Last years races
What will you not do again and why?
01/01/2003 at 19:07
After seeing Chimp say on another thread what races he won't do this year, I thought it might be interesting for others to say what they won't be doing again and why.
I won't be doing the Great South again because too many runners go into the wrong pens/start areas making it difficult to get a decent run.
01/01/2003 at 19:23
Cardiff marathon
Bad BAD people for setting a cut off in the first place(22 miles by 5.5 hours), and then STILL opening traffic up before the end
01/01/2003 at 19:30
hippo, not good, I agree. But on a different note was the organisation good, drink stations, toilets, baggage etc. The reason I ask is I've always fancied running a marathon in my home land and Cardiff is the only one I think.
01/01/2003 at 19:41
organisation shite
Publicity the same
Marshalls were ok, except they lost interest in us last ones(finished 8 th from last at just under 6 hours)
And we got abuse from motorists along the course
No energy drinks
Mind you, they will have got our comments, so it may be better next year
where are you from in Wales?
01/01/2003 at 19:53
I won't be doing the Belfast marathon again. It was ok, but:
1. there was nothing to drink at the first couple of water-stations, which, combined with the fact that it was a very hot and sunny day, led to much anxiety early in the race about whether there would be water later on (there was, in fact).
2. Not every mile was marked.
3. A 4 leg relay was run at the same time, which led to big bunches of people walking where we were trying to run.
4. Even now, they don't list the top ten women's finishers on the website - just the blokes, the relay teams and then the wheelchair contestants. (Then they have the full results in a .pdf.) I'm not a militant feminist piglet, but I do find this just a little bit irritating... :)
01/01/2003 at 20:22
Hippo, brought up in Abergavenny, moved away aged 18.
What about you, are you from Cardiff?
Cardiff marathon sounds appalling! Think I'll wait a couple of years.
Wee Piglet-Belfast doesn't sound too 'hot' either!
01/01/2003 at 20:28
From York till 18
London for 13 years
Cardiff for 7 years9 and learnt welsh)
About to become black country
01/01/2003 at 20:40
windsor half
toughish course (yes, i was underprepped) and terrible water situation. none left for the plus 2 hour guys which is awful cos you need it if you're out there that long.
having run three halves in 2 hours plus this year, i now realise how tough things can be for our friends who don't get the benefit of getting to the water stations early. some of those slightly slower times have heroic stories attached to them, believe me - battling with no water, traffic on the course etc
the other one is the reading half - which was just a joke ....too many people etc etc and is a drab course anyway. hats off to the marshalls and the organisers who try at ANY event, but for reading, until they reduce the size of the field by about 30%, it's going to be too busy to handle
01/01/2003 at 22:52
Reading Half. We were left to freeze for 30 minutes in a biting wind, because of the chaos in the baggage hall. There was no proper marshalling at the start, to make sure that people went into proper time slots, so I spent the first 3 miles running along grass verges/pavements etc, passing several hundred runners.
01/01/2003 at 22:58
Nooooooooooooooooo
Us girlies intend to ENJOY reading this year
01/01/2003 at 23:25
Will do:
Camberley Half - hilly course, but good drinks (even sponges!!). Missed a few mile markers, but could be me!
Brighton Half (maybe) - did it in 1999 and enjoyed it, only problem was all the bags were in a heap, and although they started grouped roughly together, as people searched for their black bin bag they got really mixed up.
Maybe:
Worthing 20 - bit close to London this time, four laps got boring, but then again I had a naff run and want to lay the ghost. Marshalls good - particularly the one at mile 2/7/12/17. organisation good.
Can't recall a race I've really hated - some of the Kingston ones are expensive for what you get - did the Kingston Half last October - about £12 and all you got at the end was a mug (okay - goodie bag from sponsors but it can't have cost organisers anything). Would expect a t-shirt for that money, but you had to pay for them :-(
02/01/2003 at 00:37
I'm doing Reading again this year despite last years problems. They have reduced the entries by 1000 and hopefully will have made other changes to improve the baggage hall chaos.
Won't do what was the Jubilee 10k, too expensive, poor drinks stations, poor finish set up.
Undecided about New Forest 10 and Winsor Half purely because both were midday starts on very hot days so I didn't really enjoy them and agree with WWR's comment about Windsor water situation. On the other hand am thinking about an autumn marathon in the southern hemisphere (Auckland, NZ) so perhaps I ought to get used to running in the heat.
02/01/2003 at 01:02
I won't do the Jubilee 10k (or whatever they call it this year) again.
Numerouse reasons.
Too expensive
Promised wicker t shirt got shite BHS one
People who paid £15.00 less still got same shite t shirt
Badly organised
Delay at start (course not cleared)
Marshals had no interest in being there
Handing out 1 litre water bottles instead of plastic cups
Ran out of water
Ran out of plastic cups
No time given to finnishers
No position given to finishers
Medals just left on a table for anyone to pick up.
02/01/2003 at 10:46
Will do Kingston again, cos it's dead flat, they called out my name on lap 2, and I can walk there from home. I agree that the over-sponsored mug isn't much of a souvenir though.
Won't do New York again, as it's at the time of year where I always catch a bad cold, there's the 4 hour wait at the start (it's a good job it wasn't raining), and I just don't have to willpower to go to bed early and drink lucozade in such a place.
Most of all, won't try 2 marathons so near to each other (3 weeks). Not enough time to recover, even without the drinking.
02/01/2003 at 10:47
I have run for one year so far and did around 20 races last year.
There were none that I would not do again, and hope to repeat most, if not all for a second time this year with some new ones thrown in.I seem to have been fortunate to have encountered well organised and marshalled events so far.
B
02/01/2003 at 10:56
I remember the bad feedback about the Jubilee 10, glad it's not near where I live or I may have been tempted.
The dilemma is there are so many good races and every time you do a new one you want to add it to the list for next year!
Won't do: Great North Run.
Why: have done it 3 yrs in a row, it's a great event for atmosphere but expensive (£25), logistically complicated whichever way you do it, too many runners to get a good time and my other half wants to have a go so I'll look after the kids instead.
btw, really recommend the Junior great north for your sprogs though.
02/01/2003 at 11:35
I won't be doing the GNR this year, too crowded and expensive (adding up travelling, hotel costs and fees).
Hoping to compete in all my other Scottish races especially the Great Scottish Run (hoping for better weather). Any recomendations for a good fast 10k in and around Scotland which will include slower runners I can race against would be appreciated.
02/01/2003 at 11:40
That's a thought - I'd love to do the GNR, although it would be logistically complicated and expensive for me living in London.
Kingston is a nice course, shame they didn't run the half marathon this year.
02/01/2003 at 11:43
Certainly will not do British 10k. Totally agree with Pizza Man. Rip off monumental. It deserves to be avoided !
02/01/2003 at 13:50
Only started in August 02 so limited knowledge but I wouldn't look forward to doing the Maldon 5K again as 3 laps of the same circuit in such a short distance was a bit boring.
Would do again:
Chelmsford 10K great atmos and marshalling
Witham Boxing Day 5 miler, as above.
Stortford 10 (excellent report from wife!)
There seems to be a shortage of 10k's around, is there a reason for this?
That's it - cheers
CN
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