Liverpool Rock n Roll Marathon

rodeofliprodeoflip ✭✭✭

Due to my abject failure to get a GFA time in three attempts so far this year, I'm thinking about entering this race as a last chance (despite having run Edinburgh just two weeks before).

Does anyone have any recommendations about this race? Is it as hilly as it's made out to be?

Comments

  • BookyBooky ✭✭✭

    I've done the half, my husband has done the full. I'll ask him once I'm home and get him to reply image 

    The second half of the course is mostly the same route as the half distance though, and I'd not call it hilly. There are some inclines, but nothing too challenging. It's all relative though - it depends on what you're used to. 

    In case you not seen the elevation profile:

    http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/366929925

  • rodeofliprodeoflip ✭✭✭

    Thanks a lot, apprciate the respone - my main motivation is to try to get GFA while the window for London qualification is open, but I'll be on tired legs, so I'm a bit worried about the hills. Thanks for the map & profile, though - it looks hilly but not too bad - any feedback is useful! image

  • GavoGavo ✭✭✭

    Well a mara in Liverpool is never going to be flat - I think Manchester advertises itself as a flat one if you want an alternative.  One of the other factors in the Liverpool race could be crosswinds in the last 4 miles but you're not going to know that until the day.

    I don't know Mossley Hill (last incline up to around 20m) particularly well but the other hills aren't too bad IMHO.  Upper Parl St (around 12m) can be a bit sharp but it's not too long.

    The profile on the website might look a bit harsh but the distances are all in feet not metres.  I'll be running this year (didn't do it last year - in the hope that the organisers made all their mistakes then & learnt from them) but have done a few races in Liverpool over the years & the hills should be fine.

  • GavoGavo ✭✭✭

    Well a mara in Liverpool is never going to be flat - I think Manchester advertises itself as a flat one if you want an alternative.  One of the other factors in the Liverpool race could be crosswinds in the last 4 miles but you're not going to know that until the day.

    I don't know Mossley Hill (last incline up to around 20m) particularly well but the other hills aren't too bad IMHO.  Upper Parl St (around 12m) can be a bit sharp but it's not too long.

    The profile on the website might look a bit harsh but the distances are all in feet not metres.  I'll be running this year (didn't do it last year - in the hope that the organisers made all their mistakes then & learnt from them) but have done a few races in Liverpool over the years & the hills should be fine.

  • GavoGavo ✭✭✭

    Sorry, no idea why that posted twice.  Don't know if anyone from RW Towers can delete it (and this)?

  • ADGADG ✭✭✭

    did it last year and got a pb, it's a great race with some very enthusiastic pacers, and some great views, runners stop and get pictures of the views at one point, last year there was plenty of room and luckily last year the mersey was ice flat so no wind a the last mile or so, the finish area is probably the best I've seen,you go into the arena for your goody bag and it's lovely and cool you can sit on the seats and chill out before climbing the steps and out into the open and a free pint of beer. The farm were playing last year, this year it's Marc Almond. Other marathons should learn from this one. Last year was quiet due to being on the same day as Edinburgh so be interesting to see how busy it is this year, I'm not doing it due to work.

  • Did it last year and enjoyed it. The hills aren't that bad. Nice and flat for the last couple of miles on the riverfront. As mentioned by ADG the finish area is great.

    I'm doing it this year too - think it will be better but I'm a bit worried about the predicted heatwave especially with a 10am start image

  • Gavo has a good point - its normally a headwind on that last stretch along the river very rarely a tail wind. If it is windy - find a big bloke to act as a windbreak !
  • rodeofliprodeoflip ✭✭✭

    Thanks for the comments guys! I did the BTR half a few years back so I know about the last few miles along the riverside, it's the hills which have me worried. Nice to know that "they're not that bad", in my experience the hills are never as bad as they're made out to be at any race - with the exception of the Birmingham half, where they're much worse than you expect!

  • Did it last year and back for more this year.

