The Farnham Pilgrim, Marathon & Half-Marathon

2

Comments

  • this is good link to map but may scare you a bit once you see it! https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=207653227161132014831.00049053ecbf5f710079a&msa=0&ll=51.16083,-0.63446&spn=0.304663,0.229683 - don't know about good spectator spots so hopefully previous runners will be able to help as i'd like to know for my family too

  • Hmm, lurks with passing interest, especially at EOD potential. Is everything signposted with arrows? I can't see a map and I ain't taking reading glasses! LOL.

  • Just entered... first ever marathon...scared, excited, hoping to survive my 22 mile training run in a few days time image

  • Did the Canterbury HM yesterday and have entered this too. Canterbury was very hilly and reading about hills and sand is making me feel a bit queezy! Please tell me this isn't as tough!!!!

  • well finally paid my coin, Ive located a few spectator spots on the route. One is a pub offering lunches and I think its at 4.4 m and tehn at 18 for the return trip. Also a cafe type place at 6 miles. So looks like my family will be well fed. Not long back from holiday, done a 12 miler at the weekend and a 6 miler yesterday. Then it's a 10 miler and a couple of shorter runs over the next few days. 

    Not my first marathon, but hoping to run a bit more this time, if not a bit slower. My first consisted of a sprint for the first 8 miles and then 18 miles of pure hell. So hoping to start slowly and err, run slowly, see you at the back. My running club is Sandbach Striders, so a long journey awaits. 

  • Dustboy, if you get lost here I will be impressed, marshals galore, enough to protect me from the fields of cows, I am a bit of a wimp with the bovines. Good pub at the end as well Paul, if your spectators fancy the views they can park quite close to St Marthas, the highest point at halfway, and trek up to see you in pain.

  • Good Marathon this one.

    Ran the first myself.

    If I rememebr rightly after 4 miles ran the rest of the race needing a dump, could have done a Stevie G and shat in the woods, but waited until the end and the thunder box.

    So what was the name of that pub just before the finish?

  • OG, will see you there and we can compare notes on Chi running and the NYCM

  • Looking forward to this weekend ....

    Does anyone know what the ground is like up there at the moment? Not sure whether to use trail shoes (as would normally) or try road shoes for a bit extra support!

  • I wore trail shoes last year which were great on the sand, but obviously a little heavier than road shoes. So this year I'm going to try the latter...unless it rains a lot during the few days prior to the race.

  • JH 1JH 1 ✭✭✭
    It's not rained for a while so the area will be dry. Don't know whole route but having run around St Martha's quite a few times and knowing the rest will be tracks I reckon normal shoes are the way to go with a bit of comfort. Temps should be nicer this Sunday after the warm one we just had.
  • Well getting closer by the day. Weather looks good with it being not too hot.





    To those that have ran this before , how hilly is it? I know st Martha's will be tough but, how tough? What's the climb ?


  • PN3

     

    I live about a mile from St Martha's and I've not found it really tough.. However, I haven't hit it midway thru a marathon..

     

    Once you cross the A281 at Shalford (35metres), it's undulating for the next 3.5km or so (up to 75m, then back to 60m), after which you'll turn left and head up the winding path to St Marthas, a climb of 120m over 1.2km 

     

    The thing to be positive about, is after St Martha's, it's a long flowing downhill for about 3km to cross the A281 at 35m - recovery time..

     

    Underfoot is still good at present.. yes, it is a sandy base, but you can get some compact areas at the sides of the path etc..

     

    All the best,

     

    dg

  • My first marathon on Sunday - feeling very very nervous. The talk of encouraging marshalls and beautiful scenery is somewhat encouraging. A bout of shin splits a couple of months ago severly hampered training...hope I make it!

    Lots of luck to all X

  • Thanks for the feedback on the terrain and current conditions. Still unsure about footwear. Long training runs have felt better in road shoes, Did a long run on the south downs way last weekend in trail shoes - which hurt like hell footwise.

    Is any of this race on road instead of trails, apart from the usual road crossings?

  • might be a bit (half a mile or so????) near the beginning, before you get to the first pub (and bikkies), if my memory is right.  Don't recall any other substantial chunks. Do remember lots of tree roots, sand, bullocks, grass, mud, etc!

  • Meon - I wore road shoes last time and it was fine. Unless we get tons of rain between now and Sunday I will do the same again. The sandy bits wouldn't benefit from trail shoes, grip isn't a problem.



    V limited training myself and an all-inclusive resort holiday has left me woefully unprepared, but it's such a lovely event I am very happy to plod round and enjoy it. There are few tarmac bits here and there from memory, but it's generally firm throughout. And yes, LOTS of bikkies !!
  • phew - glad i can get away with road shoes - my dog ate half of one of trail ones last night image. think i'm looking forward to this - will be my 9th marathon of the year but my first ever off road one (don't think thames meander thru richmond park and along thames really counts as off road) image

  • Hello all. Weather's looking good.Anyone coming down on the train from London?

  • Great route and hill terrain. Shame some of the older marshals are less than enthusiastic - many looking like they would rather be some where else

  • Wow, that was tough! First 12 miles were great but St Martha's was hard and then all the shorter hills on the way back were energy draining. Big thanks to Kate from Oz for helping me get round!

  • Mr KMr K ✭✭✭

    That was a bit on the tough side...I think I could have picked easier comeback marathons image

    Didn`t see you helly d image

  • Hello Mr. K. There were a lot of familiar faces but I didn't spot you. I was standing around drinking tea and yakking outside the baggage tent for a while after. What's next for you?I'm doing Clarendon, Greensands and Beachy.

    I thought the marshalling along with the signage was great, never seen so many of either. Tried to squeak in under 4 hours but didn't quite make it.

  • Tough tough tough but very enjoyable, great event
  • Great event. Love the variety of the route and the organisation is faultless. Had a crap run myself due to cramp from 20m (triggered by the first stile) but still 20 minutes quicker than last time I did it 2 years ago so could've been worse.  Agree with Helly - awesome marshalling and signage (and follow the orange dots !)

     

  • well, think i enjoyed my first ever off road marathon.... was really tough and i went over on my ankle after only 4 miles so my time was pants as that hurt all the way round image but overall a great race that was fantastically well organised (no getting lost for me this time)...hats off to the marshalls - most of them were fantastic and the refuelling stations were the best - talk about being spoilt for choice.

  • JH 1JH 1 ✭✭✭

    I thought the 1st part to St.Martha's was ok then it got much harder. I also twisted ankle early on, not badly but it meant when my form got sloppy I really noticed it. Some of those styles were pretty high too trying to throw the leg over and I'm 6ft. Anyone a bit weary of the cow field with loads of them in the way?  That last climb was a bit of a bu**er too.

  • cow field? oh dear, maybe i did get lost after all - either that or my eyesight had gone to pot at that point image

  • JH, the cows are the worst bit of the race, only one field of them this year though so an improvement. W2S, glad you enjoyed it, results are up on the website for anyone who might have posted a time worth looking for!

  • Mr KMr K ✭✭✭
    The cows weren't interested in me or my gels...I did offer the later.
Sign In or Register to comment.