"Down Tow, Up Flow" Thames Towpath Half-Marathon

124

Comments

  • Tigeress, I'm sure we can find someway to Cheer each other up.

    Just think if this was a tough challenge Rory Colman would be doing somersaults with glee at the thought of us running through 13 miles of water.
  • Cyber im certain we will. LOL
  • Claire,just ran from m/head to the m/way bridge past bray lock.everything is nice and dry,although the river is quite high.They have put a gate at that diversion around the lock though,or has that always been there
  • Suki - this will be my first attempt at a half marathon & am aiming at sub 2H - will be runner no 148 (and am not claire, but claire's husband Galen!!!) Feel free to introduce yourself if the run does go ahead ...
  • I sometimes include part of this course in my longer runs. Last night mile marker 1 to mile marker 3 was a bit "soggy"
  • Snakehips - yes we were along that way ourselves and as you say it is still dry. The gate after the diversion is new, but we are having a water station there and it will be kept open while the runners go through. By the way, There is a chance that the diversion will disappear by the weekend (just to add to the mix!), but the contractors are going to ring us to confirm so that we can re-adjust.

    Keeping a very watchful eye on things and preparing contingency plans for all scenarios - should have been a general!!
  • Hate to put a dampner on the positive vibes, but I've just heard from my Mum (at 1.00pm today) that the water is nearly up to the railway line on Coldmoorholme Lane (before the Bourne End marina), and that the benches along the towpath are submerged.

    Presumably this could be gone by Sunday morning though.

    Is anyone else contemplating running in wellies?
  • Hi Mike, Yes, Spade Oak area (Bourne End) is completely under water, sadly! This means it is very unlikely we will be able to have the start along the towpath. However, we do have an alternative cunning plan. We aren't going to publish this until Saturday in case things change, to avoid too much confusion. We will email everyone, but please feel free to contact us on 07919 612127 / 07860 650579 if you haven't heard by 12 noon on Saturday. We are still planning to go ahead at this stage.
  • Glad to hear it Claire! I take it the plan is as cunning as a fox who's just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University.

    Thanks for the numbers - will keep an eye on email etc on Sat. Keeping my fingers crossed.
  • One prays for the race to go ahead so that machismo may be satisfied by breaking previously non-club poor time of circa 2 16 - Thanks Galen and Viktoria re ofers of Pacemaking - I may take up the kind offers. Rain Rain Go away .......
  • General,
    tonight went from m/head bridge to the bridge at monkey island,and it was dry,no problems.On sunday,if i get to windsor,can i still purchase a ticket for the transport to Marlow,or have i left it too late,and just go to Marlow instead
  • Is there a postcode for where the coach will leave from in Windsor that I can stick in the sat nav?

    Thanks.

    ps a bit cheeky that RW has charged me £18 for the race when it's advertised as £16 tut tut.
  • i purchased 2 tickets for the bus but am not able to make the race - snakehips is there any way that you can ask if you can use mine?

    muppetboy - RW seems to charge a surcharge, i usually enter directly by cheque as i am tight!
  • Keep messages coming if any receive news about cancellation or preferably otherwise - just circumscribed Richmond Park - a delight- I note taxpayers money has been lavished on toilets in this 'Royal' park - arent the Royals subsidised enough...?
  • Dreading 13 darn miles - paradox one wants the joy of completing the run yet vaguely resents the inevitable pain - but they say that pleasure after pain is wonderful - and so it is ...... water shall be poured over me head at the end.
  • Suki, just seen this on the Purple Patch website:

    "We are really pleased to confirm that the 2007 ‘Down Flow Up Tow’ WILL be going ahead, despite the recent flooding. The start will now be at Longridge Sailing Club...."

    Full details at:

    http://www.purplepatchrunning.co.uk/races.html

  • muppetboy -

    "The coaches will be outside Windsor Leisure Centre with a Purple Patch sign in the window. It will leave Windsor at 9am prompt." [from link above]

    BUT

    "If you are leaving your car in Windsor, parking is at Alma Road Car Park".

    A quick google reveals:

    Windsor Leisure Centre, Clewer Mead, Stovell Road, Windsor SL4 5JB

    Alma Road Car Park, Alma Road, Windsor SL4 3HY
  • Excellent news ... everything crossed for no more rain on Sunday :)
  • Philippa

    I will take both tickets if i can,not sure how that works,but if you know let me know please
  • Thanks MikeN!

    Also good to hear the race is going ahead!
  • I'm going to go out for a short run tomorrow and see how my ankle feels. It doesn't hurt anymore but feels stiff. Hopefully see you on Sunday.
  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭
    Great stuff ... but the forecast is for heavy rain all day Sunday, Met Office severe weather warning in force. Best to pack a snorkel just in case.
  • Just watched the weather on the tele, and they said the rain will be tonight and dry tomorrow so fingers crossed.
  • Thank you Muppet boy and Mike N for doing the research re geography- dleep well all trunners - Viktoria Chekov and Galen _ I will be looking out for you tomowwow as Pacemakers God bless our poor legs tomorrow- Suki - Lets go ! but not too fast - PS running in the rain will be delightful amd cooling even if muddy - I always put an old sheet in the car to save seats....
  • Thanks MikeN for the postcode directions in Windsor - much appreciated. It's started raining in West Sussex now - we'll head up to Windsor in the morning and hope like hell that it's all good to go. See you all there - I've enjoyed the thread so far.
  • Chucking it down in Windsor right now.
  • No longer chucking it down - One Banana and tea and let's go............
  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭
    Well, I enjoyed that.

    Apart from a small diversion on the way to the Leisure Centre, everything went fine with arrival and the bus ride to Longridge.

    I wasn't sure what the surfaces would be and so would have settled for anything under 2 hours. In the event I was just under 1:47, which equates to 8 m/m apart from the initial gradients.

    Great course, really scenic and of course mostly gently downhill (and with a following breeze) so my time flatters me. Next year's upstream jaunt will methinks be a bit slower.

    There seemed to be a mixup with the route in the first couple of miles, with the faster guys having to scrabble down a steep embankment to join the rest of us. From my mile times I suspect they took a roundabout detour rather than me taking a short cut. Also, there were a few mutters about the guy at the water station at about 8 miles, who was engrossed in his newspaper and not watching which way runners were going.

    But all in all, for an inaugural staging I thought it went well. Big thanks to the organisers, who managed to handle the flooding problems and were highly communicative, including by showing up on this forum. Greatly appreciated.

    My only, and minor, gripe is that although the memento was nice I do prefer a medal. But that's personal taste.

    I'll be back next year.
  • SBD.SBD. ✭✭✭
    Well done everyone on completing what looked a great half marathon.

    Photos taken c. 0.5 mile before the finish will be available later today at http://picasaweb.google.com/LeapordSP/DownTowUpFlow2007





  • One for Claire, great race and really scenic but I was one of the guys (about 70 I think) who went the 'scenic' route after mile 1 then down a precipitous hill to join the slower ones. Could you find out how far that detour was. I think it was at least 0.5miles but my Polar gave my total as 14.5 miles ! (bit of weaving and shorter strides at end but couldn't be that much surely). If it was then a massive PB. Thanks for everything including changing the route and good comunication on whether it would be on or not and answering questions on this forum. By the way when will the results be up? One thing for next year make sure all marshalls concentrate especially at the bgeinning when so many people going the wrong way can't be good.
Sign In or Register to comment.