Hi all hope the trainings going well. I have family coming down to watch me do the London Marathon this year, I'm hoping they can get to view me and 2 other family members running it at 2 spots, 1 obviously being the finish line.
I estimate I will take about 5 hours due to an Achilles heel injury that's destroyed my training schedule but its for charity so im still doing it.
Ideally somewhere halfway then near the finish, I think last time they were near the statues outside parliament but think this time they'd like to be near the mall bit down there.
Any help from you experts is appreciated thanks.
Comments
Quite difficult to get onto the Mall itself as it's mainly Grandstands? If you're on a golden bond place your charity might have grandstand tickets you could have?
Jubilee Line is pretty good for movng around on the day - they could do Canary Wharf at mile 15/19 and then head to Westminster for mile 24/25. Then it's not too difficult for thm to cut through to the meet and greet area at the end.
my husband and mum did what Gladrags said last year. They managed to see me at the start, about 5-6 miles in Greenwich as our hotel was there, around Mudchute and then at Westminster before going to the meet and greet bit. They managed all that using the DLR and tube. They stopped at the hotel for a coffee and watched the race on TV as they had a bit of a wait in the middle but didn't find it too difficult.
Yes, unless you have charity connection you can't spectate at the finish line. The turn just before the Mall is the closest you are going to get.
Other than that it's easy to move between points on the course - as long as you don't choose distances that you can cover quicker on foot than they can by tube. Start/midway/finish is doable on the DLR and Jubilee Lines.
Last time I ran my family did Bermondsey, Canary Wharf and Birdcage Walk.
The magazine usually has a map with nearby tubes (and pubs!) on it. It's pretty useful.
Have you checked through your VLM family thread from last year. There were many suggestions put forward, some of which I used for my spectators. Seems like you are likely to receive similar answers as the route is the same
ta daaaah !
Watch it on telly?
But if they watch it on telly they won't be able to see me/us/OP! There is a reason my relatives are coming to watch (and it's not just to see with their own eyes that I am actually doing it)
I have a similar dilemma as my partner will be with her mum who is in her 70s and 8 year old daughter. We are staying in travelodge in Greenwich (near Deptford Bridge), so I was thinking either overground tube to Canada Water then jubilee to Canary Wharf then jubilee to westminster or somewhere to meet me; or overground/DLR to Shadwell and just hang round there till see me twice...then god knows where to meet me. Not sure which of these is best. Is it real crowded round Canary Wharf these days, and also round the halfway point?
cougie I thought this sounded very familiar
15W - my friends went to Shadwell last year and saw me run past twice (though I didn't see them). The spectators cross the road, and as you're quite fast, they'll be able to get over there while more of the crowd is still on the slower side. But my family waited at Blackfriars (just after the tunnel) - they only saw me once but I could see them too, they'd seen the elite races, they got some great photos, and got to Horseguards in plenty of time to meet me. So I'd recommend that.
Oh. Ok. Another option! Thanks Lit.
Thanks for that.