Oxford Half Marathon

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  • hi, guess i must have just missed the 9 mile marker then, i guess it was somewhere along the river bank? Didnt make a difference at all as you said. By the way, thanks so much for you pacing on Sunday bedders, really helped me run the race in the right way, and allowed me to knock 3 1/2 minutes off my pb. Yeah, i agree the course was really nice, just think the way they organized the finish could have been slightly different, I guess this will get better every year too

  • well done Dave great result - I was worried I dropped you in the last mile but you came good in the end and sailed through. You were great company - may see you in London!  

  • I too took part in the Oxford half at the weekend - it all seemed pretty good, but I missed quite a few of the mile markers (including 8 & 9) as well, perhaps they could be better placed.

    It was a really good day out; I loved the balloons on the pace makers - made them very easy to spot, the atmosphere was great and I really enjoyed the route into town and along the river (even though I kept getting stuck behind slower runners on the narrower paths!). Thanks to all involved with organising/supporting and pace making image

    Not sure about the route out of the car park though - it's a bit troublesome having to leave via the route everyone's running on. Not a huge deal right now, but if the event gets bigger it could cause a lot of problems!

    Also interested to find out if any pictures will become available of the event - I've seen the Oxford Mail's picture page, but this is just thousands of images dumped on the site with no way of searching them ... will the pics appear on marathon-photos.com I wonder?

  • I thought that they spoiled the whole race with the chaotic bag drop arrangements. It would have been an unmitigated disaster if the weather had been worse. As it was it is unacceptable that it takes 45 minutes plus to retrieve your baggage after a race. Of the 600 plus races I've run (including big city marathons) the baggage arrangements at Oxford were easily the most disorganised and poorly planned.

  • I am sure the guys at OHM are kicking themselves for the chaotic scenes at the end with the T shirt give out and the bag hand out being as it was. However, for me it didn't distract from a great race and if they get those things sorted (and a few others I mention above) then for next year it will be a cracker.

    If anyone from OHM is reading this thread it would be good to hear what you think.  

  • i take it you won't be returning for 2013 then A J Brooks. thank god the weather was good else you may have self combust image On a serious note though i can understand how that may have been frustrating, i left my kit in the car thankfully. What exactly was the delay, not enough manpower to re-issue the bags?

  • Hate to say it but I thought the Oxford Half was the most chaotic I've run in, (about 30 or so since the 1980's). I ran last year and was one of the hundreds who couldn't get within miles of the stadium. I think last year the start was delayed by at least 15 minutes? Really annoying when you're trying to warm up and mentally prepare. I had to walk and run nearly a mile just to get to the start and that's after jumping the queue on the dual carriageway. Hey!, no worries, it was the first year and mistakes happen. But, it did annoy a few people on the start line when the organiser said, "We're really sorry, but due to circumstances beyond our control, some of you haven't been able to get here on time".

    This year, 2013? Having passed on my concerns this year to the organisers (hoping to help, not criticise) and being told that the parking and access issues had been addressed, I was gutted to see that the traffic queue had already started at Sainsburys (about 1.5 miles/ 2 miles away?). The organisers had specified parking options but had obviously not addressed the issue. I knew the short cuts so I could get past the traffic, no problem, but so many people were upset, families split up and runners' preparations spoiled. The start was delayed again, this year by only about 12 minutes. I just feel really sorry for people who were worse off than me or those who even had to turn back, thinking that they had missed the start.

    Mile markers missing or difficult to see? Yes, but not too serious compared to the start access. The additional queues at the finish though were really annoying. I just wanted to get out of there, but hundreds of us were crushed into a mess up, not knowing what we were being given and having to go back to get medals, hideous when you're cold, knackered and sweaty.

    I never complain, but when this event cost me £33, you can't help feeling that the organisers are taking the p.ss, especially when you read their self congtatulatory press release after the event. I'll give anyone a chance to get it right the first time, but having a mess up second time round, with a stadium, traffic management consultants, the lot, I have no sympathy if the organisers lose their contract to run it next year. Have they taken down negative Facebook reviews? I'm going to put something 'constructive' on it now.

    Am I alone with my feelings of frustration? Quite a few people were worse than me!

     

     

  • That's no surprise, my comment on the Oxford Half Marathon Facebook page has now been deleted. How many other negative comments have been deleted? What a shame they can't handle criticism and just keep sending out PR.

    Anyhow, on a positive note, it's the Stroud Half Marathon on Sunday. Can't wait, brilliantly organised and less than half the price.

  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    hi folks,

    didn't run this one, but being local kept a keen eye on it. I noticed a pal's entry on power of 10 listed this as a HM NAD (near as damm)

    apparently, some of the course was off road so it can't count in the road rankings section! How much was offroad then?

    that would be annoying if you'd really targetted this one for a ranking.

  • Really? If there was an offroad section, I must have been running a different race. There was a bit through a park which was kind of trail, and a part running down the Thames path. Not sure if that officially counts as offload
  • On the PO10 it isn't a recognized PB race, I think it's due the course not being officially measured hence the NAD.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭

    yet the site apparently says it has a license, and power of 10 list it in their results.

    Either way it seems a bodge job.

    One sign of a shortie, is most people getting pbs...is that the general feel for this one?

  • No the course did measure correct, on my Garmin anyway.
  • Four of us did Oxford this year and really enjoyed it.  The course was 'fair' and we arrived early so had no problems with parking.  The baggage situation was a pain and the goodybag/medal/tshirt bit got a bit chaotic but it wouldnt stop us from entering again next year.  Compared to the Great North (which I didnt really enjoy) it was a great morning.

  • It's a shame for those that PB'd if PO10 don't count it as the course was correct, bearing in mind it's only in its 2nd year and the field doubled in size this year you were always going to get issues, big city races take more than 2 attempts to run like clockwork, all in all it was a good event which will only grow and improve and that is a good thing!
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