Green Chain Marathon

Am looking forward to doing the GCM this Sunday... not done it before but I walked the whole course yesterday (8 days before event).  The weather was hot and cloudless - too hot for a run but fine for walking.  The terrain is varied, with parkland, street running, woods in several places and even a section in Thamesmead council housing estates and along the more derelict parts of the Thames from Thamesmead to Erith.  The thing to realize is you have to navigate your way round using 3 & 1/4 sides of instructions.  So you may need glasses and you will definitely need to be used to a bit of orienteering or mapreading/following routes.  There are pitfalls where occasionally youths have turned signs but if you like this sort of thing (I do!) it should be a lot more fun than a road marathon - different anyway.  Don't reckon on standard times; for example if you are a 4hour runner for a 26.2 mile marathon maybe this will take more like 5.00 to 5.30, assuming your navigation is good.  The signage is generally good and there are expected to be extra markings on the day. No marshals to my knowledge but there will be 7 checkpoints with drink and food. After walking this I feel pretty confident about the navigation but I have also spent hours on aerial maps and OS - OTT admittedly but I believe in the 6Ps! There are plenty of hills. Take a look at my walk if it helps - the final mileage will work out at about 28 (just under) - on my Garmin it says 30 because I followed one bit of the Green Chain to Chislehurst when I didn't realize the course briefly should leave the Green Chain a few miles before the end. Hope this helps; you must enter before the day though. The price is cheap. Hopefully this weekend won't be so hot btw!  Good luck, Tom

Paul, I meant to include this link to my Garmin log of the walk round the GC course...

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/220360730

Cheers,

Tom

Thanks Thomas. Unfortunately I'm now going to have to sit this one out, as I did Thames Meander 2 weeks ago, and have Budapest imminently, followed by Rutland Water.

Good luck with those, Paul.  You've got some serious ones there & at the moment looks like rest is the best form of training.

thomas thanks so much for that- I've just entered this and was a bit worried about getting lost and your map is a real help! thank you!

Best of luck to all running, hoping for a great day with no detours!

Just got back from an awesome event. Was my first on the GCM but I will be back. Only one place where signage could maybe have been better, but overall excellent. Well organised by a really friendly running club. Extra thanks got to the lady who dragged me round for 18.5 miles before she had to go to Glasgow and not once told me to shhh, oh and the guys from Plumstead Runners who did the same. Cheers

Well done 2 everyone taking part and thank you to the marshall out on the course you were great support and well done to the organisers. A great race along a terrific course, signage was almost perfect throughout the course, overall a great race.

really enjoyed yesterday - have reviewed in that sectin so won't do it again here, but wanted to say thought the marshalling was great, the course well marked (one confusing point when got back near the abbey and I nearly ran to Thamesmead again, but that was probably me just being a bit slow..)

A tough route, I thought, but all the more interesting challenge for it. Will definitely be back - apart from anything else, for £15 it's a great run you can even think of as a training run for a much easier marathon later in Autumn! totally different experience for me, and a lovely one, real sense of camaraderie and support from marshals and fellow runners.