Preston Guild Marathon

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  • Hi Pete

    Nice to meet up with you on Saturday. On the 3.5 miles back to Longton I caught my arms drifting back into boxer position but managed to get them down most of the time! Thanks for the tip and hopefully it will provide a boast for Manchester.

    Did the Sports Relieft mile yesterday and kids loved it. Eldest (11) ran off into the distance and was sat waiting at the end when I finished with the 5 year old in just over 10 minutes. She had the joy of outsprinting Helen Clitheroe at the end as well. Amazingly little un was still full of energy and spent next 20 minutes doing loops round Miller Park!

    Cheers

  • Haha, Hi Max,

    You're going to have to watch that one! lol. That's a new PB for her already. She's going to be wanting to do Manchester with you next! image

    Saturday worked out at 13 miles for me so yeah that was my longest run so far! I've been looking at the proposed Wheel through the Red Scar Woods part that we got to and I'm now thinking that following that dirt track alongside the woods isn't going to be part of the Wheel at all. I think we need to turn left somewhere, probably just after we hit that muddy entrance to the woods part after that long stretch through the field at the top of the hill.

    It's probably going to be wiser now to perhaps do a run that comes from the other way and try to somehow connect Longridge Road up to that dirt track or the woods, and then remember that connection point when we go along the Wheel from our direction, if that made sense, 'cause there's no signpost available yet connecting the dirt track with Longridge road.

    Keith/Judith  ...Little update.

    That long drag of steps going up through Red Scar Woods on the Guild Wheel are no longer steps. We discovered on Saturday that it's now one long arduous 80-100 metre ramp all the way up to the field at the top. It's not in tarmac, but more like small stones and shale, with two wooden fences across it in two separate parts to most likely slow down or stop bikers from flying down it. 

    It might be a ramp instead of steps now, but hey that part of the Wheel is always going to be pretty tough to run up. Gulp! image 

  • Keith OBKeith OB ✭✭✭

    Hi Pete

    We went the other way on Saturday from Fulwood Row, across then up to D'Urton lane. From there it is footpath all the way to Broughton Police Station and then back on tracks down to Lightfoot Lane. It looks like road and footpath down to Guild Merchant roundabout on Tom Benson way and then looks to be signposted back to Wheel proper down to Merrytrees Ave / Ancient Oak Pub where you got to.

  • Hiya Keith,

    That's great news! Took me a while to actually follow where you meant cos I don't know that part of town but managed to piece it together from a mixture of gmap-pedometer and the maps on the guild website.  So that means the whole northern top part is clear to run on then right from where I got to at Merry Trees Ave continued back to yours at Fulwood Row, yes? Cool huh. 

    Does this mean that the only final connecting part of the Wheel we're waiting for is the part between Red Scar Woods and Fulwood Row, yes? Or just the bit between Red Scar Woods and Longridge Road?

  • Keith OBKeith OB ✭✭✭

    Hi Pete

    Its clear from Longridge Rd after Red Scar woods but is on pavements up Bluebell Way before back on off road at M6 Jct 31a S (just  like D'Urton Lane, Garstang Rd, Lightfoot Lane and Sandyforth Lane as I mentioned before). It looks like signs are the last job round here with some tricky bits such as Fulwood Row where you leave the track go under the M6 and rejoin a little up the hill(same both directions). Look out for deer on the bit between Bluebell Way and Fulwood Row and a short sharp incline.

  • Hello all,

     Good to see the forum is taking off. Ive not been on for a bit as i picked up an injury and decided that running websites were to depressing to look at whilst i recover. But i ran 2 miles last night, without feeling any pain so fingers crossed im all healed

     So whats this talk about the Marathon becoming the North West's biggest this year ?! If so maybe it will come back year on year, which a be nice. 

  • Hi Coasters,

    It came from Ron but we didn't get any facts or anything. Sounds like entries could be starting to come in thus him giving 'Phil Walsh and his team' a slap on the back for it - when really any entries at this super early stage of the game are purely down to the fact that this is a 'One-off', 'Preston Marathon' during a 'Guild' year, and nothing to do with any organised PR machine just yet.

    I think he's just predicting that when Phil does start his PR in a few weeks time, or over summer, that it'll really boost entries, which let's face it is highly probable given the sheer 20 year rarity of this event, or he's just trying to encourage runners everywhere to run it for charities. Can't tell.

