Wicksteed Recovery Run Half-Marathon

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Comments

  • Does anyone know when the photographs are available ?

     I've been on the Welcome Photography website a few times and I'm itching to see how knackered I look!

  • kaybeekaybee ✭✭✭

    I have read and re-read Lloyd's defence of the event and so far as I am concerned it serves only to underline the contempt the organisation of the event showed the competitors.  I will try and keep this brief but:-

    "There were two start lines .... and you were directed to where the finish line was".  No, there were no start and finish "lines" -  just vague "start over there" and "finish over there" directions (at a briefing that was frankly largely inaudible).  A number of competitors report saying "is this it then?".  So basically we're just dumb then are we?  Okay.

    "Anyone not wishing to pay the £2 could quite easily have parked outside the park" - well no, not really.  If you didn't know the venue, the first you'll have known about the charge would have been on reaching the kiosk, by which point it would be very difficult to turn round, especially with other cars behind.  They DID advertise onsite parking as a facility - if this was chargeable, why couldn't they have said so - other races manage to make it clear when parking charges apply.

    "I would have expected the vast majority to use their own cars for storage" - Again, not really okay, if they advertised bag storage.  Which they did, and then didn't appropriately provide it.  

    "I would have been worried if runners had been passing "caution runners" signs" - REALLY?  This I simply do not accept.  You know where I want a driver to exercise caution?  Where I'm running! 

    "Water was provided at the start/finish line in cups" - but the start and finish "lines" weren't in the same place.  This is deliberately conflating a water station with post-race drinks.  The fact that the former existed and the latter didn't led to complaints that finishers were impeding competitors on the course.

    I would have felt better about the whole situation if a little humility could have been shown and failings accepted, rather than the shifting of blame onto runners.  Unfortunately the spectacularly selective nature of the illustrative remarks from a tiny minority of satisfied runners says it all really.

    Oh I could go on, but I will spare you. 

  • kaybeekaybee ✭✭✭

    Oh, and if you want to read reviews of events from the same organisers you will find them here:

     http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/events/ratingsall.asp?sp=&v=2&ugn=8927&en=52541

     http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/events/ratingsall.asp?sp=&v=2&ugn=8930&en=53523 

    http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/events/ratingsall.asp?sp=&v=2&ugn=8930&en=56654

     

    http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/events/ratingsall.asp?P=2&ugn=9660&en=53521&year=0&v=2&sp=

    While none are in the same league as the pasting Saturday's event is getting, you may find a certain familiarity in the reports of poor organisation, unclear start/finish lines, inadequate water, poor value for money, surprise parking charges and tatty medals.  Just sayin'.  image

      
  • WexterWexter ✭✭✭
    Well I did not need see the mile/ kilometre markers, though I suppose a bit difficult when trying to follow other runners as have never run a race where everyone was unclear about the route....
  • Running sober or not sober? Neither do I drinK MW - well not really! It was just my small attempt to lighten up things a bit. Something to do with it being NYD, GSOH and image

    But I must just mention as this will be my last missive, it's definitely true what they say about the 2nd glass of champers - once the bottle has been opened it must be consumed, hence the 3rd.... hiccup and 4th....

    UM if you can organise a NYD HM at Pitsford Resevoir 2012 you would be most welcome to celebrate with me a sip  or glass of champers post run.

    Cheers

    Yvette 

  • Firstly, thank you Lloyd for coming out and trying to address the feelings of some of us who ran and were unhappy with the race - it would have been very easy to hide away now that the race has finished.

    I wont repeat everything Kaybee has said, I tend to agree with what she has posted.

    Can I please begin by apologising for not seeing the Red Cross van in the park - I genuinely didnt see it, but a friend with me has confirmed she saw it there. As it was raining and I am very short sighted, I took my glasses off!  would have been very surprised had there not been - so I apologise for this.

    Parking outside the park isnt permitted - and with very little street parking available nearby (I live here!) not sure where 600 people would have parked if all places had been sold. Then again, £2 is a very fair price, though this could/should have been advised.

    I have just run the route again, and the stretch of road heading back towards the main road before turning for the park is 0.9 miles long, which has to be crossed - No warning signs along here is difficult to understand, especially as I now noticed the 'official' crossing point was at the very end. Most runners crossed well before this, surely either a) a safety briefing for this part of the course is in order or b) a proper manned crossing well before to ensure the safety of all the runners?

