Preston Guild Marathon

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  • St annes 10 is one of my club races and I would normaly do it but I am doing a 20 miler in wales on the saturday. I will look into the down gradeing from full to half I cant see any problem so long as you give plenty of notice and not on the day.

    I asked about the course tonight and it is going to stay as it is but we will be working hard on the pr side of thing to try and get as much support out on the course as possible.

    In a ten mile loop of the course you have 6 pubs 3 schools which the organisers will be trying to come up with some type of entertainment and support for all the people running.

    Lets all support this event and make the best of what is on offer and hope in 20 years we are fit enought to run it again I'll be a vet 65 image.

    As for the cycle route it is 21 miles and I'll be running it as a recci for 21 primary schools in preston to run a mile each as part of the guild celebration so when I have a date I'll let people know as will need a bit of company.

  • I'll join you Alan. It'll be a pressure.
    Daz mc (Preston h)
  • Keith OBKeith OB ✭✭✭

    Pete

    Which bit do you mean?

    Don't know where you mean, Steps in woods and Longsands Lane.

    It comes down Midergy Lane from ADSA way and at bottom of hill goes onto what were rough trails but are now 3 m wide tarmac all the way to Fulwood Row except about last 20 yards as at last Sunday so prob done now.

    After that down Fulwood Row and under M6 and back onto new tarmac all the way to SPAR on Bluebell Way.

    KOB

  • Hiya Keith,

    I don't know anything about the Guild Wheel after Longridge Road going north near you yet, but intend to as soon as our parts are connected up. 

    We just decided to see how far we could go east from Avenham along the river and got as far as the M6 motorway. After that the tarmac changes to a cinder track along through Brockholes Nature Reserve but then the cinder track stops just as you reach some steep steps going upwards along a muddy track for about 50 metres into what's called Red Scar Wood.  So that was the end of the Wheel as far as we could tell.

    Through Red Scar Woods it was then a muddy dirt track, continuing then through a field with no track at all, then up to a fence and through an industrial estate to get back onto Longridge Road. Hopefully at some point they'll get that track and field tarmaced (or cindered) to join our two sections together.

    I won't risk my trainers going any further along the Wheel past Red Scar Wood until a) either the weather improves so it's not so muddy or b) I hear that the Wheel has been surfaced properly between the wood and Longridge Road.  

    Another couple of months and we'll be good to go from Red Scar Wood right up through nearer to you to the Spar at Bluebell Way.  It sounds great from there on all the way up to ASDA!  Looking forward to being able to run it.

    Gonna go west past the docks before the end of this month so it'll be interesting to see how far is tarmaced going that way too. It'll be ace to run when it's all fully connected up!

  • It's so much nicer on here when everyone's all friends again image

    I think there are quite a lot of local runners who are eagerly awaiting the completion of the Guild Wheel. A few from our club (Red Rose) are talking about running it. It would be great if we could use the Wheel as an annual event in March to rival the Trimpell 20 as a pre-London race. I'm hoping one of our local race organisers will pick up on it in years to come!
  • Is there a Guild Wheel map anywhere? I`d like to try and use it for training when I`m at in-laws in Penwortham.

    If it`s a combined limit for full and half, I`m surmising that it`d shouldn`t be any hassle to drop to the HM if necessary - ? I`m more scared about the 5k though; never done one of `em! image

  • ET

    i live in Longton and find the Ribbleway pretty good for off road long runs.

    Also, a good run from Penwortham would be through Miller Park into Aveham Park and then head down the old Tram track down to Bamber Bridge.

    If you are ever over and want to do a slow Sunday morning plod I am happy to take you out to show you a good route.

  • Keith OBKeith OB ✭✭✭

    Hi Pete

    It is complete round here from Spar on Bluebell way up to D'Urton Lane but mainly follows old Midgery Lane.

    There is the gap you identified in Red Scar woods and then it is on footpaths up to Bluebell way Mway jct.

    D'Urton lane is then back on roads up to just short of Broughton police station on A6.

    We hoped to track it that way last weekend but the heavens opened and 12 mile turned in 6.

