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Manchester marathon 2015 - short distance?
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I ran manchester on Sunday and it was 26.09 by my watch. However, I've noticed my new Garmin 920xt measures my club's 3 mile handicap route - unchanged in 20 years - as 0.05 miles shorter than my old Garmin 610. So which one is right? Are either of them?
Personally, there's so much variation I don't stress it. Percentage wise, 0.1 mile of a 26.2 mile course is well within consumer grade GPS tolerances. If the UKA course measuring team says it's 26.2 miles, then for me it's 26.2 miles and not 26.1 or 26 just because my £400 watch say it is. Consumer grade GPS such as Garmins are wonderful accessories but they are categorically not 100% accurate. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that they hope to be within 1-3% of the true distance.
I know some people have referenced the number of PBs. That's a red herring for me. The course has just 54m of elevation - London has over three times that amount. There are also only 7,800 runners in the Manchester race running through roads which are often wider or as wide as the London course. It's far, far easier to take the racing line and of course you're not dodging other runners. I ran 26.7 miles - apparently - at London last year and despite finishing in a respectable 3:40:20, I was having to weave in and out of people up to mile 16/17. The section around parts of the Isle of Dogs was a joke - it was so, so cramped and bunched in despite being 65% of the way through the race.
Manchester haven't exactly helped themselves though with the shoddy placement of a number of mile markers which were miles off in some places and clearly wrong, even accounting for GPS accuracy issues.
Millsy, have you started worrying about which shoe to put your chip on without causing a gait imbalance?
The new ones are pretty though.
Which ones match your shorts and have the go faster stripes
I've done Manchester twice and agree with RunLawrence - nice wide roads, not ridiculously congested makes for plenty of opportunities to take the shortest line. I think I actually run through someone's garden to cut a corner...I didnt realise until I was half way across
I ran and Sunday and recorded 26.23 miles (have a Soleus watch). I normally end up recording a long course (27.2 in New York for example!) but, as someone pointed out, there was very little need weave in and out between runners as there was lots of space. There were also a few 180 degree turns which may have thrown the signals a bit. Its also a licensed course which can be used to qualify for London, Boston, etc. I'll be using mine for Boston anyways
!
A few people seem to be worrying about this - which I can't understand. It is an officially certified course - good enough for me!
As for numerous PBs, the weather was perfect (Manchester in spring...), it is ridiculously flat and if you are anywhere other than next to a pacer or around 4 hours, then there is plenty of running room to take the racing line.
I ran it last year - 25.99 - and this year - 26.19. 15 minute pb last year, 13 minute pb this year. Quite useful I guess this year to know I'm comparing like with like on the same course.
As already mentioned, the most scenic section was the tour of the bins round the back of the shops in Altrincham. Not complaining though! Perfect weather and a flat course, plus plenty of room to move - that'll do me.
If you're looking for things to worry about, remember if you put the chip on your left foot you should cross the start line right foot first and the finish left foot first - it could make 0.2 of a second difference
I guess that one of the important things about the course length is that whether it's right or wrong it's the same for everyone!
Wish I had thought of that before Brighton John... May have made it a bit closer for my sub 4hr marathon after 4.00.02
Does anyone know when they will have the date out for the race next year?
Nice one Robert and if you did a jump forward it might have helped, or if you put the chip on your toes.
I just remembered it werent a timing chip on the foot it was on the running number!!!!!
Did think about a forward dive thou
robert.have a false pair of boobs like jordan and then next time the chip on your chest will dip under the 4 hrs
Or put it on the end of a pole
garmins measure by estimations which are thrown out when a route doubles back on itself. the course has been officially measured as accurate. link:
http://www.runnersworld.com/electronics/is-your-gps-watch-accurate-on-race-day
GPS's are not designed to be 100 percent accurate, so keep that in mind when studying your numbers. You will see even small variations in distance and/or pace on GPS's among runners who ran side by side.
unfortunately the rumours were true..........
http://coursemeasurement.org.uk/investigations/manchestermarathon.htm
There goes my pb
Yep. It was an 18 min PB for me. Even with the short course It was huge PB sort of form I was on. Its already been stripped of PO10. Absolutley gutted. Need to start looking for another fast marathon to have another crack.
What do they do about GFA qualifications ? It'd be fairer to round up the times for the what 380m that it was short rather than not accept it at all.
This is gutting news. I would assume the accuracy of a course for any major event is checked more than once. Obviously not.
Now the PB I was so proud of and worked so hard for is gone.
Interesting solution Cougie.
Hmm so it seems the only official measurement was done in 2013 and the same course used in 2014 and 2015. So people must have had doubts in 2013 but the organisers never bothered to check until 2016? We're not talking 50 yards here either it's nearly 1/4 of a mile!
The measuring equipment used in 2013 was surely not disposable either, so what other races was it used for? Are most 2013 races now suspect?
Hopefully achieve something similar in London on Sunday.
Appropriate race date for next year could be April 1st or February 30th....
In all truth and no sarcasm, I think it is April 1st