Keswick Rugby Club Half Marathon - Events

26/04/2011 at 19:28

Hi All - Just had a RW email alert about the Keswick Half - unless the course has changed, the loop of Newlands Valley is BEFORE the lap of Derwentwater not after, as the email suggests. Quite important if you did it last year & 'enjoyed' the Little Town hills! Imagine them at 9 miles....

Looking forward to a great run, as ever superbly organised & supported!

Millster

26/04/2011 at 23:29

Looking forward to this also, but was starting to wonder if anyone else was taking part. I was expecting a few hills as this is the Lake District but never having run this before, and not being familiar with the Keswick area, I'm not sure how significant this change is. Anymore clues?

27/04/2011 at 08:35

I don't think the route has changed - just a typo in the email. The hills aren't too bad (but take it easy to start) & the weather looks set to make it a stunner. You'll not be alone - about 500 do it usually!

Millster

27/04/2011 at 21:36

You could be right about the weather. Having previously run the Great Langdale Half and Marathon in recent years I would be surprised if the hills around Derwentwater cause me any real problems, although a few extra minutes to my normal half time seems likely. I'm sure that plenty others will turn up, I was just a bit surprised at the lack of activity on here. The exact route is of little concern to me. By my reckoning I'll probably be following at least 200 others around the course so I don't think I'll need a map and compass

cougie

pirate

27/04/2011 at 22:05

Great langdale half is certainly hillier from what I remember. That first climb at langdale was amazingly steep !

FAS

28/04/2011 at 06:40

Lovely event, great organisation. Last year I finished in 1.34.59 then 2 weeks later ran 1.29.58 at Chester which is flat. So that will give people an idea of the hills. But it really is a good challenge - loved it!

Millster

28/04/2011 at 12:15

If you do the full marathon at Langdale the steep hill which you encounter at the start of the second lap seems almost vertical. That said, on a good day the course is fantastic with views to kill for. Hopefully we will get something similar on Sunday.

FAS - I'm not quite as quick as you, but figured that I would probably need to add around 5 minutes to my normal finish time. To be honest I have no intention of trying for a PB - too long in the tooth for that. Just hoping for a good run and an enjoyable day.

Costanza

01/05/2011 at 21:30

My first time here today and loved it. A well organised race with a very demanding first 6 miles but great support from all the villages along the way. Bloomin hot mind!

Millster

01/05/2011 at 23:38

I concur

Big thanks to everyone involved in today's event. Some of those hills surprised me a bit, and my finishing time was slower than expected, but I've got a brilliant excuse. I'll just tell everyone that I was distracted by some of those fantastic views - and I think I must just get away with that.

The B Team

02/05/2011 at 20:26

I didn't have a problem with the lack of goodie bag/souvenir - think it was fair enough given that the event is about raising funds for the rugby club. If they did the momentos for everyone the cost of entering would presumably just be £3 more - at least this way there was a choice? I didn't notice a problem with the water, but not sure what they could have done given the weather - do other races chill water? I do think the organisation for picking up numbers could have been better - lots of people (including me) walking around in the same day entry place clueless about where to go - and once in the right place it was a bit hickledepickeldy. Not a big thing in the scheme of things.

I nearly cried at 3 miles thinking the rest of the route would be the same. Too knackered to admire scenery! Spectator support round the course was really impressive.

Kicked-It

02/05/2011 at 20:28

Got to wholeheartedly disagree with you Andrew.

Having the coaster as an extra helped to keep the costs down and £11 for a Half is bloody cheap these days compared to the £25 plus you will pay for a city event with a "goody bag" full of rubbish. Most of the field appeared to be club runners who couldnt normally give a stuff about a medal or another t-shirt and would rather save a few quid!

Ditto chip time - As this is hardly a PB course, who cares about chip time? It took me about 20 seconds to cross the start line, so it isnt as if we were all 10 minutes out on gun time is it?

