Kent Roadrunner Marathon

Hello,

Who else is in?

I entered today. Sounds interesting - 17 laps. Going to be mentally tough, but it should make things easier in terms of spectators, distance from start/finish, fuelling/hydration and possible pit stops.

Any recommendations of acommodation in the area would be very welcome & any info on public transport too....thanks.

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Comments

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    Brilliant little race. I did it last yr. the 17 laps are great for pacing and there are tables near the start finish line where you can put your own drinks and gels etc. I think there are a couple of premier inns nearby if you are looking for cheap and cheerful accommodation.
  • Thanks Millsy - will look at the Premier Inns. Handy about the tables.

    Are you running it this year?

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    Not sure yet. For some reason I thought it was on the 8 th June which I cannot make.

    Now thinking I may enter but will have to check the diary.
  • Hope you can. Looking at the results from last year, I expect to finish about mid-field. Will be glad just to complete it regardless of time - for me this is as much of a mental battle and sticking two fingers up to recent health problems, to prove to myself I can run a marathon (have done 3 previously but times are slow)

    The 8th would have been difficult for me too - My mum's 59th and MIL's 60th!

  • this was possibly my favourite race of last year and I'm in again this time. the laps are just long enough and varied enough to not get boring but beware the hill at the end; it's not very steep on lap 1 but it's like climbing a mountain the 17th time around

    public transport is nice and easy to gravesend, 15 minutes on the train from london st pancras. 

    the premier inn by woodlands park is decent enough and ony about a mile from the race, I've never been in the one on hever court road but that's even closer to the track (further from the town centre though) or you've got the manor hotel more or less next door to that one, a bit more expensive but very nice with a pool and gym

  • I'm in - my first lap marathon, think I will find it a challenge image

     

  • I'm doing this again, was great last year,

    Just booked premier inn for ??35
  • HI all

    I'm doing this, it'll be my first marathon. Why am I doing this one? Well I'm local, most of my LSRs go passed the Cyclopark one way or the other. The old A2 is just 5 minutes run from my house. Secondly, if I run into any problems during the race help won't be very far away (not that I'm expecting any) and thirdly, my wife and kids can come and spend 5 hours sitting there watching me and the other runners go round and round. She'll be quite happy as there's a cafe and toilets on site!

    I'm really looking forward to it.

  • don't forget you can choose your own race number for this one. a nice little touch

  • Really looking forward to this one, its my first marathon for a few years so im a bit nervous, but living in Gravesend its great not to have an early start to get there! 

    Good luck to everyone im number 52 on the day.

  • Hi all, How do you know what your race number is for this race? Just curious, thanks.

    Gary - sounds a perfect reason to run this marathon to me - go for it!

    My family live approx 50 mins from the start (Staplehurst), so I'm considering booking a Premier Inn for the night before to be nearer the race start...otherwise I'll be up before 6am!

    Had my final Cross country race of the season yesterday, so can now spend weekends focusing on the LSR.

  • LTS, people only know their race number if they've requested a specific one. you can email the organisers or ask on the facebook discussion here http://www.facebook.com/tzruns26?ref=ts&fref=ts

  • Hello all! I'm the Race Director for the Kent Roadrunner Marathon.

    Thanks so much for all the lovely comments so far.

    We have MUCH bigger and better finishers' medals for this year's event. I'll be bold enough to say they're the biggest marathon medal in Europe in 2013 image

    Please ask anything you'd like here... We love the friendly atmosphere at the race -- the laps enhance that, and we'll answer anything we can here too! image

    Ian

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    Bigger medals? Last years one is already the biggest one on the mantelpiece!
  • Tiny request - if you are doing the Kent RR marathon would you please consider participating in my study which you can find on the Spring marathon thread as MSc Research Project requires marathon runners - no electrodes!

    It's about using a positively focused self-talk technique to increase your resilience and positive affect (that's the strong positive moods that you can control).

    It is straightforward and might just provide an additional tool to conquer the mental aspects of tackling a marathon. Drop me a line if you would like more details.

    Cheers.

  • Thanks TZ - really appreciate that. i'll need a sherpa to help me carry the finshers medal!  image

    The start time is 9am - can you recommend a time for us to gather at the start area? also what are parking facilities like at the venue?

    when will the race packs be sent out? Only asking because I now live in Swansea & will be travelling up to the South East on the thursday before the race.

     

    Is anyone else going to be catching a train from London? I'm half tempted to stay with my parents and get the train there - that way I wont have to worry about driving and will have my comfy bed to sleep in the night before. not sure how early the trains will start running but I'm guessing for a Saturday it would be 7am onwards. image

    Thanks!

    GTC - will take a look at that thread. Always happy to help research.

