Oxford Half Marathon

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  • Have you tried parking in Oxford recently?

    Seems to me that the major problem will be getting council permission for the road closures in the Cowley road Iffley road area.

    As for the scenery, I usualy do all my long runs around the ring road and apart from the bit around the mini factory it's not as ugly as a lot of places.

    Will wait until the end of July before making a decision but I hope it goes ahead.

  • compo 1compo 1 ✭✭✭
    parking is a nightmare when I was down I used the one at Waitrose in old Headington
  • loulabellloulabell ✭✭✭
    I will be having to pay a visit to a branch of the company i work for in Walton st  soon...think i'll be doing park n ride as parking there is a nightmare too!!!image
  • Parking is brilliant at the Kassam Stadium - right at the start/finish. It will accommodate many 1000s. Good access from the Southern/Eastern bypass.  This is the ideal way to arrange a city marathon, run from a carpark at the city edge, through the city centre and return to finish by your car.

    Route looks pretty good as well. Only steepish hill is downhill - the uphills are very gentle!

  • But won't the roads around the Kassam be closed?
  • Now that would indeed be stupid to close Grenoble road completely. I would hope the organisers will keep the route past the Science park fully open before the start. Then once the runners have gone, open the route to Watlington Road so that the early finishers can leave immediately they are ready. But better ask them to be sure. There is no impact on the bypass since the route described here uses pedestrian subways..
  • Evening all, my name is Paul, I was raised on Blackbird Leys,
    I have Lived here all my life. Imagine my surprise when i came in tonight from a couple of hours hard digging in my allotment to see a couple of people on here having a slight dig at the Leys.
    I have travelled all over the British Isles these past 50 odd years,
    from the highlands of Scotland to the place where they say the Lands Ending.( Wonderful they are to.) Some places are a bit more up market than others, some more industrialized than others, but all without fail are full of people who are just like the mighty fine folk I have grown up with around here. Where ever you happen to live, you are no different to the Good people of Blackbird Leys.

    My brother, who also grew up on the Leys is now the coach of Oxford University boxing squad who gave Cambridge a bloody nose or two this year in the varsity match. Another one of us won the Annual Town and Gown 10k( twice)
    If you do your research on Blackbird leys and you can see past the tiny minority who commit crime, you will see that Blackbird leys is full of champion people. That is why Oxford United choose it as their new home.
    Another thing while i am here, the countryside to the south of Grenoble road is beautiful, it is the home to Red Kites, buzzards Foxes , Munkjac, badgers Herons, roe deer I could go on..
    The Footpaths and bridleways between Blackbird Leys and Garsington/Horspath/The Baldons are all as good as those I run on around the UK.
    This event is ideal for Oxford, i ran from the Kassam stadium today along the route but in reverse and i personally think it is excellent. The route takes you under the subway by rose hill so no problems with the by-pass. The same applies by the car factory.
    With marshals at a few key road junctions I can't see why there should be any problems.
  • waccyracer wrote (see)
    Evening all, my name is Paul, I was raised on Blackbird Leys, I have Lived here all my life. Imagine my surprise when i came in tonight from a couple of hours hard digging in my allotment to see a couple of people on here having a slight dig at the Leys.

    oooh! Sensitive! Posting like that will get you nowhere.

    The issue can be regarded as factual or steotypical.

    Factual: in 1991 there were extensive riots with poilce getting stoned and people being stabbed after the police tried to crack down on joy riding. Where I come from we don't regard this as the normal behaviour of "Good people". (I come from High Wycombe where our good people are involved in regilously mislead bombings and shoot kids at point blank on the door step.)

    Stereotypical: I don't take the steroetype seriously and if you think others do then you have a problem.

  • If you segregate the working class to peripheral areas with poor access to amenities and then downsize or remove a major source of employment whilst promoting an elite in more affluent areas of the same town, then you will get the odd social disturbance. A lot of effort has gone into rejuvenating the area south of Oxford with varying degrees of success it's just a shame that it took a summer of civil disturbance to get it.

     I don't come from or live in BBL but alot of my collegues do, of whom some are more pleasant than others, and I don't thionk it's reputation of lawlessness is entirely deserved.

    I hope this race does come off if only to introduce people to a more realistic version of Oxford that isn't university dominated.

  • There's now a website http://www.oxfordhalfmarathon.co.uk/ with online entry "available imminently"

    I think I'll go for it.
  • According to the Facebook page, the online entry is now not available until next tuesday.....
  • The course now has a course measurement certificate (Oxon 11/156).  The course as measured seems to require far more extensive road closures in East and South Oxford than previously indicated. It will be interesting to see how the local councils react to that. Who can predict their attitude? But it  seems very short notice to organise such a large event  from Somerset without a local organiser. If there is one perhaps they could be identified?
  • Until the traffic management plan is agreed I'd be wary of paying out any money
  • loulabellloulabell ✭✭✭
    hi USB...image are you going to do this one? id really like to but like you say im hanging onto entry money until its given the ok
  • Not sure how it will fit into training or budgetary plans as yet.  Call me a possible image
  • Still no news on whether the Traffic Management Plan has been approved or rejected? I would guess that there are usually a few amendments required, which in turn will affect the course, which will require more fine tuning and re-measurement to get it up to race distance.

    Anyone know how long it typically takes a council to process one of these things?

    The thing that is concerning me is that its only 3 months away - I will need to undertake some kind of training schedule which I am reluctant to commence if the race is shelved. There could be a lot of people entering the race not properly prepared.
  • loulabellloulabell ✭✭✭
    you can train for it regardless, if it falls through you will be suitably trained to enter another, plenty of them and Blenheim half is up and running, thats october so you gain3 weeks more training with that.....image
  • I posed a similar question on the Facebook page, to which the organiser replied.

