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Wouldn't a 180 degree hill mean the road is flat?
The first half of the race is all about how you run the downhill section. Some people think as its a long, relatively steep road its best to sprint down it, unaware they've got a hill at the other end. Other people are conservative (speedwise, not politically) going down it, and find their legs are fresh and the hill isn't that much of an issue.
The hill inside the tunnel isn't too steep. However, as you come out you have a rather steep turn up from the toll booths to the main road. Its only about 100 yards, but if you're feeling knackered from the hill in the tunnel its very tough. If you've paced yourself well, you know its only a short push then a flat 3 miles to the finish line.
Its definately one of those races were the longer it takes you to get to the bottom of the tunnel, the better finishing time you'll end up with.
Thanks for the tip Dave- I was wondering how to approach this tactically and I'm going to follow your advice...
Well, I'll try to....
The fact of the matter is the events are costing far more to deliver particularly in terms of Policing, Stewarding and Traffic Management. Issue like the withdrawal of sponsorship at the Women's 10K are occupational hazard I'm afraid and it more of a concern that Liverpool City Council were unable to contribute additional funding when Worst Kept Secret withdrew their funding. This was to do with their own central funding and nothing to do with their attitude toward the event. It seems easy to criticise when you don't know the background to the politcs of theses events. On a more positive note I have new sponsors interested in the Women's 10K for 2009 and the Corporate Cup which is now the 5K Team Challenge is likely to be back in the city this year. Not that I will get any thanks for my efforts...
Alan
I fully accept the cots of running a race and have some knowledge about them. I'm glad that you have answered my question about t-shirts and medal because £14 for a race is expensive and your race leaflet does not mention any prizes other than those for the top 3 finishers. So i feel I was right to ask the question.
This is my first RunlIverpool event since the 2007 half marathon I hope it goes well and I hope that Runliverpool gets things right again, but I'm honest enough to say that I think not everything has been great since Runliverpool took over managing events.
Also whats the situation for sponsors for the half marathon for 2009?
Try the Great Manchester Run which costs a lot more - £25 I think it was. The goody bag was extremely poor with only some chilli nuts to eat. You had a medal and a t-shirt but hey, I was hungry!
From last year's experience the Tunnel Run was very well organised, with the free transport back being a great idea. It was also enjoyable and different.
I have had no issues with the Liverpool Half Marathon as well. This year's started a tad late, but so what? It was only 5 minutes and hardly bringing ruin upon the day.
From what I see, from the view of a LIverpool runner, is that there is not that much interest in running these events (ha, see what I did there?) from the Town Hall. This is a pity and is indicative of some people's attitude towards the sport in the city. Residents whine that they are inconvenienced for a few hours when a run goes up their street, the Council is washing its hands of it and Alan Rothwell is trying harder than most people on a running forum.
You got some chilli nuts? I only got Extra Strong Mints, which have remained un-opened!
I'll stay out of the conversation about the council and sport - my stress levels could do without it me thinks!
The chilli nuts were inedible
No, honestly. I really mean it. The foulest thing that has ever passed my lips!
Thanks Wirral Dave I spent a lot of time questioning myself about surely a 180 degree hill must be flat.
Manc Girl - The spoon of wood shall be mine
I got sweet and lemony pine nuts - ugh - and extra strong mints -0 oh my God - water please - £ 28 wasn't it - dearer than the London Marathon and it was only 10k - am really looking forward to this Tunnel Run
They did have lucozade, and I manage to walk past one of the Aqua Points in the City Centre as the guy was packing up. He said help yourself, so I took a crate!
Got my number for the Tunnel Run today - 1334.
Ojoman
I didn't run ther Great Manchester Run for exactly the reason you mentioned it was over the top pricing wise, but when you enter a mass event you expect this to be reflected in the price. I do however regulary enter the GNR and that is the most expensive half I know of
I asked the question about the prizes because of what was mentioned on the leaflet with the numbers
Oh and as a fellow Liverpool Runner can i mention the Walton Hall 5 or the Penny lane 10k which are cheaper than the runliverpool events!
Thanks for the running tips Dave........if I'd thought about it, 180 degrees is sort of a straight line, isn't it....that's OK then, I can do straight lines!
Not wanting to get into the debate really, but I think of a race as a day out (it is at the pace I run anyway!!) and am very happy with a medal. I wouldn't ever get a prize, so it wouldn't worry me if the first 100 got one!!!!
And we are very grateful, Alan!
Yes, I am running them both. They are much cheaper as none of them go through a tunnel and neither of them require large scale road closure. They are also both club runs and have the club members and their families as marshalls.
I actually prefer smaller events rather than the massive field of the Bupa Manchester thing. Not running anywhere near Old Trafford is a good start. Local events need support if running is to continue in Liverpool. Political squabbles and personal differences should be put aside.
I'd be gutted if Liverpool does not host a half marathon next year as it is one of my favourite races. It would be a sad loss to the runners of the city if it fell through.
OJoman
How do you do that cut and paste thing it looks the biz!!
Hit the quote "" button at the bottom of the message you want to copy.
Then when you start typing your own message there is a "" button at the top right of your text box. click on that and it will paste in the quote.
It's certainly great news that Liverpool Women's 10K looks like it will be on next year. Although I missed my target time by a measly minute, I thought it was a superb day and a really well run event.
