leicester marathon 2013

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Comments

  • haha hopeless at tapering. I ran 4 and a bit miles tonight at 9 minute miles, when i'm going for over 10 minute miles in the race.

  • This was my first ever marathon in 2012 so I hold fond memories of it. When I do it Sunday it will be my 15th so I blame Leicester for giving me the bug!!

    Not expecting a great time as its my 5th in as many weeks but I will be hoping to beat last years time if possible.

    Best of luck everyone!!

  • Was my 1st last yearimage this is my third with I ultra. Hoping to knock at least 45m off last year 

  • I have previously done the Leicester Marathon twice, and the half once (as my first race). I used to work in the local running shop, so most of the competitors recognise me from there!

     

  • ...and the same from me!

    ...the weather doesn't look too clever for tomorrow morning - better that hot sun though.

  • looking forward to overcast and a few showersimage 

    see you all at the start line tomorrow, remember to get your running gear out today, and out the number on image do as much prep as pppossinle today so you aren't running around tomorrow.

    if anyone is running a perfectly even 4:20 something just put a big note on the back of your t shirts saying so and I'll follow you like a shadowimage

    dkn't screw your plans by going way to fast in the first rush of excitementimage

    i'm now off to completely mess my race up image

  • Eight minute miles until my legs fall off tomorrow is my plan image

  • I guess I will be defending my title of 9th lady tomorrow.  3.35.49 is what I have got to beat.  It is going to be a tough mark, since I have done two ultras in the past month. 

  • 3:30 speed merchant image

    good luck!!

  • Cheers booktrunk. 

  • Hehe go for it Benimage

    amazingly I can say well I've only done 1 ultra in the last monthimage

  • Think I should run in a swimming costume tomorrow. It looks a little in the damp side image

  • OK, I finished in about 3.50.  Not the PB I was hoping for, but I find it strangely comforting that I can have a bad day and still pull 3.50 in a marathon. 

    This event has been consistently well run over the last few years, but this year there is something I have to pull them up for.  This year the University sports facilities were not open to the runners as they have been in previous years.  This caused considerable congestion in the lines for the portaloos, and resulted in many people having to make an early pit stop.  It might be the case that the university imposed this on the race organisers, but I feel that it should have been mentioned in the race letter.  

    This oversight should not define the race this year.  The organisation was pretty smooth from the start line to the finish, and the event has an amazing team of volunteers and marshals working for them.  Overall we are lucky to have an event such as this in out city, as many cities with much larger populations do not have a major city marathon.  Nice medal this year by the way!

    My final post race ritual after this race is to walk from the finish line to the bus station, along the route of the race.  This is worth doing as it allows you to watch the remaining runners coming in to the finish, witness their personal dramas unfold, and offer them such encouragement as you can. 

  • Hi Ben.

    PB for me again 4:36;58 according to Garmin.  So need to wait for the official time image Over the moon quite hard in the rain etc... but very happy to have knocked another 19 minutes off my PB.

    I didn't know the uni facilities had been available before i guess that's why the loo queues were qute long, but I got sorted in time image

     

     

  • Well done on the PB, especially coming so close to the Ladybower 50, and with the spectre of injury. Given what I understand about your running history, I think you might have a sub 4 in you in the next couple of years.

  • Hope so. image

     

    thanks for for the encouragement Ben image

  • Ooops it appears the rain has got to the chip timing system and it's broke! It's not pretty on leics maras facebook page. 

  • Indeed. 

    They are getting a lot of flak for it, but I would recommend that we wait for the full facts to emerge before we make our final judgment. 

  • I thought it was strange they were taking numbers and times at the finishing line. 

     

    Great marshalling though, very encouraging.

  • Yeah they must have worked out it was going wrong, as my OH when I told him said he thought that he saw someone writing down the times of the finishers when he was waiting for me.