  • PG3PG3 ✭✭✭

    I did the race last year and there was plenty of parking right next to the start area.  There isnt much to do before the race so you don't need to be there with masses of time to spare, but it's just your personal choice.

    Last year I think we collected numbers on the day.

    Good luck!

  • PG3PG3 ✭✭✭

    Another thing (can't remember if I have already said this) but the course is quite twisty, turny and last year my garmin mapped it at 26.8 miles.  Others made it less than that, so I either made a mess of the turns or my garmin was a little dodgy, anyway it made my pacing and timing all out of sync.  Luckily I had printed off a few pace bands from the race website so I used these instead.

  • pip, you need to take the racing line more often. my garmin clocked it at 26.17 miles

     

    parking is fine. some of my family turned up at 11.30ish to watch the finish and still got in the carpark albeit at the far end

  • PG3PG3 ✭✭✭

    I thought I was doing really well taking the racing line. Clearly I was making a total balls up!

  • MillsyMillsy ✭✭✭
    My Garmin measured it spot on.



    Always rely on pace bands an mile/ lap markers for split times as I've known people miss out on PBs etc by using their Garmin.
  • Thanks all - wont be driving now, getting a taxi from Dartford, have booked a Travelodge for £25 today & arriving on the friday evening.

    Parents will be arriving from 11am  to support the latter half of the race & give me a lift home, so it is comforting to know there is plenty of parking.

    Definitely wont be aiming for a pb for this - will be glad to make it to the finish line - whether it takes me 3.5 or 5 hours! (am a middle distance runner so a marathon feels like an ultra!)

    hope everyone's training is going well image

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭
    Hi all, I'll be there! A looking forward to it!
  • Sorry for my delay in responding.

    The venue has its own private on site car park which is less than 50 metres walk from the Race HQ (itself only 50 metres from the start/finish line). The venue does charge £2  for all-day parking at the venue - something we cannot avoid.

    I would recommend arriving by 08:00am to ensure you collect your chip and number in good time. We won't close race registration until 10mins after the race begins, but clearly the earlier the better as the queue tends to peak at about 08:30.

    We won't be sending anything via the post. All communications are via the website and email.

    The course has been measured by a UKACM course measurer, using the racing line. My only Garmin 205/305 reads a lap as being "longer" than my 910XT, even when worn simultaneously around the lap.

    Please ask any more questions!

  • We're delighted to announce that we're paying professional race photographers at the 2013 Kent Roadrunner Marathon to capture your marathon moments and supply your race photos FREE OF CHARGE to you. Yes, pro-quality race photography, paid for by us.

    What's more you can win prizes through our showboating competition!

    http://www.kentroadrunner.com/news/showboaters.html

  • Thanks TZ - that's great. nothing worse than arriving late for a race & a last minute rush!

    Regarding the counting of the laps. My wrists are very small, so it might be a pain to wear all 16 wrist bands...would it be possible to request an official counts the laps for me? I have a plan B and C too - plan B would be my family counting laps for me & I'll also try & keep track in my head.

    £2 all day parking sounds reasonable.

    Cheers

  • LTS... I would love to offer officials to count laps, but realistically we just don't have the resources to do so.

     

    If you have a Garmin (or other stopwatch) then you can turn off "Auto Lap" and press the "Lap" button at the end of each lap. At the end of your first lap when you press "Lap" the display will show "Lap 1" and then "Lap 2", etc.. so when it says "Lap 16" you know you have just begun your final lap (assuming you have pressed it each time you crossed the line!).

     

    We have a live timing screen for our commentator to use, and if you can afford a few seconds to stop and ask then you can ask your lap number. Obviously it's not something we can guarantee as the timing screen may fail (eg if it rains heavily) and won't work if everybody stops to ask at once! But it's something of a fallback.


    One option would be to wear 8 bands, and take them off every OTHER lap, although that may be tricky to remember whether you're on an even or odd lap?!

    TZ

  • Hi all

    I took a reccy at the course this evening by running the Cyclopark 10k race. I'm glad I did as it's a little bit more undulating than I thought! If anybody is interested the course profile can be found in my Garmin log http://connect.garmin.com/activity/296180617

    Although this race wasn't organised by TZ I can confirm that the facilities are excellent, the race HQ was in a separate room and easily accessible, the changing rooms were first class, the cafe served a very nice latte and it was just the weather that let things down!

    I was very pleased as it's the first time I've managed 10k in under one hour, all this marathon training is having a good effect!

  • Thank you Gary. Although the 10k isn't one of our events we were at Cyclopark tonight, supporting and doing some practice photography in preparation for our marathon in June.



    Well done in your cracking time getting a new PB, great stuff!
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