    What injury did you pick up? You up for doing that part of your fantasy route from Mile 9 to 24 sometime as I'm still keen on trying that, or you lost quite a bit of mileage? Noo rush or anything.

  • The courses for the marathon and half marathon have now been measured and will be certified as accurate in the next week.

    I was going to post the link to the route on here.

    However I am concerned that all I will achieve is another rant from Pete Lovick, which is somwehat unfortunate. As you are a member of the same club as Phil Walsh perhaps you would be so kind as to offer your services to him. 

    In my experience of dealing with him I have found him to be an excellent race organiser. He is also an organiser who is very open to ideas and input from others.

  • CURSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Just started to put the measurement report together and I've made an error!

    It's SHORT so I need to go out again 

    No, you are not getting away with 42 metres short, before you even ask imageimage

    So, I know it's very short notice but would abyone like a slow bike ride tomorrow morning at 6.30 from the Flag Market in Preston.

    I could do with 1 or two people to ride behind me to alert me to traffic. It should be quiet at that time of morning.

    It will take 4 hours if you want to ride it all with me, and I stop every mile.

    Please call or text me on 07759 829513 if you can help. It will be much appreciated

    Thanks

  • Hiya Brian,

    No no, you most definitely won't get any peep out of me about it now. His course has been decided, finalised done and dusted long ago remember.

    And you know it wasn't a rant at all don't you.   ...It was my sheer shock that with all the excellent expertise dripping from his fingertips, that between us, it seems we are completely missing a golden opportunity to run both the north and south of Preston throughout our own suburbs, and our favourite main roads of London Road, New Hall Lane, Blackpool Road, Deepdale Road, etc etc, which should have most definitely been included to be totally befitting a Guild.

    ..and then my surprise, (or probably hurt would be more accurate), to discover from you that the absolute best his team could manage for a Guild is to shove us all off out to run around a quiet, lonely countryside area for a good half of a 26.2 mile distance. ...which let's face it, is a complete joke for any marathon course let alone a rare, one off, special, 20 year event like this. ...Not cool. Totally not cool.

    Yes, feel free to post a link up here to Phil's course, noo problem. Show everyone what he's managed. All we can do now is crack on with it. Job done. 

    No more to be said from me about the course for this event. I'll live with it. You go for it.

    Oh, Phil Walsh would be most welcome to any assistance I could possibly offer him for this event, but you know that my primary concern would be in getting this course right before we run out of time, so there's not really much point now is there. If as it seems the course is going to stay as it is then I'm sure you'll agree I'm better off totally keeping out of it, but thanks for asking.

  • My thanks to Pete Lovick and Troy Watson for helping me out yesterday.

    Some great cycling gents to keep me safe.

    Here's the link to the map for the marathon

    Shortly after 8 miles the marathon turns left on Sidgreaves Lane, while the half turns right for a short out and back stretch.

    The full and half follow the same route back into the City Centre.

    I still have the last 5 mile markers for the half to record and photograph, but that should be done this week

  • Hi - I've recently entered this marathon and just joined this forum, got rather bogged down in the discussions so I've fast-forwarded to the last few comments !.. Anyone looking for a North-West autumn marathon please consider the Chester, now in it's 3rd year  - last year one of the forumites referred to it as 'the Carlsberg of marathons'. I was giving out goody bags last year but plan to run both the Chester and the Preston Guild ( a new challenge for me, I've done 2 maras in 6 weeks before but 2 in 3 will something new).  

    http://www.activeleisureevents.co.uk/full-marathon.aspx

    I don't know the Preston area so have no comments to make re the route, but I agree with a previous post on this forum in that London, Edinburgh, Paris and Dublin all have unsupported stretches and include city/out of city routes. The events I've enjoyed most have been down to organisation rather than route, London and Chester being outstanding, the others somewhat dubious.

    Good luck to all, I'm looking forward to being part of the 'once-in-20-years' experience.

