Rotary Shakespeare Marathon

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Comments

  • I personally think they made the right decision yesterday but I feel so sorry for the marathon entrants, especially those that didn't hear the announcement. Fortunately I was near the front at the start with the other faster entrants and we all heard.

    In retrospect, perhaps running at marathon pace would have helped those that didn't hear because the final 5 miles were brutal into the wind with no shelter. I certainly ran the fist 7 miles knowing that the north easterly was about to hit, making sure I wasn't running flat out.

    It is a shame the event has been blighted because it is otherwise friendly and well run.

    Massive thanks to all the volunteers who braved the conditions.

    A race I will never forget for many reasons.
  • GavoGavo ✭✭✭
    I'm the mysterious pirate from the previous page!

    Still frustrated and I'm more or less on the side of those who wanted to do the full race. I didn't know about the cancellation until around 7m when I heard some runners saying "only 6m to go" and they told me of the news. We only got to the start around 9.25 as there was no reason to get there early so hung around our B & B until 9.20.

    I was prepared to do the full yesterday and would have done the full if it hadn't been cancelled.

    My other point to the organisers for next year is that much of the last mile can be improved. It turned out to be single file in order to allow those cars to go on both sides of the road. This was frustrating for those of us who still had bundles of energy left. When you have double the numbers finishing that you thought you would then that stretch was not acceptable.

    My plans for the next couple of months don't allow me to do another mara so I'm just left with the feeling that I've wasted a lot of weekends this year.
  • video report of the race, and interviews with winners here

  • JEvaNsJEvaNs ✭✭✭
    I'm super impressed with people who got PBs on the half course. I think I went off too quickly in the initial elation that I wouldn't be in the rain for 4-5 hours, and struggled on the exposed route back, coming in just under 1hr58mins.

    Re: downhill - I have to go down fast and let gravity take over. It hurts my lower back to try and hold back. I get paranoid that people think I'm an idiot pegging it so quickly (especially when gravity runs out and I go back to plodding) - but I don't always enjoy it! I did worry a little that I might take a tumble yesterday - but I didn't.
  • Wanted to email the race director according to their website it should be accessible from today it is'int says everything poor.
  • glad u got round Mick n Phil, i had a nice wet hug off you at Mile 9, where i stood shouting to people only 4miles to go

    just feel so sorry for people who had prepared for the marathon, gutted for you

    TZ is there a medal for the kent road runner? Nice offer to the runners on here, good on you

    Chris when u do make the Aldridge RC one night i shall look forward to hearing all about ur experience, didnt see you but tbh, didnt see a lot of people that i'd hoped cos of weather conditions

    i took quite a few photos and some people must have been freezing, only had shorts and t.shirts on, eek!!

    its the first time i've ever seen a race where people still had their binliners on at the end of a race

    Jo
  • I got a pb on it. Loved the guys who started singing its a beautiful day behind me and the 2 guys who I ran with for the last 7 miles and were both very disappointed that they couldn't out run me in the last 500m hehe. It's good finding people to keep you going.

    I wore my Altura jacket and was so glad I did surprised the way some people were dressed! Though, waterproof tis not my iPhone drowned in the pocket and completely fried today. Luckily managed to flutter my eyelashes and get a replacement in the apple store today at no cost! And the guy told me they had no 4's in stock so he'd had to upgrade me to a 4s. Did say he'd probably get sacked for doing it though as water damage not covered so I hope he doesn't!!

    Definitely a half I'll remember, and lesson learnt, buy a waterproof phone bag for running in such adverse conditions!

    Mick&phil was it you guys I ran past, the guy pushing the guy in the wheelchair in great spirits? If so A belated hello!
  • If knew how to post a pick on here i'd do it my pc is pants and my netbook is broken so the image button doesnt work on here but i took a great pic of Mick n Phil will have to email it to you

    Jo
  • HannahsmomUK - Yes! We have a fabulous finishers' medal at the Kent Roadrunner Marathon. It's big, enameled in three colours and a bespoke design. We're proud of it image
  • George Kennedy wrote (see)
    Wanted to email the race director according to their website it should be accessible from today it is'int says everything poor.

    George, the latest item on the News section of the website clearly states that 'Contact Us' will be available from today, Tuesday 1st May.

  • /members/images/218549/Gallery/SPME2140.jpeg

    photos available now www.marathon-photos.com

    I may not look stylish, but at least I was warm!

  • great photo Ian66, i just typed my bf's bib number in and there are not photos of him, I thought that it was because he ran with his number inside his tracksuit but i just typed another friend in who definitely wore her number outside and she's not got pics up either image
  • that's a shame, have you tried the 'find more photos' option, you can search based on clothing colour/type etc
  • My photos weren't there initially but are now. Keep checking is my advice.
  • ooh no ian66 ok will do that, thanks orlando
  • yay i found one, thank you for that tip there
  • Firstly, congrats to Orlando!

    The run was to be my 1st marathon and I was really buzzing all weekend. As the weather got worse, my excitement was just getting greater... as I saw it, the sense of achievement was just going up image

    Of course, when i heard the announcement I was instantly gutted. That said, the explanation that the Greenway was completely covered with hidden slats made sense, even if disappointing.

    I heard this right before setting off and threw me in terms of pace etc. Was happy with my time, albeit just outside my other HM time. I enjoyed it but feel I could have done PB if it wasn't single file in the last stretches.

