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Greater Manchester Marathon
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Well said Joanne - 'inexcusible' sums it up nicely - I must have missed the rose-tinted glasses stall at the expo that everyone else seemed to have visited !
You all seem to be taking it in good spirit. I would be as grumpy as a grumpy thing.
4.19.46 for me, which I am so happy with!
I did my first marathon in London last year and it all went a bit wrong and I finished in 5.51. I knew I was capable of so much more, but was wary when setting targets for this time as I had no idea if it would all go wrong again.
Earlier in the week I'd gone with 4.30 as my dream time, 4.40 was what I thought I should be able to do and sub-5 was worst case. I looked out the window and at the forecast this morning and revised things a bit, and had put on both a 4.45 and 5.00 pace bands.
So to come out with 4.19 was just great! I amazed myself with what I can achieve.
I was so happy to have finished without walking a single step - though I think one thing that kept me going was that I suspected I'd be done for if I had stopped, I think I just would have got to cold too quickly to ever get going again. As it was already at one point my hands just seemed numb from the wrist down, but different to just normal cold numb!
Today was both the best and worst experience, all rolled into one! I can't add anything to what's been said already about the weather (it really is grim up North!), and can only echo the thanks and appreciation to all the volunteers and spectators - truly brilliant to stand out in that for so long to help someone else achieve their goals.
Between miles 19 and 24 I pretty much was head down, and mentally really struggled for that part, even moreso than the rest. I had a really odd feeling, everything just felt a bit like a dream and really not real, I've never felt quite like that before, almost delerious. I was convinced I couldn't speak at one point and had to actually say something out load to myself just to check.
I didn't leave anything at the baggage drop as I was staying the hotel at Old Trafford cricket ground - but even though I didn't have to hang around looking for a bag I thought I was really in trouble at a few moments trying to get the short distance back to the hotel. Thank you so, so much to everyone who asked if I was ok and helped me along, and if the person who helped me rearrange and tie my foil blanket round me halfway through Longford Park is reading this - then a massive thanks to you too.
I was shaking so much when I got back to the hotel, I have been pretty cold in the past, but I think that I understand what people mean by the expression 'chilled to the bone'!
Well done everyone on some great times today, and well done anyone who took on the weather today, regardless of if you finished or not.
Today was my first ever marathon at aged 50 - I just felt I had to give it a shot after running HM's and 10K's for about 5 years - I'm a late developer! I was hoping to finish between 4:30 and 5:00 and managed 4:35 despite the conditions - 38th in my category. I was determined to finish without stopping running and now realise how determined I must be! I didn't think I had it in me to keep going in such awful conditions.
I couldn't have done it without the support of my husband Brian and the excellent support along the route from the marshalls amd the people of Manchester - so thanks for turning out in such awful weather. When total strangers shout your name and encourage you on it really does help. Thank you also to the lady at the finish line who tied me into my space blanket - I was so cold I couldn't get my hands to work.
I got my bag back eventually minus my waterproofs that were in the bag. Two of my friends from work were also running and one didn't find their bag at all and the other's husband also had items missing out of his bag.
I've never been so cold and was unable to change into anything dry due to the poor changing areas and had to travel back home to Macclesfield soaking wet through.
Toughest moment was running past my car in the Metrolink car park at Altrincham - good job my husband had the keys!
Well done to everyone who ran today - I hope no one was very unwell as a result of the conditions.
Ha ha I did well not all of him/her. It was when I was in my blinkers on head down mode. I saw these huge flippers at the edge of the kerb but was to exhausted to look up at the rest, and remember thinking it was vary apt attire for the conditions!!
That's great Andrew hope to see you there.
Finish time 5hrs and 2 seconds ( 21 Mins slower than london in 2005)
Terrible weather , Great Marshals and awesome support.
Couple of quick points for the organises -
1) Would have made sense to switch Changing and Baggage to Stretford Sports centre - we all new on what the weather was going to be like for a while .
2) People standing in the Changing tent to keep warm didn't help people wanting to change
3) from a baggage / start point / bottle neck point of view - it looks like 4750 people turned up out of 7000 - image if everybody turned up
All that sad - its my city - So really should not have been surprised with the weather
Next year I promise you all better weather - Thanks to everybody
Come on you blues tomorrow
Did 3.46.24 or something which I'm over the moon with and had two pit stops along the way, I actually think I ran negative splits! It's bloody hars work marathon running and well done all!