    Will try again tomorrow. Aiming to go round to around Cottam and then back to car in Moor Park.

     Hi Poorly Feet

    When you are out training for VLM in cold at silly oclock remember it was Judith who pulled your name from the hatimage

    Keith

  • PF

    You will thank me when you cross the finish line and get that medal!!image It is worth it. At least this year has been better for the winter training than last year when I had to do it and the year before.image

    Looking forward to using the Guild Wheel as long training run before the Guild Marathon. Trying to piece it together with Keith at the moment.

  • Keith - the training's no problem. I work from 5-10am so I've been doing my long runs in the afternoons image

    Judith - I thanked you for it as soon as I got the news! I'm so excited about it I could pop!
  • Keith,

    Guild Wheel Update:

    Went west this morning on the Guild Wheel from Miller Park towards the docks and can confirm that everything is connected up for a good 7.4 miles right up to the Miller Trees Lane/Tom Benson Way roundabout, and it probably is further but needed to turn back at that point.

    There's about a 300 metre stretch not tarmaced just after the new bridge over Blackpool Rd but this will most likely be completed by end March.

    So this means that for the west, south west, south and south east parts of the Wheel there's now a good 7.4 miles + 5.2 miles to the steps at Red Scar Woods of continuous run. i.e. a total of 12.6 miles. Cool huh!

    ...and it's just a joy to run on. 90% pollution and traffic free.

  • Cheers Max. That`s a lovely offer and I `ll take you up on it hopefully. tbh though, I usually arrange to do a race when I`m at the in-laws so hope to do Lytham 10 next Sunday!

     Usually my ldrs in Preston are along Liverpool Road to Hoole or the Chorley sign.

  • Hi Pete

    Thanks for the up-date. We did Wallsend Road to a bit past Shaws Arms and back yesterday. Looking at the Midgery Lane/Mountain and Cottam bit probably over Easter weekend. Sussing All the bits out slowly with the bh (Keith). It will be good for a couple of long runs before the Guild marathon.

  • Hey Coastersgb,

    How's your marathon training going? You up to doing a 15 mile run yet?  I'm still keen on doing miles 9-24 of your fantasy guild marathon route which is a good 15 mile loop from Moor Park back to Moor Park, but I'm about 8-10 weeks away from being able to manage that comfortably. ...You up for doing it together? You'd have to lead cos I don't know some parts of your route. Let me know where you're up to.

    Keith/Judith

    Did you manage to check out the northern part of the Guild Wheel last week, or where you hit by that cold snap? I can confirm that from the end of Merry Trees Lane going south all the way around and back up to Red Scar Wood is all good to go, so we're all clear this south side giving us about a 12 mile stretch of it, but I've not been any further past Merry Trees Lane near Cottam yet.

    In fact, now that the St Annes 10 is out of the way I've managed to sit down and put together an outline of the long run build ups I need between now and the marathon, interspersed with the necessary short and long distance races required in between, and I've got about 15 long runs to do starting on Sunday 8th April with an easy 10 then gradually increasing each one by a mile up to 21 miles by Sunday 9th Sept, then backing off again before the marathon, all spaced evenly 2-3 weeks apart.

    I fancy doing the majority of my long runs on this new Guild Wheel away from traffic and pollution, and I don't know if you've done your outline yet, or even if my plan would fit in with yours or what races you need to do for your target time, but wondered if you might wanna join me on some of them for some company. I'm 47, so they'll only be 7.30-8 min mile pace (lol!), as my bod needs a gradual long run build up to avoid injuries. I've done 6 marathons before today but my last one was 15 years ago so am a bit rusty.

    I was thinking of picking a point somewhere on the Guild Wheel, doing a run of say 5 miles out and back, then picking a different point on the Wheel next time to do 5.5 and back, then 6, 6.5 and so on. What do you think? You up for that?  ...I'm happy to share my training schedule and dates, complete with required races, to see if any of it fits in with yours if needed, noo probs.

    Any Guild Marathoners?