I did start a thread about runliverpool's struggles a while back after I read what Alan had posted on the website about the possibility of losing the races altogether and to be honest, it turned into a bit of an argument between those who wanted to bash Alan and those who didn't think it mattered whether we have a race calendar or not. If you want to read it Alan, it was called Liverpool 2009 - nowhere to run (I think)
I think we are (hopefully) all aware of spiralling costs of road closures and policing, though I'm equally sure we have no idea of the scale. That's how we lost our local fun run. That said, the commemorations of the day, be they a t-shirt or a medal can be pretty important to people, especially new runners. They mark an achievement. If they can't be delivered due to other costs, it would inevitably be a disappointment to those who were expecting one after reading the entry form.
But if it meant losing the medals or the t-shirts and keeping the race, I know which I'd rather have! Give me the race anyday.
Alan - just an aside. The mini LB's LOVED the Bullybusters again this year. This is how we should be encouraging our children to get into running. They both got a PB and the younger one burst into tears on the finish line because she was "so happy"!!!
You should be really proud of how well Liverpool half and the Womens 10K went this year. I hear many good things said about you. Shame they don't tell you......
In order to deliver the best possible events we need investment and apart from my own contribution to the initiative (which has gone beyond the call of duty) there is little input from either the public or private sector sector. Public sector investment in just two events is £32,500 and nothing in the other five. Private sector investment in the half marathon, 10K and W10K is £19,000 in total! It simply isn't enough to maintain the events to a high quality standard and cover operational costs.
The Santa Dash and the Tunnel 10K have no sponsorship at all and I find that astonishing. I am constantly looking for investment for the events because the big financial problem for all of them is Policing, Traffic Management and Stewarding costs.I know I keep going on about it but in 2003 before we merged the H.M and Garston 10K we paid £1,200 for Traffic Management. No Policing costs at all and the Stewarding was done by volunteers. Four years later in 2006 we are paying £48,000 for this service. Why? Because of changing legislation imposed by the self appointed Safety Advisory Group. The situation is not negotiable. They influence the choice of course (for any event) and insist on the imposition of Policing, T.M. and Stewarding charges with no regard to cost. The event simply has to pay what they charge. Add to that the costs of an Independent Safety Officer and more than £2,000 for a Public Notice advertisement for every event (£17,500 by the end of the year!!!) and you begin to get an idea ofthe REAL cost of event delivery. THIS is why we need more participation and more sponsorship. The issue of giving out Goody Bags, t shirts and medals will inevitably have to come a poor second I'm afraid. It is a bizarre situation whereby we are attracting bigger numbers of runners than ever before and yet the events are still not self sufficient financially because of disproportionate delivery costs.
To answer the question raised by 'slowrunner' I am looking a number of potential sponsors to complement Mizuno and Highland Spring who are the two sponsors at the moment. As soon I get some positive news to report I will post on the runliverpool web site. I would like to look at bringing the start and finish of the H.M. into the city to remove the £6,000 cost of bus hire to take people from the city to Sefton Park. That would be a good start but I may be hampered by the dates available at the Arena (suggested finish area) nexy year. I'm working on that as well as the other events 24/7. Please continue to support the events in the best way you can - by taking part! That way you are doing your bit and I'll continue to do mine.
Keep it up Alan! your job sounds like a nightmare-Is the safety Advisory Group part of the City Council or what?
To answer Fat Face (what nice names you all have!!) other cities have a slightly different take on the sport. Dare I mention Manchester on Sunday!! 31,000 taking part and a huge benefit to the city!!! Liverpool City Council has neither the finances nor the structure to deliver mass participation (running) events. In reent years it seems to me that ALL resources have focussed on delivering Capital of Culture events to the detriment of other events, not just running. As I mentioned in my earlier piece Liverpool City Council contributes to the Women's 10K and the Corporate Cup (which I am re-branding and attempting to bring back into the city - although it has taken two years to get this far!!). It has abandoned the Garston 10K which we now manage and deliver (at our cost). None of the other five events in our portfolio receive input from Liverpool City Council. Neither they, nor the Culture Company have any vested interest in them. This is probably why it was impossible to get a marathon idea off the ground this year (Idid first raise it in July 2006), despite the positive but ultimately empty comments from Warren Bradley. No. The 'city' as such has no particular interest in developing the sport or the events. That is down to me and you!! That said I must stress that Liverpool Active City is a keen supporter of what we are doing and I am grateful for their support!
Alan, I have said before and will say again, you do a truly thankless job. I personally have enjoyed every event I have taken part in in Liverpool and found them well organised. It's such a shame that Health and Safety has become an exact science when it is all down to common sense. I have the same issues in my place of work - political correctness out of control and fear of litigation.
Given the cost issues and the moans of those people who live along a route (I would love a route which went past my house, it's only a couple of hours of disruption for crying out loud!), is it not feasible to merge events ? The Women's event last week, plus I remember doing a 10k which was merged with the half marathon a few years ago. Economies of scale - sorry couldn't resist, I'm an accountant.
London Marathon Company stayed for two years before moving out because of what I would call logistical problems... Consequently L1310K has been left with a half marathon that couldn't be delivered by LMC and a 10K that the City Council has abandoned! So much for a co-ordinated approach to the sport.
It may well come to pass that the 2009 H.M. has to merge again with the 10K in order to survive. Personally I would like to see it continue as a separate event but if it means the event survives then so be it.
I've got my own uphill struggle to contend with - that hill in the tunnel!
You should wear a badge, Alan, so we can say hello. I keep seeing official looking people at these events and I have no idea what you look like!
Are you tall, dark and handsome in full running kit then?
You shouldn't be looking at my arse, you pervy old man....
And it's not fat, it's muscle.....