Hanley Building Society Potters Arf Marathon

This is the best half marathon I've done, the launch is a week tomorrow (16th January) at the Potteries centre and when I registered at last years launch, I only had to pay £7.50 to enter! Plus I got a goodie bag! Yippee! I don't know whether there'll be a discount for the first 100 or so at the launch this time but I'll be there just in case haha : )

How about everyone else? Anyone up for it? Have you run it before? What's your favourite memory?

I'm going to pop over and register too. Once I am registered then it wil give a me a focus to train towards as up to yet my longest race has been 10k. 

 I know I am not fast but will just aim to complete the distance and of course get a PB! Hope it's not too hot on the day and that I can manage those hills.

Fc

Nasty hills but great support!

cheers

Im going to entry this tonight when i get home!

Am i right in thinking it finishes outside Stoke city FC?

Also how does it compare to the Great North Run with regarding how hard?

I have now entered this HM.

Any one else doing it? any one done it in the passed tell me anything about it? I now kno where it finishes ans i also kno there is a few hills...but how hard is it really?  Any one?

I've just signed up for this one.

I completed my first half marathon at Stratford yesterday and found the last 3 miles very tough and I'm expecting this one to be a good deal harder, far more hills and potentially hotter.

Also means I'm going to have to lay off the booze through England's first World Cup match

As an ex-Stokie though I grew up through the Potteries Marathon being very popular so feel I need to give my support to the event

I'm originally from Stoke and in fact went to college in Hanley, though it's changed a lot from what I remember.  I did the very first Potters 'Arf and can confirm that it's well supported, though there are a few tough hills - probably tougher than the GNR if I think about it (someone asked that above), but then you won't have all the crap that goes with the GNR either!  Best bit was the fast finish in the City centre, I can remember my little lads cheering me as I ran in!

The race has 2 hills that are pretty tough,one at mile 4ish (Anchor Road) which is a fair old climb, and then a shorter but very much a steeper one at mile 11ish (Milton Road) so save some energy in your legs for that one! There are a few other inclines throughout the race but all in all there are good stretches of flat to give you chance to catch your breath!

 This was my first half and first race back in 2008 and it got me hooked on running, started seriously in 2009 and this will now be my third, it really is a brilliant race, the marshalls are great, the atmosphere is fantastic and the great people of the Potteries and their support is the best that I have ever seen at any race bar none.

 The best advice I can give anyone new to the race is take your time until after you hit the hill around mile 4, then it's fairly flat after that so you can up your pace! Plenty of water stations too which is good and it's botled water too not in cups which is a bonus.

 Good luck to everyone running on the day!