    In fact, is anybody interested in long easy run group training sessions on the Wheel for this preston marathon? Doesn't matter what club you're from. The aim is to get time on our feet, get our long runs in and keep each other motivated. ...and if we do it gradually we'll be able to run around the full guild wheel twice during September before tapering. Not sure if I'll ever do that again after that! lol.

    I'm also thinking of 'getting on the wheel' on Sundays at 9am, as that is when the race is so it'll give me/us chance to practice what patterns and foods our bodies need.

    Any thoughts anyone?

    We can pick and choose where to meet and start from between us, including which direction to go.

  • Keith OBKeith OB ✭✭✭

    Hi Pete

    Good idea about trying to get a group going to train with but you are way too quick for us to think about running with you. We are more like 12 minute miles in half marathons upwards. I have never got past a half but Judith has done Dublin and London fulls.

    Our next long run will not be until Easter weekend as having a recovery week this week from Liverpool half and doing Three Bridges 10k in Lancaster 1st April so will report back on Northern strech of Guild Wheel after then.

  • Hiya Keith, that's ok, no worries. Hadn't really given much thought to our speeds.

    Was more about company really and getting the long runs in my legs over this summer with time on my feet, as my mind and bod tends to go asleep on anything over an hours run. You could set off 5-10 mins earlier maybe and see if that helped keep me motivated to keep going. lol.

    Nice work on the Liverpool Half. Am not up to the halfs yet as the intensity for that long would finish me off but Lancaster 10k will be good. I'm no good at distance races yet until I can get my legs woke up a bit. 

    We'll be going back out to Red Scar Woods this end too at some point over the next 2 weeks so will let you know where they're up to or if they've got started on any of it past the steps. 

  • Hi Pete

    Great idea to try and get group(s) together. 

    I usually do my long runs very early (start between 6 and 7 am) on a Sunday and must admit I am starting to get sick of my own company. However, I would be happy to rearrange to do one or two runs for the Guild race at 9am.

    I am doing 20 miles on Saturday this week and thinking of running 4 miles from Longton and picking up GW at Penwortham Bridge and running through Miller and Aveham Parks. Should be fun if weather stays like today.

  • 20?! Geeeez Max! That's a long run! You doing VLM or something? ...I'm crap at early morning runs as I'm half asleep and my bod refuses to co-operate so need to practice 9am starts for long runs. 6 or 7am would kill me. lol.

    By joining the "GW at Penwortham Bridge" do you mean joining at Broadgate?

    Without measuring it, if it's 4 from you at Longton to Broadgate then another 6 would get you as far as Red Scar Woods on the GW, yes? Is that your plan, and then turn back to make your run come to about 20?

    I'm at Miller so if you want some company to make sure you keep awake then let me know. Can be on the corner of Broadgate for any time you want as I'm due for a run to the steps at Red Scar Woods sooner or later. Just don't make it too early ok! Grrrr. lol.

  • Dont forget fellas its the sports relief 1, 3, and 6mile runs down on the parks from 9am onwards.
  • Hi Pete

    Yep, I mean joining at Broadgate and usually get to near the Tickle Trout . I have to take kids to swimming at 10 so will be an early start on Saturday. I will be at Broadgate at 7am if you fancy. No worries if you don't and happy to met up when training for Guild Marathon. I am in the Greater Manchester Marathon on 29th April, hence the long run!

    Reason for the Saturday run rather than my usual Sunday is the family are all doing Sport Relief mile on Sunday. 11 year old daughteris going to run on her own, Mum will plod behind her and I am running along with my 5 year old daughter (she did 1.5 mile run at Run Preston in 16 minutes so not too shabby)

  • Looks like the Guild Marathon is heading for the biggest marathon in the North, well done Phil Walsh and his team, not be running myself but will be there chearing on all runners running for Help4Heroes (48 in total now) thanks to the wonderful Goal-Den-Girls for choosing this brilliant charity.
  • I`m planning to enter this weekend, after payday. How`s Rhyader go Alan?
  • Remember all runners running and raising vital funds for Help4Heroes will recieve a free garmin Forerunner to assist with your training and medic advice with the highest fundraiser winning an all expenses paid trip to the 2013 Paris Marathon and run with 22.000 participants.  Contact me for details ronmcandrew@hotmail.co.uk  THANK YOU in advance
  • Hiya Max,

    My brain hardly works at that time of morning so I haven't got a clue what my legs will be like!! lol. ...however I've gotta get 'em used to morning runs at some point so yeah, will meet you at the Broadgate start of the wheel on Sat and we'll get off to the Tickle Trout and back.

