Munich 2013

Hi, I've entered the half this year (too many other commitments to put in decent enough training for full marathon) - just wondering if anyone has already got either a full or half Munich marathon under their belts and what your thoughts were? I've already got some information from the not so easy to navigate official website, but would appreciate a runners view, so; How was the course? Were the spectators encouraging? How good were the toilet facilities and drinks stations? My sister may do the full marathon - anyone remember what gels were on offer? Cheers.

Comments

  • I've run that marathon 10 times so I guess you could say I like it! Course is ok, the spectators are not so enthusiastic as in, say, Berlin. Facilities and drinks stations were good. If they haven't changed the course, the bit through the English Gardens is not so great, very few spectators and it seems like you are never going to get out of the park. Once out of it, I always found I could then pick up again and hold my pace to the finish, I ran my PB in Munich (3:48) as did my OH on the same day (3:02). However, the weather cannot be predicted, it's been everything from over 30c to a snow blizzard and absolutely freezing.

  • Cheers for the info - sorry its taken so long to reply, don't always remember to log on here - will remember what you've said about English gardens and get our support posse to go there as part of their route! Looking forward to it now.

  • I did it in 2011. The weather was ideal that day. As bionic says it's a bit boring in the English Gardens which seems to take ages. Not much crowd support at all. I wore a Union Jack vest and NOBODY clapped me. Probably the least friendliest marathon I've ever done. The final part though in the stadium was amazing. It choked me up going through the tunnel with loud music & flashing lights etc and then onto the track - it was a brilliant finish. Lovely medal too. Glad I did it, but wouldn't do it again.

  • I ran it in 2010 after doing London in the same year. My thoughts:

     

    Good points

    - As you'd expect from the Germans the organisation is great. The toilet facilities are OK at the start and end, I didn't use any en route. The drinks stations are good (there's alcohol-free beer at one of the drinks stations near the end of the course!) and you also get beer at the finish line. I don't remember there being any gels at the drinks stations though.

    - Finishing in the Olympic stadium is a fantastic experience - I would probably do the race for that alone.

    - Flat course

     

    Bad points

     

    - The atmosphere isn't great. Large stretches of the route don't have any supporters at all and those that are there tend to be waiting for friends and family and don't cheer anyboy else on at all. I felt a bit like a monkey in the zoo when running it as people just stand and stare until somebody they know comes along!

     

    On balance I agree with MM that I'm glad I did it. I might do it again, but only because I live in Bavaria - I'm not sure I would travel especially to do it again. The finish in the Olympic stadium really is special though and Munich is a great city to visit.

     

    Hopefully the weather will be good for the race this year. We've had 8 months of winter this year (I can still see snow from my window as we speak!), which means that hopefully we'll have a nice summer and autumn.

  • Useful comments again, thank you - as for the prospect of it not being so friendly, a friend who lives in Munich has already said to expect as much! She supported us in Barcelona last year when we ran the marathon and was impressed at the way local cafe owners let us pop in and use their toilets en route if needed, and also with the almost constant cheering from crowds and groups of people along the route, saying it would be highly unlikely to happen in Munich image - I'm just hoping for German efficiency and yes, beer too image anything else will be a bonus.  

    By the way is it usual to pay extra for your chip? I'm new to distance running abroad but didn't pay extra for it in Barcelona and its generally part of your entry fee in any UK or Ireland races I've done.  I've paid up but was just wondering.

    Also, best places to stay? ideas appreciated.

     

     

  • I had to pay for my chip for Munich too. I think there is a way that you can get your money back for returning it, but I never bothered (it's still on my old trainers!) With the Germans being mega environmentally friendly I expect they do it to make sure they get re-used / recycled.

     

    I can't really help with accommodation I'm afraid. The public transport system is great in Munich, so as long as you stay near to an S-Bahn or U-Bahn station in a central zone then you can't really go wrong.

  • I was looking at this RMR but was put off by the 2pm start time for the half-marathon.

    A friend is using this event as his 50th marathon but, like you, I'll not get to train enough to attempt the full distance.

    I'm still undecided.image

  • I didn't even notice the start time image

    Although I should be finished well by 4pm all going well so plenty of time to cool down,  get freshened up and back out for a few beers.... 

    Flights booked now so no going back anyway image  I'm a wee bit disappointed I couldn't realistically enter the marathon, but I hope this will be a good staging point for a spring full marathon.  

  • Anyone do this?? 6 of us from our running club did the full marathon plus another 3 did the 10k, great weekend and the finish in the olympic stadium was brilliant... Managed to get  3hr 20mins so was well pleased with that considering we all went out on the Friday night and got stupidly drunk, was rough all day on Saturday as well.

  • Hi, sounds like you had a great weekend.  I thought Munich was a lovely city - delighted we went.  Four of us did the half - times varying between 1.56 and 2.28 - as Irish girls we loved seeing tea on offer at one of the drinks stations and who on earth would complain about beer right at the finish line?! Was it non-alcoholic? You'd never know from the taste image.  doing the half meant we didn't need to endure the lengthy English Gardens stage which although beautiful is, I've been told, a quiet never-ending section - did you find it like that?  Only niggle from each of us regarding the race was the ridiculously poor goody bag! So disappointing image A bag of pistachios and a heap of leaflets/adverts (which until that point we'd avoided picking up all the way round the expo).  Was it any better for you full marathoners? Great time by the way.

  • Yeah it was non-alcoholic beer...thank god!!! The English garden stage was nice but not many spectators around but i had a small pain in my knee by then so was a little worried about that. The goodie bag was poor but on the football pitch at the olympic stadium at the end they did have loads of free food and drinks available which was good.

  • rzc1 - where in Bavaria do you live? We lived there for 16 years and still have a house in the Augsburg area, go down there quite often. Currently living and working in Rheinland-Pfalz.

    If you fancy a stiff challenge, give the Weinstrasse Marathon a try - it's downhill all the way to the halfway point in Bad Duerkheim and then - uphill all the way home!

  • A few of us from our club are running Munich this year excited 

  • Thread resurrection alert…

    I’m doing Munich Marathon next month, just wondered if anyone else may be as well, or has in the past and has any tips of stuff to look out for. I’ve been to Munich before and also know the mara course is pretty flat, but any advice gratefully received – cheers!

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