Will post more tomorrow but been drinking for first time in 5 weeks and I'm tired to boot
I think there's probably a big gulf in people's experiences today based on whether they used the baggage storage or not. Other than the weather I thought the race was great, although there are definite improvements that could be made (incl clearer signing) as you'd expect from a first time race. Support was brilliant considering the weather. But post race was awful. When I was handing my bag over at 8.15 the I overheard cadets saying the system was a complete shambles and there wasn't enough space for all the bags. Terrible organisation, and the organisers took no steps to rectify the situation. I was lucky - after fiercely shivering for about 30 minutes, when I finally got to pick up some bags, mine was the 3rd I found.
Topped with the postal hoo-ha, I can safely say, that this is one event I will be pleased to see disappear into the ether, since I got the impression someone couldn't organise a trump in a mushy pea eating contest.
I don't like to be negative ( but I normally am) - but Keep Left sums it up nicely - if anyone on here thinks the organisation pre and post race is acceptable you are rather simple or you've beat your PB by 4 hours!! Shocking - no other word for it - sort it out Manchester - Liverpool last October wiped the floor with this cowboy affair!!!
This was my first marathon. I ran it with my friend and even though the Manchester weather didn't let up (we're both from Manchester and have never experience wind, rain and cold lime it for this time of year) it was a good run. We both found it reallyhard but managed to get through in under 4:30! Yay! Maybe have a think that road races should be on the road though. Dunham was a cross country fiasco!! I saw people being injured. Nonsense!
Afterwards was the biggest disappointment. E.V.E.R. After an hour and a half my bag was not to be found due to the absolute chaos. WTF was going on today? Sort it out please.
My bag was never found. I'm hoping it will turn up tomorrow perhaps? It had my warm fleece inside!!
I thought the rain was fine and even the Dunham Massey bit was character building (though bottlenecks bit annoying)
It was the wind in the last section that became tough to bear.
Maybe that did put me off doing another.
Some people say you'll love your first one. I took a lot from it and it was a hell of an experience but not sure I loved it!
Large parts of the organisation were very good considering this was a big race in It's first year (for ages). However, mistakes were made in key areas.
Hypothermia should have always been a high pre-race risk (forecast was obvious) and the bag drop should have been high priority (I was lucky to have someone with mine but really felt for others).
There were some sections of the course that collapse could be a major emergency (long way for help)
The car parking was messy. It needed more signs including one for car park closed.
Well done to spectators, marshals and those runners who braved it for several hours.
Oh yeah and well done to Mr skipping rope man!
One of the biggest things that surprised me re this is that it didn't go through the centre, just smacked of small time, when the entry fee was anything but. Can imagine a lot was due to not wanting to shut the roads but surely if you're trying to create a Marathon that will grow and create a good impression of the city, it has to actually go through the centre of it.
Anyway you all did great in that weather so well done again.
I didn't see skipping rope man - bloooddyyy helll.. Respect.
Don't know about anyone else but I am DREADING the race photos!
First marathon and managed to just scrape a sub 4hours so I'm well chuffed. And I managed to run a couple of miles with Ron Hill
Now this is going to sound crazy, but I didn't mind the weather today - apart from my hands being a bit cold. Think my time spent fell running has stood me in good stead there. I was wearing shorts and a thin orange vest and lots of people asked me if I was cold, but I was just right.
Ditto re baggage, lack of gels, signage, changing facilities, blah blah. I actually had to pick up some half used gel block packets off the ground as there was none left and I'd already used my emergency rations. Bit minging I know, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
Crowds were great, got big lump in throat in places. Seemed so personal and that the people watching really cared how you were doing.
Only managed to spot Quays Runner from here - did give a big shout out but you looked like you were having way too good a time to notice
I'm also dreading the race photos - don't think they'll be too flattering!!
Well done everyone
This looks like turning into another shambles.
For the track record of Triathlon companies trying to organise big city marathons and messing up big time, have a search for this year's Hull Marathon. Different issues to Manchester but still the bottom line of a company who are not specialist runners trying to organise a massive event like a city marathon and failing in key areas.