    They've done a real good job of finishing off the Broadgate section this week and it's just aaace to run on, so if you've not been on that part for a while you'll notice a huge difference. 

    See you at 7am anyway. Weather forecast is supposed to keep good until Monday. If my legs won't keep up I'll just let you crack on at your own pace.

  • Hiya Ron,

    It's great to hear that your finding this "Guild Marathon is heading for the biggest marathon in the North" but what exactly are you saying "well done to Phil Walsh and his team" for?

    You know as well as everyone else on this forum that the social media and viral nature of the collective words of "One off special event", "Preston Guild" and "Marathon" is what's really doing the work to completely sell this event for him don't you, so why the praise? ...He's not needing to organise having any printed entry forms taken to lots of local races for months beforehand is he? He's also not going to need any mass print advertising, media buying or radio plugs either is he? In fact, I'm not sure if his promoting machine for this marathon has actually got started yet outside of the entry forms up on the central Guild website, but I'm sure he'll pretty much soon realise he's not going to need one. It's truly a most enviable position for any event organiser I'm sure you'll agree.

    What I'd love you to be reporting here as a very experienced race organiser yourself is well done for what he's organising, as I'm sure like many of us you've spent good money on tickets to a "special one off" rare charity event, or new years eve party or fireworks display yourself, and then felt afterwards that it could have been much better organised, or found that this or that major part was completely ignored or missing, and we all know what sour taste that leaves after the event is over.

    What you could maybe help me out with here is why would any experienced race organiser worth his salt, with the absolute perfect array of excellent expertise just readily available at his fingertips, allow his name and team to be directly associated and remembered as those that organised a one off guild marathon event that took high paying entry fees then went and sent his customers/runners off out into the countryside for a good 15-16 miles of a marathon?

    Or help me with why would any event organiser permit a highly memorable legacy event to occur such as this that completely misses out on the golden opportunity of intermingling a course amongst Preston's wards and communities in order to take to the streets the brilliant Guild atmosphere and spirit that will be highly evident during the many other Guild events held throughout summer and Guild Week?  

    Or how are the many entrants of this special event going to feel when the course is finally measured and published? Or does that not matter in this case because we will have all already paid up and he's not an event organiser that needs to worry about getting paid up entries for the year after?

    It's ok, I'm not expecting you to try and answer any of these questions Ron given your 2 decades of successful race organising, but please, could we just at least keep any praise lavishing for "Phil Walsh and his team" purely to what is fully deserved and totally commendable? I'm sure both he and his team at least deserve that and I'd certainly be the first to say so if that was the occasion. 

    Let's let the real truth of how entries are really happening and what he's organising here speak for itself eh.

  • Hi Pete

    See you at 7am tomorrow. I would ask how I will recognise you but if there is another mad runner stood on Broadgate at that time I will be surprised.

    I am aiming for 8:15 pace for marathon so usually do LSR at 9:15-9:45 pace. Happy to run slower though!

  • Hi Max, lol, I think there's a strong chance that I'll be the only nutter stood nutter there at 7am in the morning ready to rock n roll in running shorts so we certainly won't miss each other.

    And yeah, your 9.15 pace at that time of morning will be completely fine for me too, so no worries. See you tomoz.

  • Hi Pete

    Hope your training/running is going well, thanks for your coments re Phil Walsh. Phil has been a good frioend for many years, I will give praise werever it is due at all times, you know a pat on the back now and then is always good and most accepted by many, it helps to negate those cinicals out there. I'm sure this event will be a great ONE OFF success with thousands ofpounds being raised for many charities and at the end of the day that will make me very happy for all concerned.

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