Hanley Building Society Potters Arf Marathon

I did this last year for the 1st time and have entered it again this year!

Its a great event (IMO) i was warned about the '2 hills'..............boy o boy!!!  The first one is a long long incline in my opinion, granted it does take it out of you a bit but the 2nd one!!!!  You are expecting it at so many miles and i did a bit of a hill and as i got towards the top of it i thought that wasnt to bad then you look up and see the 2nd hill and bloody hell its a proper hill.

To be fair though there is ups and downs all the way round and the last mile is flat or down hill if i remember correctly.  Well worth having a crack at this one.

Any one else doing this one this year?

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Comments

  • i will be doing this one, my first half marathon probably image
  • Tough half marathon for your first.

    Great race though

    Ive entered alreadyimage

  • I've entered, I did it for my first half marathon last year too.
    Looking forward to it, the support along the way was brilliant!
  • I've entered, first half marathon.

    I cycled the route a couple weeks back and there are some big hills!

    Are you guys from the area?  What training are you doing for this?  When do we get sent the event details such as numbers etc?

  • I think that last year they sent the race pack out in mid April.

    I am doing the London Marathon before this, but last year I only managed to get up to 10 miles in training in the weeks before the race due to injury. My advice, obviously, practice some hills and find a training plan that you can stick to.
    I was forced to walk the steeper hill at Milton Road I think it was, and my strategy to get round was to walk through the water stations. Aiming to do better this year.
  • we hope to return this year - we 've done the  HM several times, and the old FM once in 2003 clocking 4:58 in soaring heat

    The current HM. its a good race, tough but good

    it takes in part of the old TOUGH Potteries full marathon course

    Potts course is tough, some steep hills and some long drags in it, but they are good for stamina building,

    though its a warm time of year, all more reason to prepare properly

    a race not to   miss - ample crowd supprt, as a matter of fact, i cannot really remember too many races like it for crowd support TBH

  • i am doing the hm this year as my first full hm. i did it last year as part of a relay team. i am currently have serious mental problems and am feeling as if i cant  complete it. any one got any advice on how to overcome this??
  • @ Samantha Muir 3
    I would recomend a read of "The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer"... you can find it on Amazon, loads of really good mental prep stuff in here, or look into the other forums for recomended reads, sounds weird, but reading can really help

  • compo 1compo 1 ✭✭✭
    did this 2 years ago and entered again and looking forward to it
  • Got my race number and chip in the post today.  On the sunday just gone i did the liverpool half and my time was 2 mins slower than the previous year and once i got home i thought thats it !!! The stoke arf is the one i break the 2 hour mark...... off the top of my head the stoke arf i think i clocked 2hrs 5 min or there abouts.  BUT after reading the course again and where it says milton st/rd steep hill, that brings you back down to earth!!!  image
  •  This is a local race for me and a must do half image finished in 1.58 last year,hope to beat it this time,Stafford half in March  was 1.52 a quicker and flatter half,this sunday 1st may, I will be at uttoxeter half ,love this race too,not the support of the potters but still enjoyable in the country lanes with a fast finish to the race course . finished the london marathon in 5.02 dressed as a crusader,very hotimage did a 8 miles training run after a weeks rest and going for 12 miles today nice and easy.Just entered London marathon 2012 ballot,fingers crossed.

    many runners walk up those potters hills ,no shame in that as it is usually very hot on the day with a good hosepipe waiting at the top,great these supporters are,very friendly.

    enjoy your day 

  • Ok so after reading all this i am very nervous about doin this race!!! Its only my second HM race and first one back after having a baby. I did Great North in 2009 in 2hrs 2 mins and wanted to beat that but dont thinks its going to happen. I did hell runner in Feb in cannock but you cant really call that a race.lol

    I have been hill training and do a long run evey weekend so fingers crossed i will get up Milton Rd.

    @ wings of fire- good luck with london Ballot. I have entered too!!

     Good luck to everyone who is doing the potters arf. image

  • andyc209andyc209 ✭✭✭
    i'm in now - ran it last year trying to pace the missus around to sub 2 hours. Want a proper go at it now. Just started training again after running Paris and London marathons on consecutive weekends - just got my legs back so hopefully a crash training course will be enough. I used Milton Road in my training runs for the marathons, nice little challenge.
  • compo 1compo 1 ✭✭✭
    can not wait for this one
  •  I think you get a gold medal if you finish the potters in less than 1.30. a silver under 1.45 and a bronze for under 2 hrs, so motivation for a bronze.all finishers get a medal though and t-shirt.

    Keep fingers crossed Katy for London.image.I think you will break 2.00. It took my over 2.00. at great North because of the vast numbers,you can run with more freedom in the Potters,and still have plenty of company.My number is 979 there will be at least that many in front of me.

