Beachy Head Marathon

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Comments

  • how on earth do you pace this? i'm thinking of leaving all timing devices at home and just running on feel

  • The second half, in my opnion is the harder half so I always try and save a bit for the last 10 miles. image

  • Rondo - just done try running as if your going to win it. Run the flats, run the flats and walk the hills. At the end your be doing what ever gets yo to the finish.



    If its really muddy like 2009 run faster on the dry bits.
  • running on feel is probably a good way rondo.  if you've done a road marathon then you will probably have a time in mind for BH - most people would say that this one adds anything between 30 and 60 mins to a road marathon so perhaps base your time on that.   and don't go balls out at the start as TG suggests as those hills will catch up with you later.

    the best men's time so far is around 2:45 - some 10 mins better than any other - it was a guy who had previously won a few Alpine mountain marathons so it was probably an easy day out for him!  most winning times are around 3hrs, females around 3:30.   that gives an idea of it's toughness compared to a good road one.

  • i did a bad brigthon in just under 4. my other races indicate i should be faster, so i'm going for 4.30. not as a time to beat, but to give me an idea about pace

  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭

    Rondo - FWIW I largely ran by feel when I did this, but did occasionally check HR to make sure I wasn't overdoing things.  By this, I mean I know what HR I would normally run a road marathon, so on the sections of flat or uphill, it's a good idea not to go over this, whereas on many of the downhill sections it's just a matter of running as fast as you can without doing yourself a mischief.  Then by the time you get to the bitches in the last few miles, ignore everything else and just try to keep any kind of rythm going that you can.

    Mile splits, or even halfway splits, won't mean an awful lot, even if you do have some target time in mind that you've extrapolated from other races.  The first half IMO is a bit quicker than the second, since it contains longer sections of gradual downhill and less severe up/down.  As an indication, my overall time three years ago was 3:09 (I came 2nd behind perennial Beachy champ Stuart Mills), with my halfway (according to Garmin) split being almost exactly 1:30.

    I may come back to this one day, but I need to see how my hip copes with cross-country racing, post-op!  image

  • grr - organisers have set up another thread.  idiots

  • i did the croydon half and whilst its not hilly in this league, it is still a bit hilly. i went too slowly down the hills and this woman i was running with shot off down them. I thought i should approach downs with caution. I like the idea of running down them as fast as possible. thanks for the tips.

    fat buddha- send them over here then

    philpub- good luck with the op then

  • rondo - I have mentioned it.....image

  • i noticed. firm but fair i thought

     

  • Where's the idiot organisers' thread, FB? ('Search' doesn't seem to work at the moment on RW.) What have the little dears done now?

    And while I'm here, anyone had theemail we were supposed to get in September with all the final details etc etc? I haven't got it - now hoping my email address is OK!

  • theres about 8 messages on there and 4 of them from the organisers. I haven't recieved an email either

  • oh for the good old days and the previous organisers.....

     

  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭

    rondo - Cheers!  I'm actually quite a way post-op now, almost a year exactly, and back running since last December.  No problems at all but I've tended to avoid running hard downhill as this was certainly one of the main things that exacerbated my hip problem.  (Femeroacetabular impingement.)  Touch wood, no niggles whatsoever but I'm still approaching XC with a little caution.  Good luck with Beachy, it's a blast.  image

  • ancient plodder wrote (see)

    oh for the good old days and the previous organisers.....

     

    it's still the same organisers - Eastbourne Council - but they're going around it differently now and in some ways, not so well. 

    PB - why don't you come and marshall the event??  EBC are still looking for volunteers to help out.  details on the website (I think!) 

  • i had problems paying for it (it turned out it was something at my end). They couldn't have been more helpful and responsive. Had various phone calls and emails and they promised me my place was reserved while i sorted it.

    Also I hadn't recieved the final email, messaged them just now and got an almost immediate response.

  • PhilPubPhilPub ✭✭✭

    fb - I'm not averse to a bit of volunteering but Eastbourne's a blimmin' long way from home! I'm thinking of getting my running karma in a good place by volunteering at my new, local parkrun that day, as it will be following a very busy couple of weeks' racing for me.