    Also the commentator on the PA was clearly stating everyones number, I wonder if that was to help them out image

  • I like it as  a race, so I hope it doesn't have any long term reprecussions with running it. I'll be back next year, but I must admit i'm going to give my Garmin time as my PB not clock time if that's down as my official time image as it's my PB.

  • Bit frustrating that my first marathon is without an official time as yet. They've posted gun times for the first 100 half marathon runners but I really want a chip time as my garmin registered below 3hrs 45min and my nike+ bang on 3.45! To me, it makes a big difference if I was over or under 3.45. My aim was sub 4hrs and my dream was sub 3.45. It's only a matter of seconds but it'll mean the world to me if I was indeed sub 3.45! 

     

    Otherwise, the weather was awful but still great to see people out on the route making the effort to cheer us on! A HUGE thankyou to all the marshals and volunteers! It really can't have been pleasant for them, standing around in such conditions. 

     

    And to the person who shouted at me when I stopped and crouched down in Abbey park! not sure if I could carry on... THANKYOU! 

     

    My husband and friends, you were there right when I needed you! You are all awesome too! 

     

    Still can't believe I did it! My journey, from Couch to 5k, October 2011 to this, October 2013! Think I might cry again...

  • Unit: Realistically I don't think you are going to ever get a chip time. I think the chip system just didn't work / broke uless they reset it part way through and it's got some slower runner chip times... But i'd have though if they had it, they would have published them and then said we are working on those without chips.. So I doubt we will ever get chip times.  Annoying, but it doesn't take away from your achievement.  You've still run a 3:44:55 to 3:45:05 marathon on your first outing which is bloody amazing image

  • could make the difference for a GFA place though for London....it its on gun time no chance of her getting it.....

    obviously no Knowledge of Unit age so might be talking out my arse

  • I ran it yesterday after having to abort GFA aim at Chester last week, so ran it easy as just wanted to finish (4:04). However had I raced it with aim to do my sub 3:45, I'd be livid today had I got it on watch but no official time. I know shit happens but the system they had for the chips was diabolical. I have a feeling once it become known lots of runners were losing theirs, they stopped the timing as it would have been easier to do that.
  • KerlKerl ✭✭✭

    Some people lost their chips? How did that happen?

    I thought that chips on the back of numbers was pretty normal these days?

  • had a chip on my number last weekend....seems easier now ...but i suppose some companies bought loads of the big old fashioned type and don't want to give them up

  • I can't understand why there are so many different types of chip.  Round your ankle, soft magnetic strip around your laces, hard thing round your laces, soft magnetic on the back of your bib.  This one yesterday was another new one for me. A blue box about the size of the matchbox suspended inside a plastic bag stuck on the reverse of the bib...  Is that the recommended way of fastening that thing?    Has anyone ever seen it used before?

    I think it brave of the organisers to come out so soon on their website and say "Oops, sorry we have no results.  Hope that's ok."  But they've also quickly given some people some results.  Even if that is just (so far) 100 out of the 4000+ they were expecting to race.  I'm sure there will be more.  It seems they were quick (at the time) to think 'Shit, we need to go to plan B" and get their pencil and paper out as well as that funny plastic cover thing.  This deserves some credit.

    As for the race itself, it was pretty tough but a different sort of challenge to usual.  Rain throughout, cold and a moderate wind.  Easily the worst weather of my c.20 marathons.  I'll certainly remember this one.  Also, the marshals behaved like the weather was what we had last week in Chester: they were all fantastic.  I especially valued the chap popping up in several locations shouting out placings.  Very useful as currently the only thing I have to go on...

  • Well that chip doesn't sound like its the future.



    I know there was a local 10k who had a different type of chip on the back of the number and to read it - the timers had arranged a network of cables in the air - just before the finish ? And they'd backed it up with a bloke with a ping pong bat. (seemed very random to have chip times not being quite the finishing time. Whats the point ?)



    Dont think it worked properly as theyve gone to the foil ones on the numbers with the sensors on the ground. Works perfectly.
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