Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon

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Comments

  • I've got the food before races sorted now but still can't master drinking - whatever I do I'm always busting five mins before start time!
  • PG3PG3 ✭✭✭

    I am planning to go with the 2.10 pacer also.  Look out for the fat girl who hasn't done much training!

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    @Johnny - That's completely normal unfortuantely! Most people will be bursting regardless if they've been or not. It's part of the nerves. The question is - does the need to pee go after a few miles? That will be the answer if you've really needed it.

    @Kathryn/Touie - Nothing wrong with toast! image I use to have 2 weetabix made with water and a banana over the top.

    @PipG - Don't be so negative! Everyone thinks that they've not done a lot of training but you can be sure that there is a person there who really has not done as much training as you image

    Has anyone picked up their race pack from Hyde Park? Is it relatively easy to do? Any tips for an efficient pick up?

  • I normally have a banana, then cereal.

    As I'll be travelling in for about an hour, I'll probably take a snack to have on the way tooimage

    I'd love to be able to follow the 2:10 pacer...image

  • Do the different zones equate to different expected times or is it run as a series of waves at the start?

    If the former, can anyone give me an idea as to what they might be ? (My number allows me to start in whichever group I fancy and I'd like it to be roughly the right one)

     

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    @Dicky M - it's waved start for different reasons and both that you mention. The nearer you are at the start - the quicker you'll set off and be expected to finish.

  • Thanks for your help Emmy - have a good run on Sunday

  • Good luck to everyone running this sunday, Ill be at the Yellow start (this is my first time and I can imagine i'll be walking for half of it)

    Have fun everyone!!!!

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    Hi all,

    I'll be logging off tonight. Good luck to everyone who runs on Sunday and have a great race! image

  • sleaversleaver ✭✭✭

    This is going to be only my third race/event and the biggest by far because previous to Sunday, the biggest has been 253. Therefore I'm looking for advice on what to do clothes wise before the start.

    It's October and so although it looks like it won't be raining, it's not exactly going to be a summers morning (if we even had any this year). So after dropping off my bag, I don't want to be waiting around for ages in just a t-shirt and shorts getting cold.

    So has anyone got advice on what to do between dropping of your bag, standing in the queue for the facilities, waiting in the starting funnels and walking to the line before starting to run to keep warm?

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    Hi Sleaver,

    Depends on how cold you get... for me - i'll wear a black bin bag if it's really cold. You cut three holes (2 for arms, one for your head) and then just discard it at the start... or just wear an old jumper and leave it behind. i find that when i'm waiting in the pens - i'm actually warm because of everyone's body heat.

  • Less than 24 hours to go - eek!

    Thanks for the pacer information. I don't think I'll be following the 2 hour pacer as that would mean taking nearly 4 minutes off my PB but who knows what can happen on the mostly flat route.

    Is it comulsory to wear the official t-shirt? Golden yellow isn't really my colour...image I might be a rebel and wear my club vest (Jade with black stripe & Brighton & Hove womens Running Club on the back)!

    I'll be having an afternoon kip today to make up for tomorrow's stupidly early start.

    Better remember to find an old top/jacket to wear as it's going to be a bit parky in the park before the race!

  • At the Park Run this morning (before the run) it was warm enough in a t-shirt if you stood in the sun.

    I'll probably try the same approach tomorrow.

    Good luck everyone tomorrow - enjoy your run imageimageimage

  • Hello everyone, looking forward to my first half marathon tomorrow! Can anyone who's done it before advise on how long the queues for the portaloos generally are?! I'm just trying to plan how long to allow to queue for image

  • Good luck FifiD. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

  • touie2touie2 ✭✭✭
    My bin bags already packed for the start!!! LOoking forward to it now the weather forecasts good!



    You don't need to wear the tshirt image
  • I'm a bit late to this party but only just seen thread. I'm in tomorrow! Really should be getting my stuff together and going to be, not surfing internet! Good luck to everyone running.

    Not sure how tomorrow will go, not really done enough training and I sprained my ankle three weeks ago falling 100m from the end of a 10k. Gonna bimble round and see what happens - I should be ok so long as I don't go over on the ankle again.

    Anne Solley (Clumsey) doubt you'lll see this, but I'll  be in a Brighton and Hove Women Running club vest too. Will look out for you. I certainly don't envy your early start up from Brighton! If I don;t see you, hope you have a good run.

  • Happy race day everyone!
  • I hope everyone enjoyed the race today.

    I totally loved the first 4 miles due to all the famous landmarks looking at their best in the sunshine. I raised a shout of Oggy Oggy Oggy under the bridge at Embankment (as happens at the GRN!) and did get a few people shouting replies. I guess it's not a tradition at the RP half (yet!)...

    I found miles 9-12 through Hyde Park quite tough as I was unable to judge my pace due to an erratic Garmin. Also messed up Garmin at the start so the distances were not quite right.

    I finished the race knowing I had probably taken a little bit of time off my PB but had to wait for the official text message to find out it was 55 seconds quicker. Woo hoo!! My finishing time was 2:03:01 image

     

  • Catalin - I didn't spot you, I'm afraid!