     

  • pb - fair enuff.   it's a pity the BHM isn't on this weekend as it's the Eastbourne Beer Festival (starts today, finishes Saturday) - I bet that would have had you travelling down....image

  • I cant make it now due to wife going into hospital so if anyone wants my place let me know.

    FB, seeing you on here reminds me i have some leg warmers to get to you.

    image

  • Ok guys. This is my first marathon. Done a half marathon last weekend. Plan to walk it. How far do I need to b going b4 event? 10, 13, 20 miles? FBI, can't wait or your trail report this weekend as that will determine road or trail shoes. Thanks on behalf of all!

  • William if you have already done a 1/2 marathon I would say if you run conservatively you could run the first 18-20 miles and walk/stagger/climb the last 6-8 which is the real sting in the tail  image

  • Exeter...problem is, I walked the half marathon too. I am 24 stone, down from 30 stone 5 months ago thanks to my bright blue Brooks!
  • If you can walk a hlaf marathon then I think the same applies, you will be able to walk this ok and there are many many people who do walk it
    If you are walking then I would say that the shoes that are best are the ones that are most comfortable for 7 hours on your feet   image

  • QBQB ✭✭✭

    You'll have to be careful walking this as with all those feed stations with soup, tea, cake and sausage rolls, I could picture myself putting 6 st back on! Fortunately I've only ever run this and so never fancied much from the stops if at all

    I liked the toughest, worst, best bits from earlier. Agree with most of responses. Worst is start, always a struggle with so much further to go and you're already struggling with steep inclines - but then you hit a patch where it is 360 beautiful views and you remember that you're here to enjoy it (unless it's tipping down like four yrs ago, in which case there's no views and you just watch your footing in the mud!). Best is as you climb over the wall and see 7 bitches country park below - beautiful and you know you're a long way there even though it's a tough section ahead. Hardest as FB called it is when you are passed 7 bitches and you've got to get running again on a stretch that seems to go on and on, even though you should enjoy the proximity of the finish and the grub

  • rondo: what did they say about the final e-mail then? I got my place from a friend (properly agreed by the organisers) and I've heard nothing since then. We sorted it all over e-mail so I know they have my e-mail address...

  • WR - if you plan to walk it I could suggest that you set off earlier than the planned 9am start - that's what a lot of walkers do so they can comfortably get around before the afternoon is heading into evening.  the organisers are usually happy with this but if in doubt ask them.

    and if you are walking, some walking poles would be useful imho

     

     

  • RedheadRedhead ✭✭✭

    I hadn't received any details either so I emailed the organisers yesterday (beachyheadmarathon@eastbourne.gov.uk) and got an immediate response.  Apparently the emails went out in July but some may have gone into peoples junk folders.

    WilliamR2, well done you for losing all that weight.  As Meldy says, if you have already walked a half then you should be OK as long as you don't push too hard - some of the hills are quite steep!  There are always lots of walkers so you won't be alone.  I agree with FB about the walking poles.  Good luck image

  • I hadn't received the e-mail either and got a reply the very next morning after e-mailing them.

    Got my final long run tomorrow - does any one have any advice or know where I can get some tips on tapering and what to eat over the next weeks leading up to BH?

    Any help gratefully received.

  • I emailed them as well and got the final details next day (after an 'out of office' replay that said Anita was tied up with the Beer festival!). Odd that quite a few of us didn't get them. Wonder if it's somehow related to entering via RW site, rather than the Eastbourne one.

    Only one way to do Beachy IMHO - start slow, get slower, stop where it says Finish. And eat lots on the way round. Talk to everybody. Have a cream tea at Exceat.....

  • it sounds like they didn't email anyone tbh.

    i'm looking forward to eating my way round. no stupid gels or powerade to rot my guts. just cakes and buns. i'm going to take one SIS caffeine gel as they are realitvely easy too consume and don't hit my stomach like a rock and use it for the last 10k.

    qb- that sounds like exactly why i am doing this. enjoyable running with scenic views to numb the pain

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