    Hills - Worst ones are St Domingos (around 7ish miles, drummers at the top last year really helped) & Upper Parliment (12 ish) , both are shortish steepish but not too bad. The climb up to the Stadiums is only really noticeable in a couple of places but you get a nice long downhill back to the City. Once at halfway there's only a couple of cheeky ones (just outside both parks I think) and little undulations. Then a nice downhill to the Prom.

    2nd half must be a net downhill I'd have thought, certainly not much in it. Last 4 along the prom are the tough ones, just don't focus on the big wheel, it never gets any closer image

  • rodeofliprodeoflip ✭✭✭

    KingKenny - you were spot on, exactly as you described. Thanks for the advice - I had actualy marked these on my pace band so I knew when they would appear and how long they'd be, and that really helped me. That whole area up around the football stadiums is pretty high up, but I didn't think the climb up was too bad, and the run back down was amazing, seemed to go on forever. It was a really good route, really enjoyed it, and ran a PB and got GFA so def. a result for me. Would recommend this race to anyone - good route, great crowd support, laidback feel, good t-shirt, amazing medal and free beer at end - doesn't get much better!

  • Have to echo rodeoflip, was the 2nd time for me and think overall it's a great race/event, my only gripe was Matthew Street, thought it could've been marshalled a little better as I had to negotiate my way around nonchalantly oblivious shoppers/tourists.

    Definitely back for more next year, oh yeah and the prom run in, I know it's tough but I love it.

  • rodeofliprodeoflip ✭✭✭

    Nick, I know what you mean - I didn't have any problems in Matthew St., but it was a little odd to be sharing the road with people going about their normal Sunday morning business. There was a point, though, think it was up as we left Stanley park, where we turned a corner and there was two different ways we could have run - straight up up some stairs, or right. There were 4 or 5 of us, but people were spaced out enough that we hadn't seen where the previous runners had gone, and there were no signs. In hindsight, the stairs was always an unlikely option, but at the time and in mid-race it would have been an easy mistake to make. We went the right way, thanks to a little girl pointing the way (couldn't have been more than five years old), but it wasn't ideal.

    I only entered to try to get GFA, and it was a means to an end, I hadn't really thought much about it. But the whole event had a great feel about it - with 15 mins to go, the start line was empty, no crowding, peopel just mooched their way over from the arena when it suited them, the buildings offered some shelter from the wind, the music was cheesy but good. Crowd support was much better than I expected all the way round - some races seem to have crowds who are very reserved and clap politely, the locals on Sunday really urged everyone on.

    The hills were hard going, but it really helped to know where they were and how long they were (I'd marked them on my pace band, as any good anally-retentive running faffer would). The prom was hard going, and seemed to go on forever - I just couldn't find anyyone fat to run behind! The whole event for me was great, I would definitely recommend it. If nothing else, the t-shirt is good, the beer tasted great and the medal is the best I've seen.

  • 2Old2Old ✭✭✭

    I changed from the HM to the marathon at the last minute and was glad I did. Thoroughly enjoyed the race though it was strange not having the huge crowd support as in London in April. I had never done 2 marathons close together and wanted to see how I coped physically and mentally with racing this one after doing 3.07xx in London.I didnt do the prep about the hills like you Rodeo and thought that after a hilly start to the football stadia it would be fast down hill to the city and flat until the hill up past the Anglican cathedral and then pretty much downhill around the parks and flat along the river to the finish.I had done the half many times so the last part didnt worry me. Somehow the organisers contrived to put in a lot more small hills and deviate from the half route more than I expected -I could have happily missed going up to Penny Lane really and then there was that head wind along the river...though I have run into worse there. Discovered parts of Liverpool I hadnt seen before and enjoyed the entertainment. My garmin registered under 26miles too so I may have taken the shortest line to extremes. It was strange not running with lots of other runners but there were enough around to pull me along to a suprising 3.10xx finish and 3rd for my age group. Very happy but sore as hell now with extreme DOMS thanks to those hills-downhills probably. Running through Matthew Street was odd but it reminded me of a block in the New York Marathon where the Jewish community there ignored the race and carried on as if it wasnt happening as the hords ran through.The hills werent huge but they kept coming-unexpectidly for me- and made me appreciate how flat London is. It was different to the previous marathon route from Birkenhead through the tunnel which I also enjoyed and which I would say was a little easier.See you in the Green Start next year Rodeo and well done perservering for that GFA.Going sub 3.15 again wont seem so tough..

