I was watching the Hull Marathon from Victoria Dock and I can say with absolute certainty that the lady from Barnsley Harriers was the first female to complete that course. She is listed in second place in the official results. Get real guys, she ran the whole course! The Victoria Dock route was a single pathway out and back with relatively few marshalls. If you are going to cheat, do it when you are miles behind the leaders, don't take the glory away from the people who really deserve it.
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The real winner was my club mate. I supplied her gels around the course so saw how the race developed.
The supposed winner was overtaken at 8 miles and by 19 miles was falling quite some way behind. She then miraculously appeared at the finish 12 minutes quicker before the real winner without doing any overtaking and recorded approximate splits of 1:35/1:21. We all know that didnt happen.
There was nothing intentional about it I'm sure. When I spoke to her at the end she just seemed bemused by it all.
The original poster mentioned `relatively few marshals'. This was the case throughout the race, including dangerous road junctions. We had been promised that all roads would be traffic free which was not the case. The police we spoke to had no idea what was happening, neither did local residents.
I finished 4th in the race and there were 3 points where I would have gone wrong had I not reccied the course beforehand and known the city well.
I'm upset because I know I won and this marathon has just turned into a fiasco!
This joint winner thing cant be allowed to stand.
At the moment the rankings quite rightly show you as the V45 UK No.1 Hilly BUT they also show the 'supposed' winner as the Overall UK No.3.
The Race Referee, being fully aware of what happened, isn't going to let that stand.
The issue of the inaccurate distance is unbelievable too, the same thing happened at the Brihton Half this year where the course was long due to a mistake on the out and back section.
If these big city race organisers are going to charge the huge entry fes that they seem to be able to justify they have the absolute responsibility to ensure that the course is accurate, safe, well marshalled and signed and to make sure that these issues don't arise.
Well I know one chap didnt run the correct course because he ran through the ice rink car park (a short route) while a marshall shrugged his shoulders.
As for not setting the course out correctly that would be worrying because it wont be a situation like Brighton (which was long) it will be a case of all result being marked as 'SHORT' but even then only if it gets re-measured. Invalidating ranking performances is going to create a lot of anger.......
Hard to understand how somebody who must be a half decent runner could suddenly run a marathon at half a minute a mile faster than her half-marathon pace, and do a 10 minute negative split without realising that something was wrong. Next year, I predict they will add some timing mats at the turnaround of the out and back sections. Shutting the stable door...
If, and I really hope this doesn't turn out to be the case, but if the course turns out to have been short, There will be a lot of people quite rightly p.o'd. I very much doubt they'll do the right thing and offer money back, but at the very least they should offer a free place in next year's race. Although most people wouldn't take them up on it since it is for charity. Not that the fact that it is for charity gives them any excuse for the c**k-up.
Looking at the course description before this happened, it did look like there were a lot of places where things could go wrong. I wonder if they made too much of an effort to make the course interesting and scenic, and ended up with it too complex and tricky to safely and accurately mark out and marshall.
Thanks Juggler. At the minute the short course is only a suspicion, not proven.
Ironically, as first man outside the top 3 and therefore getting the first V40 prize, I believe this will be a free entry to next years event! I think I was better off with the large vegetables we won at the Maiden Newton 10k.
The race was not for charity - many people did run for charity but it was organised by a company for profit. Apparently the company usually organises triathlons, and we know how approximate those measurements can be.
🙂
According to Po10, HM pb (from last year's GNR) of just outside 92 mins. On reflection, in addition to route data and splits, I think she should share her training - this girl clearly knows how to crack the sub-3 which has eluded me thus far!
I can see that having got herself into the position she has, it's hard to turn around and 'fess up, but ultimately people will respect her a lot more if she does. I bet Kielder Guy wishes he'd done that now!
She didnt run with a Garmin.
I think she thought I was one of the race officials when I was asking her a few factual questions at the end but she told me that she didnt wear a Garmin and there was nothing on her wrist.
She was confused by the situation she found herself in, which would be understandable if she didnt know the halfway time and had no reference points as to how she was going.
I think the situation grew because of pressure she came under from 'others' not to back down. 'Others' being people who had no knowledge of anything that had happened I might add.
Interestingly, she was actually wearing a watch, not a Garmin by the looks of it but a watch...which means that she will be aware of the halfway split and therefore will know deep down that she didnt run the second half in 1:21.
