Championship places

Can anyone tell me what the advantages and disadvantages of accepting a Championship place, as i am worried that I may go off to fast and eventually be over taken by the elite men, as opposed to starting off in the Good for your age group?

I think you've hit the nail on the head there in terms of the temptation to go off too fast.

I started in the 3:15 group this year and was constantly overtaken for the first three miles since I was going for a second-half negative splits race plan. It was very difficult not to just hare off as so many did but as long as you remain focussed it can be done. Later of course I saw a lot of those same people collapsing/walking/etc having burned up far too much energy early on.

if you're a championship man as the name nigel suggests (!), you won't be overtaken by the elite men......they'll have started in front of you! it's only the championship women who start early, with championship men starting just behind the elite men.
i have been debating whether or not to plead for a championship start (based on my 3.16 time, missed automatic championship place by 1 minute!) but all things considered as you state - going off too fast, loneliness, being overtaken by elite men in the later stages of my race - i've decided to stick with mass start, with the only real disadvantage of having to endure the queues for the loos along with everyone else!

Nigel - I've done the Championship start for the last 2 years and will be back for this year. The advantages are many - more space, personal help from officials, no queing for loo's, own warm up area on road, no start pens, baggage lorry very close. You do not need to be in a pen 45min before the race start (you slowly walk round to the start just behind the elite men with only 5 mins to go). Yes you could easily be tempted to go off too fast but if you move over to one side of the road you can easily just concentrate on your own time. You do get the advantage that everyone you start with is a reasonable runner so will not suddenly slow down in front of you or cut you up as they pass. Go for it I can guarantee that you will enjoy the experience.

I thought the times for championship places were sub 2.45 for men and sub 3.15 for women. The good for age places are men 2.45-3.15 and women 3.15-3.45 in which case cep wouldn't that put you in the good for age and not championship start?

hilly, you're right, but that's what i was saying (albeit inarticulately)! i know my time is good for age, but having missed it by a minute have been told me that i could possibly be given a championship start if i write in to plead my case. however i share nigel's concerns and have decided to stick with mass start, and not even bother trying for a championship place.
i think extending goood for age last year was an excellent move, and am delighted to have a place, no matter where i start!

What start did you start from last year cep? The green start wasn't too bad for crowds and queues for loos etc. If you can get on that start it's much easier as there was only about 5000 runners, but as you said better to start anywhere if it means a place.

Any other marathon and you would most probably get under that 3.15 with not having so many people to get through.

I'm still unsure whether to take up my place for 2003. For some reason I'm finding it hard to forget the pain I felt this year. Most probably because I've had a bad time since running London. I suppose I've still got a little while to make up my mind.

hilly
i started from blue start and it was ok, i wasn't in the pen for too long (pen 3), only took 45 seconds to cross the line and really had a trouble free run. would like to think i could get pen 2 next year if i was to start here again, but would probably have to put sub-3 as estimated finish time? green start sounds really civilised, be even better if i could get that for next year.
sorry to hear you've had a bad time running since london. i went through a bad patch too when i seemed to be going backwards, but have found some direction by focussing on improving my 10k time (which incidentally was terrible!), and the RW half marathon schedule has been really great to keep me going through the summer. unlike most normal people i find it much harder to stay motivated in the summer than during the dark cold days of winter (weird, i know!) i'd go for it for 2003, you know you'll only regret it when the FLM forum picks up around feb/march and everyone is buzzing with anticipation!!!
cep