    My questions was: I've read a lot online about this not being confirmed by the relevant governing bodies-is it 100% going ahead?

    Here is the response.

    Hi Miranda, a few people have tried putting some negative publicity about, more out of jealousy than anything else! The Council and all Emergency Services gave their approval back in March; the Route was officially measured and certified last week and all final Event Plans were received by the Council for final approval a week or so ago, although not originally required until the end of July. We have a fully approved Race Permit to hold the Event. We have some excellent Partners involved with race such as MINI Plant Oxford, Brooks, Oxford Brookes Uni, BBc Oxford, Ozone Health Club, Kassam Complex and Helen & Douglas House - it is just unfortunate that a few 'die hards' got upset about our plans?! this will be a great race for everyone and 99% of people have been great and very appreciative about us staging it (you can't please 100% of the people!).
  • Fido2DogsFido2Dogs ✭✭✭
    I notice that doesn't say "yes" or "the council have GIVEN all final approvals". Given the Sussex Marathon had to change its route late on because of council traffic concerns (as I understand it) I would imagine there is some small risk of the same happening here until every approval needed has been got (aside from Cardiff Half style misadventure). I could have misunderstood though and the council may indeed approve the route & plans without asking for changes.
  • loulabellloulabell ✭✭✭

    this is all getting a bit dithery for me..if they dont give a straight answer soon a lot of people will sogn up for alternative runs that weekendimage

  • Fido2DogsFido2Dogs ✭✭✭

    It sounds as though they have indeed said how they stand right now.

    Councils are rather like hippos, large, difficult to get to move (particularly in the desired direction), bad-tempered, and prone to squashing you first and asking questions afterwards. So you have to have some sympathy for anyone having dealings with them!

  • Fido2Dogs wrote (see)

    Councils are rather like hippos, large, difficult to get to move (particularly in the desired direction), bad-tempered, and prone to squashing you first and asking questions afterwards.

    Fido- are all vegetarians like that?image
  • Anyone heard any updates on what is going on?

    A good trawl through the internet has revealed nothing new. My parents who live near Oxford and listen to Radio Oxford all day and all night have heard nothing since it being announced a few weeks ago.

    Only 12 weeks or so to go - that's a lot of organising to do.

    Personally I need to make the go/no go decision very soon as this will require me to up my training and change my medication.
  • I was interested but will now for go for another event as there is a lot of uncertainty about this event.
  • Hi Guys,

    The events website www.oxfordhalfmarathon.co.uk opened online entries on Friday 24th June, just for your information and closing date is September 11th or when 3000 participants total is reached.

    Tells me all I need to knowimage

  • Dave Box wrote (see)

    Hi Guys,

    The events website www.oxfordhalfmarathon.co.uk opened online entries on Friday 24th June, just for your information and closing date is September 11th or when 3000 participants total is reached.

    Tells me all I need to knowimage


    Exactly, it tells you all you need to know and theT&Cs say:

     No refund can be given if the race has to be cancelled or postponed due to circumstances beyond our control.

    I am not commenting on if I think it will go ahead or not, I am just saying that they are covering their backs. Do I think it will happen? Yes. Do I think it will happen as advertised today, same route etc? No.

    I drove by this morning: typical Sunday morning, and traffoc was heavy. I can't see the council approving the road plan suggested.

  • Interesting that the T&Cs say this, because when asked on the FB group, the organiser (after being asked twice...) said that people would get refunds "If we decided not to stage the event".

    Unfortunately anyone who asks this guy any questions gets accused of being negative-I'm not negative, I just want to make sure I don't pay for and train for an event that isn't going to happen....
  • If the traffic management plan is not approved or council permission is otherwise denied, that is not the organiser's decision and under his company's terms and conditions he might very well say that refunds are not due. His statement on FB seems carefully worded so as not cover the situation where permission is refused. 
  • Hi

    My name is Dave Box and I am one of the organisers of the Oxford Half Marathon. Would just want to give you an update on the event. The race is going ahead, we have a permit, the route has been approved, sponsors on board, and we have complied with all regulations and we have been ahead of schedule on this.

    Robert has very kindly pointed out that I quote "the organiser claimed he was seeking a UKA licence and they obviously realised he would not get it" which is totally untrue. We do not need a UKA licence as we have an ARC (Association of Running Clubs) permit which is legitimate and at no point did we seek a licence from UKA, lets be very clear on this! I believe,(and this is only my own opinion) that ARC represents "grass root" road running and we are very proud to be associated with them.

    To address Miranda's issue, Andy Heyes is also one of the the organisers of the Oxford Half Marathon and when " unfortunately anyone who asks this guy any questions gets accused of being negative" is totally an incorrect statement to make. We would welcome any person to join Oxford Half Marathon facebook and see for themselves this is not the case.  Guys, all we ask is please be careful about making inaccurate statements. Of course, we totally accept feedback both positive and negative as organisers I personally believe you have to embrace this.

    If you have any questions, please do contact us at www.oxfordhalfmarathon.co.uk  under the enquiry link and we will answer all questions.

    Also thank you for all your comments on this site, really value the feedback. Just to state again the Oxford Half Marathon IS going ahead and online entries opened Friday 24th June and we have already received nearly 1000 entries. Closing date is September 11th or when limit of 3000 is reached. Please be aware of this and we are just so excited about this event, especially with the history of Oxford and for me personally Sir Roger Bannister breaking the mile record in 1954. Hope to see you there,Dave

  • Dave does this mean that the traffic plan has been approved and that you have the councils permission? The uncertainty around this is the main point of concern for many people and clarification would help alot of people make their final decision.
    Personally I hope this does go ahead.
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