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Rotary Shakespeare Marathon
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If you changed the time limit to the equivalent of 2 hours at half way, you'd get the 4:15 runners doing the first half quicker to be allowed to do the second lap, then blowing up in the second half, which would be more dangerous, not less...
Noone who ran the race knows how flooded the Greenway was at the furthest point; the second lap includes more of the Greenway at its southern end. At that point, runners would be more cold and tired; there would undeniably be an increased risk compared to the first lap. It's a risk I personally would've been prepared to take, but as a 'Spring marathon generally held on the hottest day of the year so far', Stratford attracts a wide variety of entrants, some of whom won't have the experience or kit to cope in such conditions.
Ian, downhill is free speed and as such should be run hard! I'm a great believer that you run best at an even effort, which means going slower uphill and then legging it downhill
Is Kent Roadrunner backed by a running club?
The race does have an ARC Race Permit, a UKA-grade Course Measurement Certificate, Insurance and First Aid cover.
I am the RD and member of a running club, however the race is being organised independently of the club. We organised two successful marathons last year.
Ian
I was down for the full yesterday. I was gutted more at the lateness of the decision than anything. I'd travelled up from Brighton to run this race. Luckily I have friends near by who let me crash with them as I was poised to book a hotel initially.
It was awful out there, but I've done worse (Steyning Stinger in March was dire - folk getting taken off with hypothermia etc).
I thought the Greenway path was traversable but I thought the road part at mile 11 could have caused problems as folk were already having to run outside the cones as the surface water was covering the pathway. Not sure why folk can't just run through the water though. Mad. You're wet already.
I wish they'd decided earlier - that's my gripe.
They could have posted on their website first thing before folk travelled.
There was plenty of info on the site re thebad weather. They even advised us to wear correct clothing. I have to say, some people of there were woefully dressed for such hideous conditions, but we are adults and if they were suffering because of that, then that is entirely their own fault. It could not have been any clearer on website to wear correct gear.
It was to be my 27th marathon, run in memory of my club coach John who sadly passed away on Friday at 78. He had an awesome running record with 36 marathons under his belt. He'd done London to Brighton 5 times and didn;t count those as part of his marathon tally. Great guy - an inspiration to me and my marathon running. I had to make do with a half marathon medal for him.....which incidentally ran out !
I ran at the weekend and am pretty cheesed off.
Ok, the organisers made a decision, right or wrong, they made a decision.
But they failed to inform all the marathon runners (me included) and that is what gets my goat!
There were numerous oportunities to get word to the runners - if not before the start then as we ran past the start again at mile one or as we passed feed stations - where marshalls should have been instructed to tell the runners as they went by.
I was looking for a good time on Sunday and yes there were 2 - 3 where my pace dropped by 15 - 20 seconds per mile, but we also had some great tail wind sections. So actually, I came though the half in 1:24 and that was run at my marathon pace - about what I was expecting. (I did peg it from 12 miles, when I finally found out we had to run the half - but that maybe saved me 30 - 40 seconds).
I dressed appropriately in a base layer, vest, hat, gloves and cycling arm warmers and was plenty warm enough. The second lap would have been tough - but this is marathon running - it's why we enter!!
Had I dressed inappropriately and got cold - I could have pulled out at half way.
And now it seems I haven't even made the results - maybe a blessing as it basically became a very costly marathon pace training run for me, lost training in the weeks leading up to the race and a wasted taper.
Miffed to say the least....
Dunc
Thanks George.
Just to clarify from my wafflings - it was the right decision IMO....just late. Tough one for them to call. Sod being a race director, think I'll 'just' do the running !!
Does anyone know when the results will be up on the website?
Thanks
Ha ha!!
Well that's just priceless.
So I did make the results, but it seems I competed in the "Shakespeare Marathon (Half Distance)", not the "Shakespeare Half Marathon".
So the Half marathon times / positions for the Shakespeare Marathon (Half Distance) race aren't valid since it appears a good many people did not know they were running a half, while others did.
And the Shakespeare Half Marathon results aren't valid, because they won't have been able to factor in the runners in the Shakespeare Marathon (Half Distance) race - who did know they were running a half.
Farcical
Duncan - how do you suggest they show the results then?
Well there's the problem Ian - the Event is no longer a "race" because not all runners knew that it was a Half Marathon.
So there is no fair way of listing the results.
It's pretty much a non-event.
Dunc
I expect they will at some point, but the timing chips were registered for specific races, so it's not surprising that the initial results show the chips in the race for which they were registered.
Given the conditions- Times aren't really important are they?
I saw Mick'n'Phil on the road- going well, did they take the greenway or bail?
to all intents and purposes, they were two different races, so two different sets of chips; it may not be easy to merge the results...or maybe it's remarkably easy and they're being lazy, but either way it's more involved than merely publishing results to the web.
Maybe it'll be done by the time the results are officially on the Shakespeare website; it really ought to be...
I was passed by a pirate on the greenway and said something intelligent like "Oh a pirate"
would that have been you Crashster?
No, I had the colours covered up by my waterproof, as did Squish
There was at least one Pirate in a monaco and base layer; only saw him from the back at a distance so I don't know who that was.
Symes was there but I didn't see him at all; otherwise there was just Ip in her Pirate buff
greent
i cant make the link work
who is he David Philip's, hes on 400 marathons and lives local he did say he go it alone
BTW folkes
we made it fine, quite laughable on the greenway, as we live here and have trained on it in alsorts of weather
we rarely go around puddles of any kind we just plough through them , one theres little or no room to go around and two, my feet are already wet, - but of course we approach with caution
plus we've run plenty across uk, far worse conditions miles from home
Micknphil - great to see you yesterday. Hope that it went well for you both? Would have stayed for longer but needed to keep on running to keep myself warm!!!
The reason the results are spilt into two is because they were handing out prizes for both 'races' the half and the marathon (half distance). So if you were the first runner home in the marathon race albeit not the winner of the race, you'd get the marathon prize.
If you download the both race CSVs and join up the Excel you can work out where you came overall (if you want to).
Happy to send a copy onto whoever wants one. Let me know.