Liverpool or Chester or somewhere else entirely - Page 2 - General running

Fit-Running-Cat

28/11/2012 at 21:48

Watched both this year from multiple locations, and did Liverpool year before, Chester looked a lot of fun, good PB course, not sure about crowds. Liverpool definitely improved their course from last year from results, lots knocked time off so equally good for PBs now, and more crowds watching.

Liverpool is easier to get around for your wife and kids during the race, they can nip on the train from Wirral to town to see you 2-4 times and more crowds, better views of city, plus finish along the seafront to Liver building is spectacular.

Both well organised races. Take your pick.

any first marathon will be special of course, best to give yourself as long a time as possible to train upto it, so would hesitate about Edinburgh unless you're running consistently now. It's a good course though.

STEVE TAYLOR 27

29/11/2012 at 07:13

Not consistently running yet Fit-Running-Cat. I chose Liverpool or Chester to give myself a year to prepare. I only considered Edinburgh as it's my mum's home city and her ashes are interred up there. It would be a tribute type thing, running for Cancer Research. I can always do May 2014.

Fit-Running-Cat

29/11/2012 at 10:20

thats exactly what I was going to suggest, do the autumn one then see how you get on, then if you enjoy go for Edinburgh. Its exactly what I did last year and this one in fact..

giving yourself 9-10 months is a great way of doing it, build slowly so less chance of injury, a few events a couple of halfs, a 10k maybe along the way as fitness tests.

STEVE TAYLOR 27

29/11/2012 at 10:34

I've done two halfs in 2012, first races since 1985 in 3.42 and 2.31 but I haven't trained at all since Stroud HM on 21 Oct. Think I really need a running partner to get me motivated again. I have Silverstone on 3rd March, and Blackpool on 24th Feb, both HM's to train for but a marathon is a big step up. Can't make a proper attempt with no training

carrot top

01/12/2012 at 12:16

ive done chester and rate it extremly highly, lots of clubmates have done l'pool and seem content enougth.

however, personally i like my mara to either be;-

good pb target races (something i don't consider either to be). don't get me wrong, you can pb them, but can do better elsewhere.

ridiculously hilly ie snowdon. which is the local race id without hesitation recommend. (boy is that one fun)

(personally I'm doing Amsterdam autum 13 )

STEVE TAYLOR 27

01/12/2012 at 14:09

I want to do a nice flat one or maybe two before I take on Snowdon, although I'd love to do it. Can't imagine pulling 17st up or down a mountain!

carrot top

01/12/2012 at 19:19

its 2 mountains and 1 hill in the middle (which i find the real killer that softens you up for waunfawer). i did the same thing, wouldn't do it until id broke the sub 3 mark. and haven't done it for a year or two because old farther time is catching up with me and best performances will soon be a thing of the past (hence why targeting pb courses)

I'm jealous that your doing silver-stone, so wish to do that one as I'm a fan of f1. but it clashes with 20m races that i only get a crack at once a year.

all the best which ever you decide to do and don't take race predictors too seriously for your first one. when you put other distances in they are notorious for predicting way too fast a times.mara's are not very forgiving beasts, and can make your first not the enjoyable experience it should be.

p.s. every welsh/eng mara runner should have snod on their cv, absolute gem of a race

runs-with-dogs

03/12/2012 at 23:23

I did the first Chester mara in 2010 and really enjoyed it. Well organised, great marshals and scenic countryside. Also my first race of any distance where I got a good quality tech t-shirt - still the best shirt I've ever got from any race and which I wear all the time for training in. I know the route has changed since the first one but sounds like for the better to me.

I did Edinburgh this year and despite it being well enough organised and me getting a PB I wouldn't say it was a great marathon overall. Not sure why but for me it was a bit of a let down really.

I'd do Chester again but probably not Edinburgh.

Matthew Jarrold 2

11/03/2013 at 19:59

I've done both but if you want scenic go for Conwy in North Wales (only half hr down the a55 from Chester). Truly spectacular views although pay off is you have to run or in my case crawl up the Gt Orme! Go for it you won't regret it!

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