The hill going up kensignton road is .35 m with the down hill part on selly park road being .3 m. The uphill isn't too bad especially being early in the route .
Agree with those figures, MG1. I went out and did the full route with the Selly Park triangle and found the incline on Kensington Road pretty easy (there's an energy drink station just before it, fill your boots!) and found the descent on Selly Park Road pretty easy to charge down.
The Charlotte Road hill later in Edgbaston really kicked my arse today. I wasn't prepared for how warm it was and ended up quite dehydrated by that stage.
I did this race last year and that final hill is really tough. My advice is to take advantage of the downhill start and do a quick first mile.
A bit off-topic but what are everyone's fuelling strategies for half marathons? There are plenty of Powerade stations around the route but will taking advantage of these help much over this distance? I'm aiming for under 1:25 and on my training runs (up to 16 miles) I don't use any fluids or gels etc.
Good luck everyone! If this is your first Great Brum Run you will love it. Fantastic support, especially at the finish and apart from the sting in the tail it's almost completely flat.
Bournemouth- yes just looking at profile. I am aiming for 1.25-1.26 and thinking i need to see 6.30 ish ave on the garmin at circa 9 miles to take acct of pace drop off.
I train with nothing also up to 16 miles and only intend taking on water at maybe 2 points in the race.
Unless I'm being daft, there used to be two Powerade stations on the course but the updated map only shows one just after mile 8 in Cannon Hill Park?
The last couple of years, there was a Powerade station at around mile 4. If you were lucky passing through at mile 7 and if the other side of the road was clear of runners, you'd get another unofficial Powerade station thanks to the volunteers shuttling bottles back and forth to you.
I'm planning on taking just a bit of water at each water station (more for my head) and will take a gel for a boost if needed.
i find energy as such quite disgusting. I have never had the need to use them however was given a few high 5 isogel which i tried. They were much better, closer to drinking a isotonic sports drink.
By the sounds of it there are 2 energy drink stations so question whether you need any? If you feel you like to have one just in case then just a decent cycling or running shop will stock them.
LF - usually see them online, Wiggle etc, alternatively if you're ever in Brum city centre I 'think' Evans bike shop which is shared with a running shop sells them
Lotus Flower-i use sis isotonic,they tend to be around £1.30ish each, but try them first as different brands agree with different people,ive just got 30 in 5 flavours from ebay for under £30-bargain!
As for the hill,yes its tough, but a good feeling when you get to the top,if youve been doing hill training you'll be fine and its great passing people who havnt done any
Received my race pack today and I'm in the orange wave. It appears that they are sending them out one wave at a time because I can only see orange bibs all over social media at the moment.
The race pack also confirms that there's only one energy drink station now at around mile 8 in Cannon Hill Park. Make sure you're well carbed up!
Mrandyyu ahh good, they are definitely being sent out as we speak then!
One at mile 8? That is just the energy station though isn't it, it is not the only drink station surely, I hope there will be other water stations along the way, I flake really badly if I don't take in enough fluid. Good job I have my trust doughnut bottle haha
I dont mind them, though I did get caught out at gnr-there was a bloke stood with the other people handing out jelly babies, and I though "yeah, ill have a few", little did I know he had a handful of vaseline lol
Comments
Oooooooh, toughie!
How long does it go on at that level? It looks like pretty much the whole mile.
DT19 it lasts for around 2000m
5% gradient.
MG1, what the whole hill is just 0.4m long, or is there another part to it a little further on?
How long is the hill at mile 10, do you know?
Agree with those figures, MG1. I went out and did the full route with the Selly Park triangle and found the incline on Kensington Road pretty easy (there's an energy drink station just before it, fill your boots!) and found the descent on Selly Park Road pretty easy to charge down.
The Charlotte Road hill later in Edgbaston really kicked my arse today. I wasn't prepared for how warm it was and ended up quite dehydrated by that stage.
I did this race last year and that final hill is really tough. My advice is to take advantage of the downhill start and do a quick first mile.
A bit off-topic but what are everyone's fuelling strategies for half marathons? There are plenty of Powerade stations around the route but will taking advantage of these help much over this distance? I'm aiming for under 1:25 and on my training runs (up to 16 miles) I don't use any fluids or gels etc.
Good luck everyone! If this is your first Great Brum Run you will love it. Fantastic support, especially at the finish and apart from the sting in the tail it's almost completely flat.
Bournemouth- yes just looking at profile. I am aiming for 1.25-1.26 and thinking i need to see 6.30 ish ave on the garmin at circa 9 miles to take acct of pace drop off.
I train with nothing also up to 16 miles and only intend taking on water at maybe 2 points in the race.
Unless I'm being daft, there used to be two Powerade stations on the course but the updated map only shows one just after mile 8 in Cannon Hill Park?
The last couple of years, there was a Powerade station at around mile 4. If you were lucky passing through at mile 7 and if the other side of the road was clear of runners, you'd get another unofficial Powerade station thanks to the volunteers shuttling bottles back and forth to you.
I'm planning on taking just a bit of water at each water station (more for my head) and will take a gel for a boost if needed.
I'm in - It'll be my first Gt Birmingham Run
Thanks for the parking tip about the NIA parking - I'll be driving up on the morning of the run
Where do you all buy your energy gels (if you buy them)? What sort of shops?
I have never used an energy gel before, but then again, I have never raced over 10k and I don't need them in those races.
i find energy as such quite disgusting. I have never had the need to use them however was given a few high 5 isogel which i tried. They were much better, closer to drinking a isotonic sports drink.
By the sounds of it there are 2 energy drink stations so question whether you need any? If you feel you like to have one just in case then just a decent cycling or running shop will stock them.
LF - usually see them online, Wiggle etc, alternatively if you're ever in Brum city centre I 'think' Evans bike shop which is shared with a running shop sells them
ahh thanks peoples!
Not sure I will get any mind, but was curious as to where I would be able to buy them.
AntL I had an email a couple of days ago, they said they were sending the packs out and should receive them by the end of the week.
Lotus Flower-i use sis isotonic,they tend to be around £1.30ish each, but try them first as different brands agree with different people,ive just got 30 in 5 flavours from ebay for under £30-bargain!
As for the hill,yes its tough, but a good feeling when you get to the top,if youve been doing hill training you'll be fine and its great passing people who havnt done any
Received my race pack today and I'm in the orange wave. It appears that they are sending them out one wave at a time because I can only see orange bibs all over social media at the moment.
The race pack also confirms that there's only one energy drink station now at around mile 8 in Cannon Hill Park. Make sure you're well carbed up!
hi Karl! Ahh thanks, going to try out a few within the coming week, many thanks!
Mrandyyu ahh good, they are definitely being sent out as we speak then!
One at mile 8? That is just the energy station though isn't it, it is not the only drink station surely, I hope there will be other water stations along the way, I flake really badly if I don't take in enough fluid. Good job I have my trust doughnut bottle haha
There are plenty of other water stations, but just one energy drink station (Powerade) this year. There used to be one at mile 4 and one at mile 8.
Bupa have set up a new thing called the Boost Zone at the top of the hill and will apparently be handing out jelly babies for everyone.
I prefer haribo....
ahh I see! Karl how dare you, jelly babies are yummy!!!! (I also like Haribo though)
Yes had mine and I'm orange.
I dont mind them, though I did get caught out at gnr-there was a bloke stood with the other people handing out jelly babies, and I though "yeah, ill have a few", little did I know he had a handful of vaseline lol
OMG!!! What he was doing that as a joke???
At first I thought so, but then I looked more closely and there quite a few doing it