Not sure how they were supposed to chill the water out on those country lanes either! In fact I have never run an event on a hot day with chilled water facilities!!!!!!!!

I thought the organisation was fine. The guy who started it could have done with a loud hailer as I didnt get a word he said with rude runners continuing to talk aroud me, and runners walking 2 abreast along the narrow road back into Keswick was irritating for those still trying to run and get past...but thats about it.

Support in the villages was brilliant, (particularly liked the Mexicans!), marshalls were switched on, water stations very well run by people who have obviously done it before, and the views were almost beautiful enough to take my mind off the agony of some of those early climbs!

First 6 miles took its toll and I think everyone suffered for it in the last 3 or 4 but thats the challenge of this particular race.

A cracker - thanks to all involved in organising it.

Stephen Ashcroft

02/05/2011 at 21:09

Hi All

Next years date Sunday 6th May 2012

Millster

02/05/2011 at 23:44

I'm with you Kicked -It. You pay your money, and take your chance. This is obviously something of a low-key event, compared to something like the Great North Run, but I know which I would much prefer. We could all suggest improvements - chip timing, goody bags etc but everything comes at a cost and that needs to be passed on to the runners. Seemed to me that there were a lot of club runners yesterday, and that usually suggests a good event to me (even though I often feel as though I'm gate-crashing). I just happened to be sorting out my running kit last week and came across a pile of t-shirts from previous events - lord only knows what I'll do with those, but I'm quite pleased not to have a Keswick Rugby Club half marathon t-shirt to add to my collection!

The congestion in the pavilion before the start was something that I was able to avoid having applied on-line and turning up early on the day, but I do appreciate that that doesn't suit everyone.

I can definitely see me coming back next year - after some hill training, and if I do, then I hope that there aren't too many changes.

A huge thank you to all concerned yesterday - organisers, marshalls, water 'dispensers' and anyone else who gave up their time so we could have such a good time. The photos are excellent, but I haven't seen the official results yet - any clues?

Stephen Ashcroft

03/05/2011 at 07:29

Results

http://www.ukroadraces.info/

Mike Allison

05/05/2011 at 20:20

Millster wrote (see)

I'm with you Kicked -It. You pay your money, and take your chance. This is obviously something of a low-key event, compared to something like the Great North Run,

I agree, low key & laid back that's how we like it in Cumbria.

A beautiful sunny day running around Newlands & Derwentwater. Yes If you analyse it, you could say "what do you get for your money" but is that really what its about. For me its all about running with other people who are doing their best whether it be 1hr 15min or double that.

Great support on the way round means more to me than yet another t-shirt not to mention that walk to the start at Portinscale with mountains all around.

Stephen Ashcroft

20/10/2011 at 18:49

Enter 2012 www.shoestringresults.co.uk

Millster

20/10/2011 at 21:44

You've certainly harboured that grudge for a while Andrew

. I hope you'll consider coming back next year. The coaster is a nice memento for those who want something, and I did, but it was nice to have the option to go without and save a couple of quid. I'm sure the organisers welcome all feedback, but I suspect that the general view would be to keep this event cheap and cheerful.

Mandy Clarke 3

20/10/2011 at 23:08

I did this race this year and thought it was fab, but bloomin hard and a total suffer-fest. Will be back in 2012 for more.

Don't understand the comments about putting water in the shade, chilling it or whatever and no goody bag (full of tat) or XXXL t-shirt.

Ripped off?? Really? I can't stop laughing. I really hope you are just teasing. Come on, this was a great event and you surely can't expect a small local race to provide facilities of something like the GNR, not without charging say £30+ for the race?

Give it another go it's - painful, but good!

cougie

pirate

21/10/2011 at 08:16

Fantastic. Guy complains about warm water ! Man up guy.
It's a low key race. You won't pb so you don't need timing chips.
And fantastic explosion to lose seven minutes in 7 miles. And the last parts the easiest too ?

Muggle

21/10/2011 at 08:56

Got to be a wind up this.

What do you expect for £12 entry???