     I am thinking of running the Wales marathon in Tenby a week before,hope I recover alright.I just booked the Lockness Marathon in October and it happens to be the Chester Marathon the week after ,dare I do a double for the first time ? It looks Like Andy has,well done.The Loch is a tough one but beautiful scenery.Chester is flat and fast.

  • My race number is 1733 so if you see me give me a push!! lol. Fingers crossed for sub 2hr, however will just be glad to finish it, like any race!!

     wings of fire, you should go for it and do a double!! I just have my heart set on london i havent even looked at any others!!

  • andyc209andyc209 ✭✭✭
    Wings of Fire - do the double, even though i did not set a PB in either you can at least tick that big box and say you have done two in a week. From my point - Paris was very hot, 26 degrees in places so in the last few KM i backed off to save some energy and set a 3.47 - then i had a couple of massages tuesday and wednesday and then went for a gentle 3 miler on the thursday just to get things moving. During London my legs where a little heavy for the first mile but then they felt quite 'spongy' for the next 19 miles - they felt really good. The last 6 miles where pretty draining though as a mixture of heat again and fatigue set in. Happy though at the end as i did a 3.37 so to knock 10 minutes of a week later was a bonus. Only just started running again though after three weeks off - hopefully i can get back to fitness again in three weeks.
  • Well done Andy those are great times for a marathon, you have both pursuaded me.If you don't see wings of fire after October you will know whyimage.

    I will keep an eye out for you Katy 1733 we may have to pull each other inimage.

    . I am doing the Trentham Donna Louise 10k on sunday,a nice little run.I  don't do many less than a half marathon so it will make a nice change.

    .Hope I don't have too many beers tomorrow watching Stoke in the Cup Finalimage.

  • Gotta have a beer tomorrow!! Im a potters fan and my folks are both off to wembly in the morning!! I ran Hell runner in feb @ cannock after a drinking session the night before and didnt do to bad!! However a session to me is only couple glasses of wine. image

    Good luck eveyone. As long as im not last i dont care!!

  • pottermisspottermiss ✭✭✭
    I'm off to Wembley in the morning, 6am train but will be worth it! Come on you Potters!!!
  • Last year I did the Donna Louise with a hangover,nearly gave up after the first lap 5k, but was encouraged by a young girl runner to go around again,felt fine on the last 2k and had to encourage my new friend to keep going,we finished together and gave each other a big hug,It's great when runners help each other through the bad stages,you never forget those moments.

    Come on Stoke,I'd love to be at wembly today,we have an annual F.A. Cup meeting at the mother home, my brothers and sisters,nephews and neices the gathering gets bigger each year.Hot Dogs and Burgers at half time.We have a pound each on the players,draw out the names and last goal scorer in the match wins.good fun.  

  • sorry about the cup final , your fans were a credit to the club !
    thinking of entering this ,how easy is the start to get to from the motorway. is parking easy near the start?
  • Blue steve...............  Well eay to get to from the motorway, cant tell you more than that really.  Last year i stayed at the best western hotel, just on the out skirts of the town and walked ten min to the start line (i classed it as my warm up) parking shouldnt be a problem.

  • I've just entered the Potters Arf, it'll be my first half marathon. I'm pretty nervous about these big hills, but I love a good challenge too!
  • Rachel you'll be fine. The adrenaline on the day will help you up them. Im really nervous and i run 8-12 miles evey saturday, i know i can do the distance but still feel nervous!! Good luck image
  • Hi there this is my first post on runnersworld.I did this last year for my first half marathon lovely support from the locals the last hill is a hard drag but the supporters spraying water over you is a nice cooler .I enjoyed it so much entered this year too hope to beat last years time of 1h37m my numbers 962 good luck to every one running

  • compo 1compo 1 ✭✭✭
    second time for me doing this race did 2 years ago hoping to get a new PB for this race
  •  Nervous, well Katy and Rachel the support of the Potters and the runners will give you all the encouragement you need,it's a great race, you will enjoy it ,so relaximage and soak up the friendly atmosphere.It's a quick start so don't get carried away,pace yourself and you will be pleasantly surprised how well you have done at the finish.You'll be fineimage.
  • Ran yesterday (always LSR on a sunday morning) and decided to do a very hilly run...... Did 8.5m and boy o boy was it a killer.  Just kept thinking to myself 'this is milton hill' (i think thats the name of the last BIG hill)  good for my training but should of started sooner really.  Will do hilly runs from now until the week before this Arf marathon then back onto the hills once this one is out the way in preparation for the GNR, which in my opinion is just as hard as this one.

    I will echoe the statement its a fast start, i was running at 7min miles up until the first hill (i think its approx 3-4 mile mark?) I think After getting over that hill every one is getting into there normal race pace......

  • compo 1compo 1 ✭✭✭
    BW

    there is Buxton half marathon this sunday which I am doing that is hilly
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