    Water at the finish - its not acceptable to suggest we should take it from a working drink station in the middle of the course! To get to it would have meant crossing the path of those still running - something I find incredibly annoying to have done to me, and I would NEVER knowingly do to another runner!

    May I suggest that a number of these issues could have been addresses in the race pack that was sent out - I am sure most of these decisions were made long before the day? i.e. location of first aid/crossing points/safety instructions/water stations/toilets/distance markers etc.

    For the record - I did ask Lloyd ref charity donation made from the entry fee - I can only assume a lack of response means that NO donation has been made (I would have shouted very loudly about this if they had given the response).

  • One final point -

    Lloyd posted:

     ""......Recruit marshals who are willing to give up not only a significant bank holiday but who refrain from going out partying the night before in order to allow others to run and then let them read the negative and in many cases inaccurate feedback being given and then consider why they bother."

    I, like a good many others here have posted positively about the contribution these guys make, and understand how important they are to the running of ANY race.

    I just feel that the comment made was out of context, and certainly not reflective of the points I/others were making.

    Finally,

    Mike - Good luck inTelford on sunday - sure we will cross paths somewhere across the country.

    Simon - Well done on the fundraising - a great effort.

  • For all those doubting my existence, I am actually a real person who did do the run on Saturday .Why I have only commented on one run is because my original account was hacked by some idiot and password changed. To protect my accounts in the future I have made a screen name that is different from my own .I have however written many comments on my old account for runs such as Mercedes world run and a run at Silverstone.

    Runners world actually state in their code of conduct to not "slam newbies for being odd " and now you all know why my account looked odd

  • Where do I find Lloyds comment on his race??

    Noone was complaining about the marshalls!!

    I did look on wickstead website in advance and found it was reduced rate parking on new years day of £2. ie. nothing to do with UM negociating a 50% reduction in parking fees.

    How to rectify - take on board the comments people have made and address them

    - reissue medal with 1.1.11 engraved on it?

    - send out an appology

  • Jane,

    He has posted a race review titled 'response from Ultramarathon' (only rated it at 60% overall, and 40% VFM and Organisation) but worth a read.

  • phil miles 4 wrote (see)

    One final point -

    Lloyd posted:

     ""......Recruit marshals who are willing to give up not only a significant bank holiday but who refrain from going out partying the night before in order to allow others to run and then let them read the negative and in many cases inaccurate feedback being given and then consider why they bother."

    I, like a good many others here have posted positively about the contribution these guys make, and understand how important they are to the running of ANY race.

    I just feel that the comment made was out of context, and certainly not reflective of the points I/others were making.


    Completely agree. The point is that the marshalls volunteer to work for the organiser free of charge so to cast the runners as ungrateful is completely unfair. In fact the organiser stuffing up the race is doing a disservice to the volunteers who gave up their time in good faith, thinking they'd be helping with a successful and well-received event.

    Volunteer marshalls do a stunning job for the running community, helping keep entry prices down and fostering a positive community feeling, but poor race organisers who don't give them a chance to be part of a good event and then try to hide behind them when their race is criticised might make them think twice about volunteering again.

  • Can I just add that I ve spoken to Lloyd and Shirley at other events and I know the marshals ARE paid,as ARE the Red Cross, Wicksteed Park, permits , licences and medals.

    It all adds up

    Happy 2011 Running image

  • CindersCinders ✭✭✭

    Well I'd expect payments for permits, licences, of course the medals, water etc.  Maybe the Red Cross need a donation made.  Not sure about the park itself but payments to marshals ARE UNUSUAL!

  • Well it's all been a sorry show and no mistake - whether it be the race itself and dodgy organisation , the race organiser reviewing HIS OWN RACE which RW should stop really, the various runners like Michael Mayes saying we all wanted fry ups and should re consider ourselves as runners - tell you what pal I've done marathons and Ultras , plenty of them, so are you calling me a runner or not? come back when you have a clue. To MK lakeside who thinks this shambolic organiser should put a race on where they live - WTF?? - I realise the organiser runs his own running club you can join online ( whats that lark all about then?) and various people may not want to speak up but to inflict this crap on others?

    No it was a shambles regardless of what a few inexperienced people think - wait till they've done some superb races for half the cost and then they'll see.

    Onwards and upwards though - Blymhill 10K in shropshire on Sunday, a new race from the Dudley and Kingswinford runners , they do a mid week DK in the summer that sees 1000's turn out - it's a tenner! T shirt and everything too!

    God luck to all the brilliant folk I met there and on here - see you all around and about!
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