Abingdon Marathon - Page 2 - Events

AmGettingFitter (AGF)

02/02/2012 at 17:13

I have sent the postal entry. Hopefully that will be enough to get me in !!!

This was my first marathon last year so I hope to improve this year, very enjoyable !!!

loulabell

02/02/2012 at 17:16

AGF wrote (see)

I have sent the postal entry. Hopefully that will be enough to get me in !!!
This was my first marathon last year so I hope to improve this year, very enjoyable !!!

how did you do AGF? i live very near to Abingdon but have just started maras..hopefully will have done more events by Oct with lots of miles. what was the weather like?

AmGettingFitter (AGF)

02/02/2012 at 17:32

Hello Loulabell. I id not set to many target, excep to train hard enough so that I would be able to enjoy the event. I did 4:09, but ran the whole way. The day was a crisp day with blue skies, a lovely autumn day. the marshalls were great, plenty of water stops etc and everyone very friendly. This forum as also great for motivation leading up to it too.

This year I hope to train with a faster time in mind

Good luck with the training ...you will enjoy your "home" event !!

loulabell

02/02/2012 at 17:37

thanks AGF, i did my first mara at Gloucester 2 weeks ago and really loved it. def wasnt flat though! so hoping i can be quicker on the flat course

Fido2Dogs

02/02/2012 at 17:38

It's usually a bit nippy at the start but then warms up.
I did it as my first mara a while back now before the course changed and have marshalled for the last few years - wanted to see what the course is like "from the inside" as it were (and have a better last 10 miles than when I first did Abo

)

Fido2Dogs

03/02/2012 at 12:20

So would people like a course description/rundown? If it's at the start of the thread it'll be easy for folk to refer to later on.

SlokeyJoe

03/02/2012 at 13:46

Yes please

Possum hopper

03/02/2012 at 16:17

Had a response to my e.mail and RW are experiencing problems with on-line entries which is out of the hands of organisers of marathon. Am glad I posted my entry !

Edited: 03/02/2012 at 16:17

SlokeyJoe

03/02/2012 at 16:46

Thanks for the tip off - just about to post mine!

Fido2Dogs

03/02/2012 at 18:15

OK I'll do it section by section, people are welcome to chime in and add their own observations and/or corrections and/or different slants.

Mile 1

The marathon starts on the track at Tilsley Park. You run round the track and out of the (track) gate, out of (TP) gate itself and turn left onto Dunmore Road. Trees and fields to the left, the back of eighties-era suburbs to the right. Well, immediately to your right you have the other lane of Dunmore Road which is open, so don't stray over the white line

This stretch rises very gently until just before the roundabout at about the 1 mi point.

Fido2Dogs

03/02/2012 at 18:19

Mile 2

Straight across the roundabout (there are usually a few supporters here, bless those early birds). You're now in Twelve Acre Drive and the road falls slightly. Again, country to the left (including the turkeys and geese on Peachcroft Farm), 'burbs to the right.
When you see a field also on your right you're at about the 2m (ish...) mark, coming up to the second roundabout.

Fido2Dogs

03/02/2012 at 18:26

3rd mile

Turn left at the roundabout and head out of town towards Radley. Trees both sides though you don't need shade this time of the morning.
As you reach Radley, the course does not go into the village but turns right (east ish) into Thrupp Lane.
WATCH OUT FOR POT HOLES.
There is also a small but noticeable drop for a few yards at one point.
Thrupp Lane bends right (south-ish) then left (east ish) then right (south-ish). Just before that last bend there are horses in the fields.

You then head left (east-ish) onto the Sustrans route. This is not road but cycle path through trees so watch out for twigs, mud, the odd puddle, that sort of thing.

On the right the trees clear briefly and you get a nice view of Radley Lakes - this is at about the 3 mi point.

Fido2Dogs

03/02/2012 at 18:33

4th mile
After a bit more through the trees the route and cycle track head right through some barriers (wiggle those hips) and it's hedges either side and a bit less mud underfoot though there might still be puddles. This is the old route of the Abingdon branch line. At the end of the cycle track there are a couple more barriers to sashay through and you're back on blessed tarmac on Barton Lane. This bit is basically a business park.

Run to the end and turn left onto Audlett Drive (and basically you are back on the Abingdon ring road).

Frazerelli

03/02/2012 at 18:53

Entry in the post. Forked out the 75p for recorded delivery!

Solent Runner

03/02/2012 at 19:12

Got my application in the letter box for last collection this evening.

by 'eck, it's hilly

03/02/2012 at 20:08

Mine is printed and being posted tomorrow. Very very excited. It's fairly local to me - about an hour away.

_ciaran

03/02/2012 at 20:44

posted my entry on wednesday.

Paul Rees 5

03/02/2012 at 22:20

Now im really tempted....! seeing some of the usual suspects on here!

Fido2Dogs

03/02/2012 at 22:35

5th mile (miles 4-5)

Trundle along Audlett Drive and (now someone correct me if I'm wrong here) a slight rise and then left, er, through Waitrose car park (good loos but sadly won't be open *quite* yet). This is again more or less the route of the old railway line.
Left along Abbey Close past the council offices and behind Pizza Express (again sadly not open at this hour) and hopefully right through the archway (smile! bet there's a photographer here).

Across the road you see the old County Hall, to its right the town square (if you do the Abo parkrun on Saturday you can get a discount at Coffee Republic here with your barcode). But you head across the road (think of the poor marshals) and then bear left-ish down East St Helen Street, past St Helen's, the widest church in the country, and the historic almshouses on the left, and on to the river bank.

Pretty, but the pavements are a little uneven so watch your step.

The almshouses and then the Anchor pub are on your right and the river on your left. Enjoy. Hugging the river bank you head south down Wisham Road past where the old canal (now Caldecott Road) joined the river and on to the start of THE LOOP.

This is a good place to pop supporters who don't want to move around much because you pass this point three times.

5mi marker somewhere round here...

Fido2Dogs

03/02/2012 at 22:43

6th mile (miles 5-6)

Runners head right, west, away from the river along Preston Road. Back into the burbs, basically. At the end of Preston Road you turn left (south) out of Abingdon along Drayton Road. Trees and fields but a pavement to run on. There's a bit of a rise here but not for long, 1/4 mile tops?

The rise ends at Stonehill Lane. This is a good spot for more mobile spectators (on bikes or good walkers) as from this point they can nip down Stonehill Lane through to pick up the course at around the halfway mark on Peep-o-day lane aka the Sustrans cycle track. There is a gate in the middle of the lane so cars can't get through.

Runners go straight on towards Drayton...