Ironbridge Half Marathon

Hi just wondering if anyone has do this b4?
I have already done a half b4 but just wondering what this is like

Comments

  • I've run this twice and it's pretty tough! They change the route every few years but the last two years it's been slightly downhill for the first 7 miles into Ironbridge and then a monster hill at mile 8 followed by a steady climb back to the finish. It's nice and scenic though and you get to run over the iconic Ironbridge!

  • thanks for that, very useful image

    so at the gym what would you say would be best for the inclide ? just go i can get an idea what to use.

  • The hill at 8 miles. Anyone who has done Birmingham half, how does it compare with the hill at 10 miles?
  • I live there and have run it numerous times, Its a trail/road course and some of the paths used have recently been tarmaced or gravel laid. Its pretty flat if not biased to downhill up to the bridge (7miles). From there its all the way back to Telford town park along the Silkin Way. Its more up than flat but I wouldnt describe it as a monster hill but that depends where you live and how much hill running you do, and its not as sapping as the climb in the Birmingham Half. Support is good through Ironbridge but its fairly sparse and isolated for the rest of the route. Not a PB course due to the terrain. Water stations are usually paper cups which I personally hate and you dont get a t shirt unless you pay extra. I'm doing it this year as its on the doorstep and fits in with my Marathon training. Feel free to ask me more.

  • PS

    I train on most parts of the route all the time so I'm happy to fill in the gaps if your unsure of the route

  • Thank you for that. I just wanted a general idea. I'm all set to give it a go now. image
  • Hi Mark,

    Would you recommend road or trail trainers?

    Thanks

    Antz
  • I'd stick with road shoes, some of the paths can be a little muddy after rainfall but they are all quite firm and either have some Tarmac or paving on them now ... So on balance I'd wear roads shoes hope this helps
  • How muddy/slippery is the course at the moment as I have some trail trainers but prefer running races in my road trainers
  • It's wasn't to bad over the weekend, I've been working away the last 2 days but intend to run some of the course tonight, I'll keep you posted. There's always a few puddles this time of year but nothing to warrant trail shoes.
  • With the snow due early Saturday morning I would opt for the trail shoe as it will be very slippy and soaking wet as the thaw starts ... Rubbish time for bad weather
  • Think we need to follow the weather and hope for a quick thaw: I'll be bringing both trail and road shoes and decide on the day. Thanks for the advice Mark; any chance you can provide an update on Saturday evening please?
  • Just been down to one of the main off road bits and we have a good couple of inches of snow here. Its still snowing now and forecasts say it will continue for the next 24 hours or so. Its bitterly cold at just around -1 - 0 but the wind chill is more like -5 id estimate. If this doesnt clear by tomorrow afternoon I figure it will be to dangerous to consider running the race 

    Lets hope it warms up and rains a lot.

    I'll update tomorrow evening .... 

    As far as footwear - Skis or snow shoes at the moment.

  • There will be an update on their site tomorrow at 12 noon
  • 0900 Saturday



    No way is the course safe to run on. Still snowing at the moment.
  • The race is off. The organisers are trying to rearrange it for the14th April
  • Rightly so ... To dangerous.



    Just been up to my ankles in water on parts of it, not a pleasant way to run a race in such a nice part of the country.



    Well done Telford Harriers a very good decision.
  • I live 30 miles south. Some of the drifts here are over my head! A 5.5k run took me 42 minutes (great fun though). Even fell races have been cancelled this weekend.

  • Obviously disappointed but agree with the decision. Hope I'm able to do the rearranged date; apparently the 14th April clashes with another Town Park event so will probably not be that date.
  • Great shame but completely the right decision in the circumstances. I did a half marathon distance in Telford today and in places the snow was a foot deep and very soft underfoot. Just one of those things I guess, last year the race was in glorious blue sky sunshine on a warm spring day. Just hope I'll be free for the rescheduled event. I was going to run this one as an official Guinness witness for a local Firefighter who was going for the world record fastest half dressed in full fire kit ... gutted for him.

  • The race has been re-scheduled for this Sunday, all the details are on the website. Remember the clocks change
  • Hi Mark, how's the course looking; local to me some of the sheltered paths / trails are still frozen over in places; hopefully it's a bit better in Telford & Ironbridge.
  • Well I reckon we're on. I just run about 7 miles of the course and I would say that certainly around the Town Park and down to Madeley the route is 99% clear of snow and ice and what small pockets remain are down to light slush, not ice and not slippy.  I do think that further down, through Rough Park and on the old railway line on the far side of the river it'll be very wet and muddy, but who cares about that?  I'm not a race organiser but I'd be pretty confident for a green light announcement tomorrow.

  • I'm out of the country guys so I can't help this time round, have a great run though and I hope the weather is kind
  • Good luck to all taking part and enjoy. Sadly I've had to defer, but am looking forward to next year image
  • would it be better wearing trail shoes .

    I havent run the route before .

  • Half the route will be bone dry tarmac / grit paths... perfect for road shoes or race flats, but the other half is going to be pretty wet and muddy. You'd probably be ok though in none trail shoes, but be prepared for wet toes...

  • Yes it was a challenging run. Lots of mud, especially between miles 9 and 11, fallen trees to negogiate, which we warned about at the start and patches of ice. So decided to treat it as a 13.1 mile training run as I couldn't see me getting a decent time out of it. However one of my fellow runners from Sneyd Striders came in with a PB - his London Marathon training did him well and another of my fellow Striders finished 9th - first male 40 according to results, so they had a good day. Well done to the marshalls for standing out in the cold, cheering everyone on and making sure the run was well organised. Hopefully better weather next year when I can get close to 1:45, even with the monster of an hill at 8 miles !!!!

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