Leicester Marathon

Some really impressive PB chasers here! Thanks for the benefit of your experience and passing on your tips. I'm just doing the half (my first, having gone arse about and first race experiences were a  20 mile and full) and frankly will be chuffed to get in around 2.15 for that!

Hope those of you experiencing problems with the race packs got things sorted, I went yesterday and it was efficient enough so hope that bodes well for those getting your packs on the day - there are no ties for the chips in the packs though so may be worth taking some with you if you don't want to mess about attaching through your laces and again messing about detaching it at the end.

Can someone post a message on Sunday PM / Monday just to let us know how it goes for those of you queueing for your race numbers and chips  on the Sunday morning - for this reason alone I have decided not to turn up tommorow for this race. Didn't fancy queuing with 1000+ others and either it being absolute chaos and being late for the starting gun or if it runs like clock-work and then  having to stand around in the cold waiting for it to start. 

I have heard of quite a few others who are not able to get to Leicester during the week and having the same reservations as me.

I'm hoping I'll be proved wrong and i'll be back next year.

I very much doubt the race will start on time with 1000+ people in a queue to pick up race packs. Luckily a friend picked mine up. I was also a little confused about the chip. There should have been a sticker on the chip informing us that it is not to be removed. On a more positive note, just checked the weather forecast. BBC reckons it will be cool but sunny for the duration of the race. Good luck all!!!!!!!!!!!

whoops, thanks for that Steph,  As Frank says, would be handy for the pack to say! (sits here doing a Blue Peter and taping chip back into bib!)

Are we completely sure about vleaving the chips on the bib?

"

The timing chip you will recieve coincides with your race number. For an accurate reading, please attach the chip securely around your ankle and NOT your wrist.

The chip will record TWO times, the gun time and your personal time."

That is taken direct from the "race day" section of the event website.

Thank you Leicester Marathon.

Everything went perfectly.  The Marshalls were brilliant.  Loads of encouragement and quitea few people on the course more then I expected.  Loved that it was a bit in the city and quite a bit around the outer towns. 

I really cannot praise everyone to much not a single hitch from my point of view.  Already have an email with our official times on it.

5:30:22 for me.

One thing I really recommend being silly like myself, and dying your hair a bright colour in my case pink, lots of comments on it from them Marshalls.

The organisers have put on a superb event again.  The organisation was hard to fault, and the marshals were in control of everything. 

Last year I got a grating time of 4.00.10, which I obliterated this year by finishing in 3.35.  I understand that my time will be revised down further because I was held up at a level crossing. 

I rounded off the day by walking down New Walk towards the bus station, and giving support to the runners still on the course!

Excellent day. Ran 3:01:50 on my garmin which is a PB. Only strange thing is my finish time says 3:04 even though I know it only took me about 20 seconds to cross the start line after the gun? Even for the winner who was stood right at the front, his gun time was 2 minutes slower than his chip time. Thought the event was marvellously marshalled, organised and supported, but I would not have been chuffed if I had ran 2:58 and the organisers had denied me my first official sub 3.

Not too fussed as i didn't crack 3 but would like to know what happened in case i run again next year. The only reason i can think off is that the clock started 2 minutes before the claxon. It was a great day though. Thought the vaseline was a nice touch, although when a female marshall offered it to me I didn't know what to think. Lol. Support was also superb during the last couple of miles.

Must have been running with you before the level crossing Hellen.

I am about 5' 5'' and was wearing a red base-layer top.