Pharmalink Maidenhead Half Marathon

Looking forward to running this one for the third time. Hope the initial underpass bottleneck has been sorted some how. Perhaps a narrow start line to reduce the flow of runners?
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Comments

  • Also-ranAlso-ran ✭✭✭

    Luckily I missed any holdups at the underpass last year. I'm wondering what sort of numbers will be running this year. I ran Burnham Beeches HM today and the turnout was a little over 50% of last year. I'm not sure why that was - maybe it is because Maidenhead HM is a bit closer this year.

  • I was assuming it would be popular as it was featured in Runners World as highly ranked if you are chasing a PB

  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭
    Also-ran wrote (see)

    Luckily I missed any holdups at the underpass last year. I'm wondering what sort of numbers will be running this year. I ran Burnham Beeches HM today and the turnout was a little over 50% of last year. I'm not sure why that was - maybe it is because Maidenhead HM is a bit closer this year.

    That's interesting. They brought the BBHM forward by half an hour this year, which made it touch-and-go getting there in time for those of us taking the train. In fact the train from Reading was cancelled and there were several of us there who lost out. They also didn't list it on RW this year.

  • Also-ranAlso-ran ✭✭✭

    Ouch Muttey - hopefully you were going to be paying on the day so you didn't lose the race fee as well?

  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭

    Nope, full race fee lost. I entered automatically ages ago and only later realized they'd shifted the start time. One of my favourite events but I'll give it a miss from now on. The train times are just too tight, slightest delay and you're done for. Like yesterday. Oh well.

  • Paul T.

    Third time for me also, and although a slowcoach, am looking forward to it.

    With regard to the underpass, your solution may well help. I'm sure that Chris and Calire at P.P will have given it a considerable amount of thought (okay, I'm a member of P.P.) But perhaps any major change would have siginficant knock on effects further on the course. Perhaps it's a bit of a compromise to preserve what I think is a very attractive route. In a perfect world, the underpass would appear at maybe three miles or so, when the field has stretched out, but I think that would require a complete revamp of the course. Good Luck everybody.

  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭

    I've just signed up for this one. I hope I don't have the same problem with trains being cancelled image

  • JohnasJohnas ✭✭✭

    3rd year for me too and the first year I actually get to 'race' it rather than using it as an MP long run. Looking forward to it image

  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭

    Ah yes, the old "I was only doing it as an LSR" excuse ... image

  • JohnasJohnas ✭✭✭

    hahha... haven't completely rule it out yet... will decide at mile 13image

  • Looks like the weather will break for this one. Good. I'm not a fan of racing in heatwaves, give me cool breezes and overcast skies.

  • I tried running through the High Street today. They are currently working hard to put  Maidenhead High street back together as it is currently being resurfaced and is a total shambles.

    Don't worry, I gave then hell and told them to crack on and finish it before they knock off for the day. So I've sorted the course, and Muttley has sorted the weather. Should be a good one.

  • Also-ran wrote (see)

     They are currently working hard to put  Maidenhead High street back together

    If only they could do that with the town in general. it's become such a dive in recent years. fingers crossed CrossRail brings back some of it's former glory

  • Very true Johnas, it has been on a steady decline since I moved to Maidenhead about 12 years ago      ........ will leave a gap open for some ribbing image

  • funny... it more or less co-ordinates for when I moved away!image

  • Good luck everyone for tomorrow,im just gonna hurdle that barrier in the underpass !image

  • Barriers are already down! High steet 'repaired', Good luck!

  • The race was great, no bottlenecks but what were they thinking with those new road markers? Organisers - there is nothing wrong with a fluorescent yellow sign with the distance clearly marked, positioned on the ground. Sticking them up in trees and having them look like the parking signs doesn't make them easy to spot. 

  • Vanessa, are you saying there were mile markers? I didn't see any and I paced it pathetically as my gps was playing up. Maybe I am colour blind image My wife said she was stood near on and when she described it to me, it didn't sound like a typical distance marker. Oh bugger - I will blame the 12 seconds I missed out on my time on the markers image

  • I had no problem with the markers. They were perfectly visible to me in both km and miles. But then, I run slow enough to be able to read them at my leisure.

    I enjoyed this one and did a decent time. But although courses with lots of flat and straight bits are good for a pb they're also a bit hard on the legs because of the lack of variety. For me, anyway.

    A nice day out!

  •  I agree with Muttley , the markers were fine. Just didn't like the course only my opinion but it was to flat much prefer Burnham Beeches half more of a test with better facilities at the end.

  • My pb course is Henley. Which has an enormous hill. Does this mean I'm weird?

  • Mile and km markers very clear for me. Plus no walking needed at the early underpass. Thanks pp.
  • I missed a couple of mile markers but tbh that often happens regardless of colour.  Once I'd spotted the first one and noted the style the rest were obvious, although not sure I wanted mile AND km markers... but just mho.  I also liked the route - long stretches of road allowed you to get into a good rhythm, but again it depends what you want out of it - a PB or to be distracted from the miles you're running!

    "provisional results courtesy of the maidenhead advertiser" are out - linked from the race page on PP site (I don't appear to be able to post links).  I'm not 100% sure of my time, but it looks like the times are Gun to Chip finish to me (rather than chip to chip) - I'm showing about 15-20 seconds slower than I thought.  Anyone else know otherwise?

  • I didn't see a single mile marker, but then I wasn't wearing my specs!  That combined with a total garmin failure led to an interesting race.

    Never mind, lesson learn't. Managed to bag the quickest local male prize running blind!image

  • Great run but I realised afterwards that it isn't UKA licensed, which I suspect means my sub 75 min time won't be good enough for Championship entry to London... really annoying if so!

  • No problem with the mile markers.  Indeed given there were markers every mile, every km and we went around much of the course twice, then we must have passed about 50 of them!  That's a lot to miss!!

  • It is still making me laugh that I missed EVERY SINGLE ONE, even the one my wife was standing next to.image

    I guess I should have gone to specsavers.

  • times look funny to me. It took me a couple of minutes to cross the start line as i began near the back, I hit the start button on my watch as i crossed uner the arch and stop at the arch coming back. I am thinking the time listed is gun to chip.

    I thought the markers were excellent, underpass was no problem.

    If I have a gripe it is that there were a couple of runners who ran at a smilar pace to me for much of it and left a trail of litter as they went round. Come on guys, we are guests of the town so show some respect and keep your litter until you see a bin.

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