    (I'd be grateful for any advice from locals re hotels near the start/finish)    

  • Are your ears bleeding Brian image
  • Hi everyone- I'm not from Preston, but pretty close Southport, so still quite local. I was in my local gym and got talking to a young guy doing a sports science degree at Uclan, and he mentioned this mara, so I thought I'd check it out. I tend to run fairly local ones, Blackpool twice, Chester last Oct, and Manchester this Sunday. I was thinking of doing Chester again this autumn, but this one sounds great, wherever the route will be, so I'm going to enter.
    Just a note, at Chester (a city mara), half the route was out in the countryside. As it was on closed roads also, all the households along the route couldn't go anywhere, so they all came out to cheer you on, some giving out bowls of jelly babies/beans, and the atmosphere was probably better than in the city it's self, so don't knock it.
    Enjoy all your lsr's, and 'the wheel' sounds like a great place to train without getting bored.
  • Interesting route brain, it will certainly take me to parts of Preston ive never run around and the elevation looks ok too.

    Is there going to be any bands / entertainment at the start/finish area ?

     Oh and i just entered your Freckleton HM, not done it for a bit so looking forward to it.

     

  • I thought of some non-running advice for people traveling to this race. There are two £2 all car parks i know of in Preston. One is the Train Station and the other is in Avenham, but i dont know the name of. But these should save you a bit of money hey!

  • Manchester rd in Avenham.
    Or use park n ride. One at Capitol centre Walton-le-dale other on edge of docks
  • I've entered and wondered whether there are going to be any pacing groups on the day?

  • Still not entered. I wonder how it`s filling up.

     Also hope notes were taken from the recent Manchester and Hull marathons. Both were `new` and had all manner of cock-ups which must have been soul destroying for the runners who`d trained for months for the event.image

  • Going to enter this now I have got Manchester Marathon out of the way.

    Manchester was a great route and for me on the course it was faultless, lots of toilets, water, fuel and support. They made a major cock up with the baggage area. I took over one hour to get bag, which given how wet it was on Sunday was a bit of a killer. I would definitely recommend it if you wnat a fast course and I managed to break 4 hours for teh first time (3:52) despite the conditions.

    Next up is Preston 5k on Monday, as determined to get Guild tee-shirt. Could be a slow given legs today!!

     (Pete - you will be glad to know I kept my fists unclenched and arms down low!!!!!)

  • is there a link to enter this race? I can't find one and I wouldn't mind giving it a go.

  • Maxpower - Yes baggage reclaim was a disgrace at Manchester. Tough race in the conditions, esp the mudfest at about mile 15. We must of been pretty close, as I Pb'd in 3:52:14. I was lucky as I only froze for 1/2hr before finding my bag. But on the walk back to my car, I got talking to a guy who had run sub 3:00, and it took him 1.5hrs to find his bag, a joke.
  • Well done Max! Great effort imo.

    We`re heading over to Preston on Saturday for the 5 k on Monday. I done about 60 odd races over the past 4 years but never a 5k! imageimageimageimage

  • Ha ha. Well Done Max! Nice one. Chuffed you got sub 4. Couldn't have been easy at all with such unbelievably crap weather. London must have been a walk in the park compared to what you guys got. I wonder how much extra time that cost you?

    I doubt we'll even have any baggage issues at the Preston Marathon, as it's starting and finishing in the exact same location, so there'll be no need to transport anyone's gear to anywhere.

    I discovered last night that the entries for the Guild 5K have been closed, so it's going to be a last minute pray we can enter on the day job, as we need this one so we get the whole series medal.

  • Well done max you must be like me as I get all my pbs in the crap weather. As for the 5k you can still enter but will have to join the junior race because the open one is full and it still counts for the series.

  • Thanks everyone.

    Simon my chip time was 3:52:14, guess we must have been pretty close at the end.

    Alan, can you enter on the day for the junior race?

  • Hi Pete, according to John Schofield Races Website it says No Senior 5k entries available on the day, hope everyone has got in.
  • Alan, when you say enter and join the junior race you don't expect that I am a youngster image
  • London was hot. So not an easy walk in the park. Still better weather than manchester.
    Last I heard Preston had around 1500 ents. I can only see around 2500 doing it. Most people planing marathons would have sorted which they plan on doing by now.
  • Peter - At Manchester the baggage drop off/reclaim was in the same area. They just dumped all the bags in no particular order in one big tent, with no one handing them out. So us the runners, had to try and find your bag from the thousands of bags (all the exactly the same bags as supplied by event, except for small number tag). Hundreds of frozen runners queueing outside in the cold trying to get into this tent, that was full of other runners trying to find their bags, a nightmare.

    Max - I've noticed on the GMM website they have published an official appology re the baggage. It looks like lots of people never got their bags.
    Well done on getting a sub 4:00 btw
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