Cologne Marathon, 14th October 2012.

Hi everyone, I've had a good look round the forums, but couldn't see a thread on Colgne marathon. I've signed up, and wondered if anyone else is doing it, or has done it in the past and has any experiences of what it's like and what I/We can expect when we get there? I've already spoken to one person via PM that's done it before and going back again so says it's great.

Looks a good race with a very large, and vocal support, plus it's a flat and fast track with real PB potential, and I'm really looking forward to it. Wanted to to do Amsterdam for the 4th year in a row, but due to my other halfs hols we can't make it this year, hope Cologne is a good substitute, I think it will be.

Cheers!

Hi Neil,

Good plan on making a thread! I'll be doing the half marathon again. I'm a serial offender at this race and really enjoy it!

Hi (again) Emmy! So far it looks like just me and you haha! Did you get my PM, we are staying at hotel Cristall http://www.hotelcristall.de/en do you know it all, looks OK. Really looking forward to the race and 1st visit to Cologne.

Cheers!

Looks like just the 2 of us then haha! Any one got any good drinking estabs they could reccomend in Cologne? Would imagine it'll be chock full of them... hopefully.

Lol - That is something that I can answer! What's your poison? Beer or cocktails?

Beer: Altstadt has some good bars for beer

Cocktails:
- Best cosmo: Scheinbar  - Brüsseler Straße 10. This place only really picks up around 1/2am
- Bars: Zuelpicher Strasse. The bars down this road change quite often so you'll have to pick and choose - some great little cocktails.
- Die Wohngemeinschaft - Richard WagnerStrasse (Rudolfplatz u-bahn)
- Last bar of the night (and normally the worst): Six pack: Aachener Straße 33

I used to work near Cologne and the local beer - Kolsch - is sold everywhere and is lovely. The area near the cathedrale has good bars etc

Hiya Pip - where did you work? I used to live in Cologne and worked in Leverkusen.

I used to work in Burscheid near (Leverkusen) Opladen for Johnson Controls back in 2004.  I worked there for a year and found the English cinema in Cologne just before I left - gutted!!

I used to spend a lot of time at the English Cinema (every James Bond night!). I remember queuing for the opening night tickets on many occasions. Cologne Marathon is my favourite race to do in Germany - it's just so friendly and a great race!

Beer, cocktails, anything!! Cheers for the info dudes! See we get a nice Kolsch glass in the goodiebag, should come in handy post race.

@Neil - I've collected all of mine and they're definitely good quality! As I said - post race - you'll get a beer for free to enjoy (non and full alcoholic)

Did Cologne a couple of years ago.  Lovely race, well organised and one of the best selections of post race food and beer I've ever seen.  The locals seem to get behind the race and having your name printed on your number means plenty of support all the way round.  Only snag was that the race started at 11/11.30-ish and was then further delayed, so that the race was run in very hot conditions. Were it not for the start time, I'd be back like a shot!

Hi Fit Running Cat

Yes, I think it's a PB course but one thing that i've said to Neil is that with it being October - you're not sure of the weather. I could be very hot or cold - you can't really predict it.

Hi all! Great to see more people have signed up, for a while I thought it was just emmy & Me!

FRC, yes, I was on the Edi mara thread, was a pretty hot right enough.

This late start malarkey at Cologne, gotta say, this suits me down to the ground, I'm not a morning person (to put it mildly), so getting up at a decent hour is music to my lugs. Also, looks like a flat course, so it's got PB potential. I'll be (very) happy to get under 3 hours for the 2nd time.

Back on the road again after Edinburgh, 6 miles on Mon&Tues, just keeping it ticking over and will be doing Dunfermline 10K next Wed night.

Hope you're all good.

Neil. 

yes, all good. Mersey Tunnel 10k for me this Sunday.

managed to get in a couple of runs and 2 tough gym circuits so not too bad.

Is the german hospitality after an event a common thing?

was talking to club triathletes doing Regensberg (?) in 10 days and they were talking about something similar, or on the ferry after, tons of food, beers etc?

How'd you get on at the MT 10k then FRC? Heard it was a good race, hope you had a good one!