RunLiverpool Marathon 2012

2old - yes, yes it does - 6 hours of run, run, walk, run, run is close to sending you into delirium! (crossed the line at 6:04, 5:58 chip time)

why do i- sub 6 well done and respect to you  . Hope you are recovering well

gee gee wrote (see)

Gramck-Maybe thats where I went passed you then ? I know mish went passed me at the end of the sefton park loop and then I must have caught her up coming back down parliment street. I really enjoyed the whole day.

Alan -The only point I would make about getting to Birkenhead park was in James Street station there was only one guy on the till so it took a long time to get tickets. Maybe just like the parking at one if you could pay ahead online and then just have a print out ticket or ticket sent in the post people would have been able to get on an earlier train.

You'd have to take that up with the train company. Alan's good, but he's not responsible for staffing levels in the train station! No wonder so many people bought bus tickets! It seemed to work really well for those who decided to get the shuttle bus.

2old wrote (see)

Alan-can you get the Duck tours to ferry us across to the start next time?

The exit from the Q Park at Liverpool 1 was a pain as I had to wait until 4 to leave and Im sure when I booked it said it would be possible to leave earlier.Next time(did I say That??) I will park away from the area so I can get a faster exit.

Saying that it was inspiring to hang around and watch the later runners finish. How can anyone run for that long? It must have taken so much out of them.

I too was handed a piece of paper telling me that I couldnt exit the car park until at least 4pm and I took a photo of the notice on the paying terminals to show Alan that Q park had no intention of letting anyone out any earlier but I haven't shown him yet. As I left after 4pm I have no idea if you COULD get out earlier than that. I know Alan certainly thought you could. Even when I did leave nearer to 6pm the traffic was still one exit lane only and it was very busy.

Is that what they were handing out as you entered the car park.... bits of paper telling you couldn't leave till after 4pm???

I saw someone handing them out but never got one when i went in.

I paid Q-Park on level 3 to get the £5 parking deal and i was out and away at around 1.45pm. As did others.

Not sure why they said 4pm as you went in.

I got the train from Moorfields to Birkenhead Park and pre purchased my ticket via Trainline.   I'm not telling anyone where my secret car park is

Gee Gee - was that you saying 'here she is again' in Sefton Park.  I got Gun Time 3:20:00 (bob on) couldn't do that again if I tried and Chip time 3:19:08.

All - I didn't mean the train ticket point as a critisism of Alan and his team unless of course he also works for Mersey rail. wasn't really a problem for me anyway just would have been quicker if I had a ticket ahead of time and could have gone through the barriers. If I do the race next year (and I probably will) I think I will order a ticket ahead of the event but of course that is up to me to sort  

Also I parked on Q Park one and left at not long after 1pm, no one stopped me and I was on my way out of Liverpool in about 10 mins. I also came out of the exit right next to the finish line and didnt have a problem

I dont think so unless I was speak halluciating. I think I was chatting to you by the baggage wagon after we finished. well done on the sub 3.20 I am very jealous 3.20.05 for me

AlanRothwell wrote (see)

Regarding the Reddballoons comment (Event Rating) about baggage vehicles leaving early - they didn't. They left on time just as they do in the Tunnel 10K. 15 minutes before the start of the race.

I presume Reddballoons hasn't taken part in GNR? Now the start is quite a way from the finish!!

Time management. I swear by it... oh Race Instructions. Always a good source of information abut the day.

Alan

May i say that was the best marathon ive ever done(my 5th this year) Thank You everything went like clock work 

No PB but was happy with a time of 3:08 and crossed the line with my daughter something that she will never forget

Quite suprised how low the entrie was surely it must get bigger as it deserves to 

The amendments to the course were better and must say the water /gel stations were well signed and in the right places,You took all last years cristisms on board and solved them ALL THANKS

Lets hope there is a RunLiverpool Marathon 2013

gee gee wrote (see)

I dont think so unless I was speak halluciating. I think I was chatting to you by the baggage wagon after we finished. well done on the sub 3.20 I am very jealous 3.20.05 for me

Oh yes I remember  The guy in Sefton park must have been another admirer 

Is anyone else on runbritainrankings?  I can't believe all those months of training and putting in a 3:40:45 marathon only moved my handicap down by 0.1, yet if I trot round a 5k Park Run in 22 mins it will reduce it by 1.1!! How can that be right???

Anyway, aches and pains now pretty much all gone, so I'll probably go out for a gently few miles today - seems like ages since I last ran!!

Because parkrun rules. Marathon, pah!

I thought the marathon was really well organized, this was my second one and through the pain managed to enjoy the friendly support and great senery. I thought the exit to the tunnel was fantastic and gave me goosebumbs! i will defo be coming back again, the shuttle bus and early car park pass just allowed me to take in the atmosphere with out stressing about being on time!!!!! I manaaged a p.b. 3.35 which i was really happy with........A great experience! 

it seems as though lots of people got PB's, I wonder what percentage of runners got a pb ?

Definitely right about that goosebumps moment coming out the tunnel, it completely got me and I had to applaud the music and crowd back.

As a debut marathon runner who has preferred shorter distances, 10k mainly, and who came back from injury with limited time to train but did happily complete the marathon aka run - run - walk - run - walk - stretch - walk - run - what tips do people have for getting back into running after a marathon? 

As of Wednesday I can walk quite easy, minus a bruised foot from where my podiatrist insert left a mark, but if that keeps backing off I was hoping to get back into it next week.  Though stick to the shorter stuff and some speed work (Marathons back on the cards in 2014 maybe).

This may be attracting being shot down but I didn't think that there was much of an atmostphere at the start - nothing I really noticed anyway. I appreciate that the Liverpool marathon isn't the London marathon but I went to a tiny 10k race (less than 200 people in a tiny little village in Yorkshire) a couple of weeks ago where there was music on the loudspeakers and there was someone who does exercise classes doing the warmup and his enthusiasm infected everyone.

Nykie - the park backs on to residential properties wher the start pens are so we are obliged to not make too much nise, particularly before 8.30am as it attracts complaints from the local residents.

This is why we only really put out basic information calls and had the choir singing on the start line up to 9.00am

Gee Gee-I got a pb and am very happy about that

Nyki- I thought the atmosphere was good but in a different way to VLM etc as there was buzz of people chatting ,it was more relaxed than VLM etc and the choir was a nice touch rather than the booming music you often get.It had a very friendly vibe.

Alan - Somewhere it was suggested you might include a half marathon next year.Is this a real possibility? Will the finish line be in the tunnel?

The idea for the half would be similar to the 10K inclusion this year in that the ifrastructure (I hate that word!!) will be what is already in place. The initial idea was to just take everyone back to the marathon start line which would become the finish line for the half. Split runners off at 11 miles to go back along the first 2 mile stretch into Birkenhead Park. Anyway, that's the plan...

I loved the start!!! Really relaxing!