  • PG3PG3 ✭✭✭

    What a lovely day.  I followed the 2h10 pacers for a little bit but their pacing was all over the place (my friend said that same for the 2h pacer as well) so I went on my own.  2h6 so pretty pleased.  Lovely day, lovely race image

  • touie2touie2 ✭✭✭
    I really enjoyed today it was really well organised and perfect weather! I didn't use a pacer as I was inbetween their pace times! I use the average pace on my gps to pace myself and that works pretty well when the actual pace is fluctuating all over the place!!!
  • StiltsStilts ✭✭✭
    Perfect weather and the first half of the race flew by knowing I would see my kids and partner in Hyde Park then it was as tho my body said - what - you want to carry on running??? Finally staggered over the line in 2h22 and most of Hyde Park is one long blur lol - must do better next time!!
  • Doing a half marathon undertrained = legs hurty! But realtively happy with 2:06:27, just 4 mins outside pb. Was a mission not to allow myself to stop and walk after 10 miles!

    Looked out for you Anne, but was pretty busy. Failed to spot (or hear) my Mum cheering me on twice! You must of been a little way ahead with your finish time. well done on a pb.

    PipG - you must have been in a similar place to me, I played overtakey with the 2:10 pacers - I passed them twice and them me once. I felt their pacing was eratic, but wasn't sure as my garmin was seriously out - beeping for mile markers 2 mins before I reached them - so I couldn't really trust the pace.

    IN all it was a good, well organised race. They even arranged for Big Ben to chime as I ran past! I do think it could have been better marshalledThe marshalls were very good at being supportive and cheering people on. But I foound there was a lot of people crossing the course, walking on the course, having their children stood on the course etc. Some of this could have been due to the lack of any managed crossing points. But there was a large group of supporters stood in front of the barriers 400m from the finish. With marshalls near by not asking them to move off the course.

  • Great race but can say the same thing I was getting cross that people kept walking across the course nearly causing me to trip up and people with bikes they need to advertise it more on ie on the news travel so people are away and can re route it's only for two hours. 2hrs 8 min aim happy
  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    @Catalin - I think we were together for a part of the course as Big Ben was chiming for me as well!

    @Jacky - they did say that the course is partly on public roads. I thought that the marshalls handled it really well (at least what i saw). They did shut the roads but it was for 1/2 day (the last finisher was over 4hrs).

    Well done to everyone! I thought that the pacers were off but wasnt sure as my pace was a little fast at the start. I thought that they had everything right... except the finish. When I got through everything - the queue to get out was amazingly long. Also, what was the harm of putting benches or chairs down for runners? The ground was so muddy - and there were only a few deckchairs. I'd also appreciate adding in showers/changing facilities but that would be a bonus.

  • I enjoyed the race yesterday.  A beautiful day for a run.  Well done everyone for getting round.

    I too started a bit too quick and felt it in the last couple of miles, but was pleased to finish in 2:15.  Hope everyone is not too sore this morning.image

  • A bit of a fail for me, went off too fast esp as I was undertrained. Miles 10 -13 felt exactly like miles 22 - 26 in marathon. I didn't stop though so I am pleased with that.



    At the risk of sounding like a total grandad I found the number of people wearing headphones in this race absolutely staggering. I train with an ipod and enjoy doing so but never race with one as I like to soak up the atmosphere and hopefully snatch the occasional chat. I really don't understand why so many people don't feel the same way - with headphones you are locked into your own world, you may as well be on a practice run really. Headphone runners lack spatial awareness of other runners and it's actually quite insulting to the spectators (and matshalls) too - what's the point of them turning up to cheer people on if half the runners are zoned out listening to Titanium or something. Anyway rant over, had to get it off my chest. Love to all.
  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭
    Johnny2323 wrote (see)

    At the risk of sounding like a total grandad I found the number of people wearing headphones in this race absolutely staggering. I train with an ipod and enjoy doing so but never race with one as I like to soak up the atmosphere and hopefully snatch the occasional chat. I really don't understand why so many people don't feel the same way - with headphones you are locked into your own world, you may as well be on a practice run really. Headphone runners lack spatial awareness of other runners and it's actually quite insulting to the spectators (and matshalls) too - what's the point of them turning up to cheer people on if half the runners are zoned out listening to Titanium or something. Anyway rant over, had to get it off my chest. Love to all.

    I am *so* glad someone else raised this. I was utterly amazed at how many people had ipods yesterday. I normally chat to people along the route but people with their headphones in just seemed to completely ignore everything that was going on. Why run a race if you can't absorb the atmosphere and support from the crowd? No wonder at some points the crowd stopped cheering -they wouldnt have heard it anyway! 

    It just appeared a tad unfriendly to me. I'll get off my soapbox now....

  • Picking up on your point Johnny, I did find the atmosphere yesterday was amazing.  There was one point in particular, just as you come back into Hyde Park at about 6 miles, where you're met with a wall of noise!  It was brilliant!!

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