It really is now time for her to graciously accept what happened and let the organisers do whatever they can to make it up to her for the organisational failures.
Were there official photographers on the course? Be interesting to see the order of their pictures. We used the photographers to prove that 2 of the first 5 "women" were in fact men running with swapped numbers at Brighton Half.
A club mate went wrong (at the water station at the start of the out and back part) and knew something was wrong and told the officials at the finish. He is gutted, 1st marafu and all, but honest. Not in the results on power of ten
If this is the next big city marathon! They've got some serious work to Do!!!!!!!
Oh dear, what a mess, really sympathise with you all especially as you have trained so hard and now it might not count. I did a half marathon recently and got a massive PB but it was short so I was really annoyed. Although with a half it is easy to knock off another. BTW I improved my half from 1.47 to 1.34 (the course was only 140 yards short) so it is not out of the question for the lady to have improved that much.
I suppose she must have been baffled and if she was told she won she is going to take it, it is not right though. I suspect now she is regretting it but it is hard, once she has accepted it, to go back and say she was wrong. I know in that situation I would have fessed up as I know I would be bound to be found out, also it is not fair on the genuine winners
Some of you may recalled that there was a big debate back in August/September re the organiser's ability to stage a race of this size, his only experience of Road Race organisation being the "Hell on the Humber" which attracted just over 100 runners over the Humber Bridge for 12 hours. Unfortunately, no-one listened, least of all the Hull City Council and the local media, who assumed it was sour grapes from the REAL running clubs in the area because they hadn't thought of putting on the event. Sadly, it looks like our worst fears have been realised.
I followed the race through Darley's Roundabout and Hessle Square. In neither place did any event marshalls turn up, it was left to the police to control traffic. Many of the leading runners were confused coming out of Prestongate, Hessle onto Hessle Square whether to take the left or right fork. It was left to spectators to inform them. I assume the race risk-assessment clearly indicated that event marshalls would be provided at these dangerous points, everyone involved with race promotion knows that police attendance cannot be guaranteed, any local emergency could lead to police support being redirected elsewhere. When affiliated runners are being asked to pay £38 to enter (£10 more than London) they expect things to be right.
I do think some of the scathing comments directed at the female"winner" are a little unfair, as she must have been totally confused by what was happening in her first marathon, and was being interviewed on the radio within seconds of her "finishing". Please bear in mind, also, that the only mile marker provided on the course was at 13 miles, so any shortening of the course would not have been immediately obvious in the seconds after you have finished. Give the poor girl time to properly analyse what her situation is.
My sister ran this shambles of an event yesterday.
I must say in all the events I have been to and been a spectator at this one was the worst with regards lack of information, and a properley signed and fenced off route.
Lets face it the company who organised this event is NOT A CHARITY OR SMALL CLUB they are a profit making limited company who apparently organise these events every week???. The issues that they have had are clearly unaceptable and they should be held accountable for this mess.
People train hard for events and pay alot of money especially this one and expect a safe and well managed event. I cannot understand how this company ever got this course signed off by UKA. there where sections of the course that clearly flouted health and safety and simply not enough marshalls or signage or fencing at areas where confusion could arrise.
What could have been a great event for the city and the runners has resulted in a disaster as far as serious runners go. I only feel for the lady who actually won this race and the awkward predicament of the other lady, lets face it runners run where they are told and expect the course to be correct, this should not happen at what potentially could be a large scale city marathon, the organisors clearly need to stick to smaller events and let a reputable events company or clubs run this event, not only professionaly but for charity as its intended.
Hopefully everyone will get there just rewards and this mess gets sorted out, its rather a lot of egg on face of the organisor. We where all warned of there lack of experience and shortcomings long before this event was published. I just hope they get rid of the organisation behind this and appoint a new team as myself and my sister will not be returning to Hull for what could be a great event.
Lets hope that the local clubs get there heads together and run this event next year like they do with all the other local races, get in there now before the same mess happens next year.
If you want a marshalls perspective read this link I found says it all, and to think the organisors are allready talking about 2013
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To be fair I can't say that my run was affected by the poor organisation. I was thrown by the lack of marshalls and no mile markers, but being an experienced runner was able to adapt quickly. However, one should not have to adapt to these things and I did have to have my wits about me at all times. I hope a marathon continues in Hull, but some serious improvements need to be made!
Also, a massive thank you to those marshalls who were out on the course giving full support and doing their best!