Anyone got any good advice about this one on 8th Oct? I ran Chester in 2013, so remember a fair amount but it's usually good to read bits and pieces about organisation, and the course etc
One specific question... they've introduced the (sold-out) metric marathon since I last did the race - and those runners merge with the marathon at around the 18 mile mark. By my calculations any marathoner running slower than approx 3.15 pace is going to reach the merge-point after metric marathon runners who are slower than them... and this would get worse such that I can image that people gunning for a 3:45 or 4 hour time could come up behind groups of charity metric-marathon runners - maybe making it difficult to weave through a bit - especially as the marathoner is getting tired.
It's a theoretical problem... has anyone seen this as a real problem in the last couple of years?
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Two significant hills. One around 21 ish I think and the other about 24 or 25. Fantastic course and support though. Hoping to do it again myself if I can wrangle the day off work!
I last did chester in 2014, which i think was the first year that they introduced the metric marathon. As CSM says it acted as a morale booster passing the slower metric runners and i agree nothing to worry about.
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I did Chester 2013 as my second marathon... and like my first, I did a small negative split (1:53xx / 1:52xx) and have not done that in the six that have followed. I'm not sure what I'm capable of this time... not so carefully trained... could be anything from 3:24(p.b. in my dreams) to 3:40(bit of a nightmare) I might go with the 3:30 pacer for a while and see how I'm feeling. Are you marathoning this autumn?
Just done 3:34 at Lanacaster so hoping I recover in time to do it justice.
Best of luck with your chester outing, probably best to start out conservative to halfway then slowly pick it up, as you have done a neg split before you obviously have good pace judgement.
I'm doing Snowdon at end of october.
Wrist HR is riddled with inaccuracies, depending on whether the watch is too loose, over-tight, whether you have hairy or dark arms, etc. Even a build up of sweat between a snug optical sensor and your wrist can cause problems, due to scattering.
CSM.. which weather forecast are you looking at?!! Have you noticed any other changes to the course?
Long way to go weatherwise but they look good conditions!
The shorter run around the race course at the start is compensated for by running an extra block along Foregate Street before heading South to leave the city. Probably only half a mile or so. The route looks identical to previous years after that!
Unfortunately the day was dampened by witnessing another runner fall and have some sort of cardiac problems at mile 25.5 of the marathon. Marshalls were with him in seconds but really upset to read that he passed away. Always puts things into perspective :-(
Other than that I thought it was a good race,not to keen on the end around the course but really nice route.I'd heard about sandy lane and just before it we had quite a sharp down and uphill and thought that was it I was wrong...
Anyway I signed up yesterday for next year,don't normally sign up so far in advance but with free transfers up to the day nothing to lose really.
Apart from that overwhelming downer, the day was good. The mini marathon was really great. But I am not at all enamoured by the metric marathon joining in with the marathoners for the last 8 miles. Eighteen miles into the race, I'd built up a rhythm - you sort of recognise where you are, the people around you... and suddenly it's like Piccadilly Circus... you're passing runners, you're being passed, you don't recognise people. Of course that shouldn't really matter. But for me, it's a definite black mark against what is otherwise an excellent event (I loved the finish on the race track by the way, Ian!)
It took me 3 miles to work out what time to go for with nothing more than 12 miles ran in one hit over the last 5 weeks and Snowdon on the agenda. Was comfortable at 7.45's so stuck right at it for an even split and a time of 3.23.
Another enjoyable Chester marathon. The light rain was welcome towards the end although was pretty cold at the finish. The grass underfoot was heavy going once on the racecourse too!
Hovered over discounted entry yesterday but might give York a go next year I think.
8 minutes makes a really big difference... I would have come across metric marathoners running at 9 and 10 minute paces... so much more numerous, on a narrow part of the course. Hence Piccadilly Circus... and needing to weave a bit to get through people, at a time I was tired.
If anyone’s interested I have Chester Half Marathon 2018 place I can’t use (fractured my back, no running for 12months ?!).
Going for £25. PM if interested.
Thanks.