Manchester Marathon 2013

I might be wrong but 8000 entrants last year rings a bell with me and, as Robin says, just under 5000 actual runners,

Bearsted Plodder wrote (see)

Rockin - they so a weekend metro ticket which starts 5pm on the Friday and I think that was ??5

From using the Metrolink with the family, they do a family day ticket which covers 2 adults and 2 children for any distance/journery for the full day and as you say that works out around £5 and much cheaper than individual tickets

My son's at rugby at Sale that morning, so we'll be running past there, past the end of our road in Timperley so I guess after that they can hop on the tram while I'm out in Urmston, Flixton and heading back to Stretford

I notice that most of Manor Avenue is missed out in Sale and instead the run circumnavigates the "Racecourse" estate and comes out near Mersey Farm, presumably to prevent the need for closures of a major road, although Brooklands and Washway Road are just as busy

GazOC wrote (see)

I might be wrong but 8000 entrants last year rings a bell with me and, as Robin says, just under 5000 actual runners,

For 2013, I think they were looking for 10,000 and had 5,000 entrants just prior to Christmas as they were pushing it in our local paper along with the charity places and the relay places

yep, their website says the entry limit is 10,000. assuming they sell all of their tickets, and barring exceptional circumstances, the pre race drop out rate (did not start) is likely to be around 28% (based on avg pre-race dropout rate for London Marathon over the last 20 years). So i'd expect a little over 7000 people to be on the start line.

The good news is that (again, going on the London Marathon stats) once at the start line, the dropout rate is MUCH lower. In the entire 30 year-ish history of the London Marathon, those DNF-ing averages about 4%. In fact is started quite high, and over the past decade has been below 2%, so I'd expect only about 150 people to DNF.

This makes a number of assumptions, e.g. the demographic of Manchester is comparable to London, as is the difficulty of the course. But as a rough guide, if I were the race organisers I'd be expecting to hand out about 7000 medals and goody bags.

Sounds good, I'd be interested to know what some of the "disqualifications" and other DNF were last time although I guess some people got injured and there will presumably be a few people who finished outside of the 6 hour cut off time and therefore don't have an "official" finish time or were "still running" at the time the results were generated

Based on those figures, they bank £500K for entry fees, haven't got a clue what the race costs in terms of closures, policing,admin,stewarding etc are but in theory somewhere around £100K-£150K will come from runners who never actually set foot on the course

Cybarev - sorry not to reply but not been online for a while.  Yes, Liverpool 2011 was my first as well - this will be my second so I've got my fingers crossed for a better experience!  My IT band went during training last time, so I managed (with strapping) to start Liverpool OK but it went again on the sharp downhill to the ferry terminal and I limped the rest of the way round. I finished, but with more of a grimace than a smile!  Hopefully Manchester will be my chance to run a marathon rather than survive one!

Hello Rob, good to see you on the forum. Hope your IT band problem is sorted. Sounds like it is judging by your time in Preston.

I just registered for a half marathon at the Olympic rowing venue today. Happens in March and is on a saturday so works well for me.

What running have people got planned for the weekend?

Rob Whyley wrote (see)

Noticed someone said iPods banned, don't like sound of that I need mine. Nout the can do I spose it's like the no cameras at concert rules. Looking forward to next 12 ish wks & seeing how everyone's getting on. Saves me noting the mrs

I think someone said that people still wore them last year, like some people have mentioned you could always just have one ear piece in, I struggle to run without my music at times

Marathon training day in Salford tomorrow, weather permitting, then a 15 miler on Sunday ending with tea and toast - it's amazing how those last few miles fly by when you can smell toast in the air!  We've escaped the worst of the snow so far up here (not quite the frozen north for once), so hopefully this weekend will be similarly blessed and we'll get both days' running without a problem.  It's been a bit icy so far this week, but that's only scuppered one day's training - nothing too drastic!

I went to the Olympic rowing last year - amazing venue so a half there sounds interesting.  Just don't take a wrong turn and get wet!

Had a fantasstic 10miler this afternoon. The sun was out, there was still snow on the ground and the air was crisp. This is what running is all about.

How did everyone get on at the weekend? Training going OK?

I bought some new running shoes and have decided to take them back. Nimbus 13's that feel completley different to Nimbus 12's. Way too narrow! May switch to Brooks or pay the bit extra and get some Nimbus 14's.

I did my first 15 miler yesterday. Two miles further than I've ever run before and man did that last two miles hurt. A reminder that I'm going to have to show this marathon some proper respect.

The average speed looked pretty on the spreadsheet, but there's no denying my legs had had it by the end. Looking frward to breezing round the same run in a month or so's time. 

Did a 13 miler in the week, a little slower than the last time I ran it for the Tatton Half in November but my times are starting to pick up post virus or whatever has been causing my cough since Christmas

That said I struggled on Saturday with regard to a 7 miler in the snow, coming home around 8-10 minutes slower than I'd normally run it

It's the first "rest" week for me this week so the longest run will be back down to 11.5, will see how the times come out this week and put Saturday down to the weather and a blip

Picked up some good tips at the marathon training day - free session run by company called Full Potential and they were great.  Informative, helpful and nice people to boot.  Couldn't run because of ice but the exercises they made us do made up for it - haven't laughed so much in ages!

15 miler on Sunday was OK until mile 14 when my ITB problem re-surfaced - drat, drat and double drat!