. I'm marathon training too just now. I'm running Chicago at the beginning of October. I don't think I've ever noticed any pacers at Glasgow. My course PB is 1:48, but I set a new half PB earlier this month of 1:43. My legs were trashed after that, so I'll be happy with a sub 1:50 for this one.

  • yer majyer maj ✭✭✭

    Race pack has finally arrived - t shirt is like a tent....

  • Anyone wearing their "official" t-shirt on the day?  I usually wear my footy shirt.image

  • Eggyh73Eggyh73 ✭✭✭

    yer_maj - Did you order the standard t-shirt or the technical one? I got the technical one and that is a good fit. The standard ones I got in the past were always big.

  • I last ran Glasgow in 2008 and miss it.I've not had the chance to get north of the border since for such a good quality event. Hoping to be there next year though.
    Good luck to all who are doing it!

  • ATMATM ✭✭✭

    I've got a tec' one and it's rather neat..* I think we know who ate all the pies..*  I think I'll wear my Irn Bru vest , andy,and save the race one for...er...celebrating,afterwards.I don't get out much....

    Thanks Spike. 'Stuff' has interfered with the old training ... Race you, next year...image

     

  • ATM - my footy shirt is a generous fit and hides my pie consumption too image

    I'll definitely enjoy my hotel breakfast (fry-up) Monday morning after my efforts on the Sunday....

  • Eggy - Chicago should be great.  Yes I don't think Glasgow's had pacers in the past but they did announce it online, was a bit of a surprise.  Was looking forward to it as I haven't taken part in any races with pacers before...  I think Berlin has them but that will be a first, would have liked a practice first.

    Never liked that white t-shirt they send out... does the tech t-shirt have all the sponsors on the arms as well?

  • yer majyer maj ✭✭✭

    I've just got an ordinary one.  It's smaller than our family tent but larger than our small tent.  My Cardiff Half t shirt from last year is bigger than all of these items put together.  I've only worn it once, when I was laid up with norovirus after Christmas.  It seemed appropriate.

  • yer_maj - I've got the Cardiff T-Shirt from last year- it makes a great night shirt!!

  • Just signed up today. My trainings been quite erratic due to alot of pressure from work over the last couple of months. Wasn't sure whether to run the 10k or half, went for a long run today in the pissing rain and managed 12.47mi in 1:40.24. Felt alright at that pace, bar my feet not having done that distance before (long runs were never by 10miles). Hoping to go sub 1:40 on race day, Mighty excited image

  • ATMATM ✭✭✭

    The tec shirt is really nice...It's blue and, amazingly, on the small side. The Bank's name is on it but it's not covered in stuff like the cotton shirts.It has the Finniston crane /runners logo that's on the webpage and a Start/Finish slogan. I think I'll wear it after the run, though, since I overheat at anything over 5 degrees...image I wish they'd make vests.

    If they have the same system as for the Women's 10k, you might be able to buy one at Jury's Inn , Thursday-Sat. You'd definitely wear it again,yer_maj

  • Eggyh73Eggyh73 ✭✭✭

    The tech shirt is pretty good. Although it's broken my run of super yellow race shirts after Paris and the Polariod races.

  • yer majyer maj ✭✭✭

    Hmmmm I might buy one then - I wear my Paris one a lot 

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