    Still, much as I feel I was well prepared and had the capacity to complete, c'est la vie. It was a big call either way and I thought it was well organised. I'm not quite sure how they could have got a message to me any earlier, that's for sure.

    It was my first time on the circuit and I'll be back to close the deal next year.
  • how do you save pics Ian?

    i right click on mine and it tells me they are copyrighted

  • Jay - I use FIrefox as a browser, if you go to tools -> options -> content, then click on the advanced button on the right of the enable javascript option, you can disable context menus, which will allow you to right click and save the image.

    if that makes no sense, then message me your number and email address and I'll send them to you

    and yes, well done orlando, good to have a winner on the forum!!

  • cheers mate i'll have a look.

     i also got a PB sunday, so not all that bad i suppose. 1:29:12

    Are you looking for a marathon to do Ian? I wish i could get into Edinburgh

  • yeah, gotta take the positives out of a day like that, no point dwelling on the negatives.

    Edinburgh would be good if you could get a place, was up there a couple of weeks ago for the weekend, really nice atmosphere to the place.

    prob not going to race another marathon in the short term, I'm booked in for a 40 mile ultra on 13th July, which is only 10/11 weeks away, so If I have to squeeze in another marathon, with an associated taper/recovery, then I won't have enough time to get the long miles in for that.

    assuming i get through that ok, then potentially a short recovery, then a 12 week schedule leading up to Amsterdam.
  • Amazing folk achieved PBs. Excellent efforts.

    People should come back next year, I have run it 3 other times and it is usually sunny and pleasant though sometimes breezy. Sunday was freak weather.

    Thanks for the good wishes. Really chuffed to win such a historic and friendly race.
  • ringo100ringo100 ✭✭✭
    Have to agree with olando about coming back. I have run it a few times before and when its sunny it is an amazing race. Sunday was a shadow of what this race is normally like. orlando well done on a fantastic run on Sunday.
  • Guys, I had originally entered Edinburgh, but realised I had double booked myself.

    If anybody fanices it, in exchange for some beer tokens, I think I can "officially" transfer my place to another runner though their website.

    If anybody is interested, please drop me an e-mail to duncshea@gmail.com and we can sort it.

    Best be quick if interested.

    Dunc

  • Bugger! Just checked - deadline for transferring entry has passed - sorry guys!!

    Dunc

  • Might be worth a mail to the rd asking for an exception to the rules given what happened at Stratford?
  • I've been letting the dust settle before commenting on this "race", to see if I'd be any less upset about it in the cold light of day. But I'm not. So here's my twopenneth:

    I fully understand that the weather conditions were beyond the organisers control, however I must say I was extremely disappointed with the VERY late decision that was made to pull the marathon in favour of the half. I checked the website before setting out on Saturday which clearly stated "THE RACE WILL GO AHEAD" and "YOU RUN AT YOUR OWN RISK - LOOK AFTER YOURSELF". I don't dispute that the correct decision (probably) was made to cancel the race, I simply question why this decision was only made a few minutes prior to the start and not the previous afternoon - which would have given us the chance to either choose to not waste the petrol and 4 hours driving to and from the event - or at least make an informed decision to run just a half marathon.

    The announcement at the start was a) far from clear b) far too late and c) delivered in such a fashion to imply that those of use who had been training for months for this event simply wouldn't care one way or the other if we were to run 13.1 miles or 26.2

    I don't get why they couldn't just hand out the marathon medals to the marathon runners, and the halves to the half runners. Why go through the unnecessary process or removing "marathon" ribbons and adding "half marathon" ribbons in their place?

    A vote of big thanks to the marshalls and volunteers who braved the rain and the cold to make the event go ahead. A big vote of no confidence to the organisers who were woefully inadequate in responding to the weather situation (which had been bad for a whole WEEK, not just the few hours prior to the race).

    I was so fed up "running" the half that I had no strategy so just ran round slowly with friend and enjoyed walking breaks as and when we felt the need. There was no way I was going to get a PB, and even a sub-2 was unlikely, so I felt "what's the point?"

    At the end of the 13.1 miles - there were no medals. No bananas. No recover bars. Nothing of ANY kind being handed out to finishers. We had to go and help ourselves to water...

    To be honest even though I had dressed for wet weather, I was unprepared for the freezing cold wind chill factor. My gloves were soaked through, and my hands were very uncomfortable. I may well have bailed at the halfway point had the marathon not been cancelled. But at least it would have been my own decision.

    The "official" reason I heard, straight from the director/referee was that it was cancelled due to the excess water on the southern greenway, and the fact that it was rutted and these ruts were underwater. No mention of worries about marshalls or volunteers or hypothermia or under prepared n00bs. The only stated reason was the greenway. And I was dismayed that months of training went down the pan thanks to something that COULD HAVE BEEN checked out the day before, and more informed details put on the website rather than "THE RACE WILL GO AHEAD".

    Rest assured, I shan't be doing Shakey again. Unless of course they are planning to compensate the marathon runners for the lack of the marathon being held, such as reduced entry to a future Stratford-upon-Avon event? Even then I would have my doubts about returning.

    I am very much looking forward to running the Kent Road Runner marathon instead to make up for the shambles that was last weekend!!
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