  • Hey 2old, I did shout Dan/ 2Old at you, mile 24 water station.. You did look confused so maybe in the zone.

    Cracking time.



    Hopefully we helped a few others too.



    Seemed a ridiculous amount of sports drinks, one sip then chucked. Terrible waste.
  • ShazmoShazmo ✭✭✭

    2Old, how did you manage to wangle a change from the half the the full? Did you have to pay for a brand new entry? Last year I tried to swap from the full to the half but the organisers woudn't let me image

    Sounds like a good event, one for next year.

  • 2Old2Old ✭✭✭

    FRC-I thought it was you-great to hear from you again- and it did spur me on like the last Liverpool marathon I did,as I was finding it a bit tough at that stage. No not confused -in pain-at least I had my eyes open this timeimageThanks to you and your team for their efforts.I agree about the waste. Thats why the US races give cups I suppose. What are you up to these days?

    Shazmo-the web site said it could be done at the expo for the extra entry fee if there was room and I didnt expect this race to be full. I had planned to do the Great North Swim 2miler on the Friday and the HM on the Sunday but decided that I fancied the marathon instead.It was very good and is worth adding to the to do list

  • ShazmoShazmo ✭✭✭

    2Old - Ah, Ok. Did they make you pay all over again, or just the difference between the two races (just curious).

  • rodeofliprodeoflip ✭✭✭

    BTW, for anyone who has decided to do this race next year, they're doing an early bird rate (this week) for £35, can't be bad?

  • CSMLFCCSMLFC ✭✭✭
    Great marathon as my first. I'm a resident of the city but thought the course was brilliant and showed Liverpool off very well indeed. The set up at the arena was spot on particularly at the finish although I found the lower area with changing rooms and back drop hard to find at the atsrt (having to wade through the half marathon corrals to get there). Another slight criticism was I missed probably about 6 mile markers. Both minor points though I was very impressed with the organisation and virtually every other aspect of the day. Have already entered next year's too! Happy days
  • 2Old2Old ✭✭✭

    Shazmo-£20 which I think is just the difference

  • /members/images/734369/Gallery/LR&RM_compressed_0.jpg

    If anyone got the 100 days to go email, that's me in the photo, just below the "D" in "days". How a muppet like me can get to the very front row of the start line and right in the middle still makes me laugh.

  • Well presumably you chose to start there? Did you do a good time to do justice to it?



    I always try and start with an eye to where I'll finish in the field if I'm serious about the race.
  • I did - I didn't finish in the top 10, so clearly I didn't quite deserve to be there, but I got a PB and finished 134th out of 2479 finishers (top 5%) so I wasn't taking the piss too much. I would normally have started slightly further back (there weren't any identified "pens" or anything) - I should have been 133 places further back - but I just got a bit carried away in the moment.

    It's a nice view from the front of the start area, but not one I've had before or am likely to have again!

  • You're no muppet runner! Good result!
  • Thanks mate, a PB is a PB. I am a muppet and a runner, but not necessarily a muppet runner.

    As nice as the view from the front row was, I remember realising that I'd made an error of judgement during the countdown, and was waiting for the angry hordes to rush past me. I was really glad when it didn't happen, and I managed to keep my wits and run at my own pace rather than trying to stay at the front.

    I'm doing it again this year, and I think I might be a couple of rows back this time. image

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