Hastings Half-Marathon

I'm booked to do this - and am making sure I'm doing quite a lot  of hills on my runs in preparation, including running the Tadworth 10 in January. 

Has anyone here done both Tadworth and Hastings, and if so, how does the hill in Hastings compare to Ebbisham Lane?

 GO

GO

Did this race last year and thoroughly enjoyed it?? Look forward to 7miles of up hill running then bumpy?! Was very busy at the start, shoulder to shoulder. But it soon evened itself out.

You will love it??

Will

Tough work those hills.

It will be fine if you are working on hills in your training. last year was unusually hot which was tough. there are two sharp hills at about 8-9 miles which are killers if you are not expecting them. and although the final 3.5 miles are flat, you can see for miles ahead which is mentally draining as you don't feel you're getting any closer to the finish.

all in all, its a fun event.

I've done both Tadworth & Hastings,   the long drag upto halfway isn't massively steep and once you get into a rhythm you'll be fine if you've done some training runs which are up and down.

I actually think that Hastings is a reasonably quick course as long as you can handle downhills well,  nice and steady to 6 miles then take advantage of the downhills and push the last 3 miles on the flat.

Enjoy it

Thanks for the extra replies.

My number and chip turned up today, and I'm really looking forward to this now.

Any one else here doing this?

GO

Got my number yesterday 2414  "Richard Newbigin" you will be fine?!

Look forward to seeing you all there? Shoulder to Shoulder?! This will be a "Training" run, before the 1st Virgin London Marathon...

Someone, once told me running isn't addictive? Enter the "BIG events" and I think I'll call them a liars!  Do 1 and you get hooked? The Endophines(feel good hormones) do something strange....

Hello all, hope you can help. The Sussex Beacon was a disaster for many of us today so I am looking at all my non club organised races and reconsidering them. I am an experienced half marathon runner but I've not run Hastings before; therefore is the organisation any good? Have the organisers reviewed the comments from 2009 reviews and taken those on board and improved them? (assuming the organisers read this forum)

 I am coming from North London and I have booked my sister and I into an expensive hotel so we can have a weekend in Hastings and enjoy the race but there is still time to cancel the hotel. 

Apologies in advance but the race today in Brighton has really hit my confidence before the VLM so I don't want a repeat experience.

Thanks

Catherine

Hi Catherine,

I am not at all surprised that your confidence was hit for six over the Sussex Beacon half marathon.  They just don't seem to get it, year after year.  They don't view the race and its organisation from the runner's point of view, but, so it would seem, from the public's point of view only.  The organisation was well under par last year, according to the chairman of my running club.   I ran the race in 2006 and 2007 - never again, unless someone else takes over and makes it an event worth taking part in. 

Hastings, however, is an entirely different kettle of fish.  Although the start can and does get congested, the route is more than wide enough to accommodate the 5000 or so runners who take part.  The water stations are clearly visible, the course is not a monotonous plod up and down the promenade, but circumvents the town, thus keeping the infrastructure disruption to a minimum.  That's also why it is quite hilly, but nothing really onerous.  The baggage/changing marquee is never left unmanned.  The race memento is a wonderful horse brass which can be set on a leather martingale, which is available from the souvenir stalls.   You can tell the race is very well organised, and it it the Hastings Lions Club's chief annual fund raising event, so it has to run like clockwork. 

I am also running the Tunbridge Wells half marathon this Sunday, which I understand is another good half marathon to run.  The race is now sold out and this occasion will be my first attempt at it.  I have downloaded the hill profile and although hilly with one big hill just over halfway, it doesn't seem that onerous. 

At the end of the day, I think you will see the difference between the Sussex Beacon and Hastings all too easily.  You'll be fine, I'm sure. 

Catherine & Mr Finknottle,

Interested to read your thread above. Catherine, I completely concur with Mr Finknottle here, and please don't let the experience of Sunday sow doubt in regards to the Hastings and VLM. For me the first half of the Sussex Beacon was a mess, as I found myself running next to moving cars, on pavements avoiding all kinds of street furniture, and also having to jump to a sudden halts due to  logjams in the lanes. How lots of people didn't turn ankes etc etc is beyond me.

I presume most of this was due to the last minute route change.

Because of all the congestion in the first few miles it was hard to run at a pace of choice or find any rhythm (or anything to be honest) and subsequently I ended up running the first 5 miles in 50 minutes and remaining 8 in an hour. Although I only knew I was at 5 miles because my wife shouted it at me as I passed. Where were the Mile markings? How you're supposed to run and pace yourself without knowing where you are!!? 

I won't even go into the post race fiasco here, but lets just say I was glad that my bag was still there!! 

What I would say is that if you completed it despite all this you should gain confidense. I certainly have. It means on a better course you can focus on your running and not just how to avoid hitting objects, other people, etc etc.. Everybody says Hastings is one of the best, and I've signed up to it for the first time and I'm really looking forward to it.

Good luck and hopefully you'll be there on a beautiful spring day in Hastings.

Mr Finknottle and FrogChild

 Thanks so much for taking the time to write such wonderful posts and for the reassurance (watery eyes writing this I am deeply touched by both of your replies) - I am going to do the race now.

Thanks

Catherine