FLM runners and supporters

Chaos GOOD POINT. we were actually on the opposite side of the blue racing line. This has advantages that we were not in the way of those racing, but to be honest I doubt if many beyond 3 hours rely in the blue lines anyhow (too many people).

Podro, I think when you saw me stood in the road it must have been a mirage:-)

Thank-you very much to all the Team9 runners for their lovely messages on this thread and elsewhere.

Meerkat, it was very hard, as you well know, to spot our runners in the crowd. Without 3 of us concentrating full time it would have been impossible. It was a shame we couldn't abandon our posts too much to chat to people on other Teams. We had a huge spread from Elite to Walk/Run. I was wondering about allocating fast runners to one team and so on down so we all get a break at some point but I'm not sure if that would work. Just a thought. Overall it was a wonderful experience to be involved in that way.

Many thanks for all the useful comments.
I just want to say, from the supporters' point of view, that some of you won't want to stop and that is utterly, totally fine. We're there to help YOUR race.
Okay, upsum so far:

- team allocations (which was Fraggle's brilliant idea) are good
- Leggy's signs were good
- we need more balloons, and signs on poles
- I need to recce the site again next year and see if a slight shift of location will help
- we might need to have team 10 first as you approach, rather than team 1

Oooo, sorry, Lady L, cross post. That's a very interesting idea. I think the lack of mingling was the one thing I missed. We could leave allocation til later when we have runners' etas at mile 17.

I genuinely don't get why having the highest number first will make things better. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc is surely a fairly familiar sequence to most peeps?

Is the problem peeps have identified that the first thing they saw was a high number (the team nine things on sticks) and hence they assumed that was the start of our area and it counted down from there? In which case having team one first but with higher up signs will presumably work.

Bear - I've been thinking about the number thing. Is it because peeps are counting down the miles??

No, I think bear is right - its because they saw the 9 first.

Hey all, glad you found all the support useful, it was great fun.

Only comment is about the requests for more balloons. All of the stuff provided for runners was out of the supporters own pockets, if lots and lots of blue and yellow balloons are required it'll bump up the cost for the support teams and we'd have to drop off other stuff, like jelly babies etc. :-D

Unless RW can provide the balloons.

Possibly furry pal, or is it maybe because they've been counting down the 800m, 400m etc?

whatever it is, if we have number one clearly marked, this should be the first thing peeps see (assuming we keep the order from this year) which will hopefully lead them to think that we're going 1, 2, 3 etc

How high up were the team 9 thingees? Would having ten of them get in the way of peeps doing their "job"

There's a pic on my site, I think. I'll mail Leggy and check. No, I don't think they'd get in the way. But I like Lady L's idea of dividing up the times a bit more.
Loon - I think we should get Sean to cough up for the balloons. My amoeba balloons were carp.

team 9 thingees were pretty high :-)

Legless will know.

some of us are taller than others ;o)

Thinking about the time things, I guess the potential downside is that if several peeps arrive together then one team could get swamped

Then again, it would free peeps up once they'd done their team to go and support at a point further down the course, although it might leave it quieter for the slower runners who maybe need a big cheerr more?

good plan UM :-D

I think Sean did offer to cough up for balloons this year, but it was too late.

Sorry a bit late posting but you all did a fantastic job I saw The signs so knew I was approaching you guys

Saw poster for team 9 I was confused which way they went but luckily spotted Bear and Rich so all was fine and there hugs made all the differnce seeing a friendly face jusdt when you need one.I thought the spot was perfect but then i dont know London and others may have other ideas.

I liked the team support as it was really well organised.

I think the numbers should be 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 etc

BUT a big thank you for all your hard work it really meant a lot to all of us:-)

Thanks so much Meerkat, fantastic organisation, lovely people and very nice for babysitting Mr Kerzo too. Brilliant for first timers - even if they are as slow as me!

First many many thanks for to all of you - especially team 7 (and richk and tigerruner whom (whom? who? MK?)I stole from team 6).

Like many have already said, it was knowing you would be there that kept me going - and for us late arrivals it was wonderful that so many of you WERE still there.

yes I found you - the visualisation from MK's site was a big help
- a stack of RW-financed balloons would be good
- I think counting up would be fine - just have a sign Team 1 or RW teams start here or something

did the countdown help? - yes it did

from my side of the fence the allocation to teams helped - and richk's pics helped to know who to look for

next year? well I'll be there supporting if I am not running

thanks again peeps

xxx beanz

our team 9 on a stick was an idea my kids had, the pole was actually a plastic waste pipe 6' high bought from homebase for 96p.
it did bend a bit when the wind got up, but only cos i only had 2 cable ties left after putting up the countdown signs.

I think it is def possible to have signs for all the grous next year and producing them for all teams would not be an issue for me.

re placement of the cheering point:- having walked back down the course to put up the countdown signs, i had to run back as it was obv due to the helicopter above that paula was on the way, and the charity stand and water station did mask our spot (and I knew where it was) moving would mean we would HAVE to find an area with enough railings etc to clip the signs to, although I arrived at 10.00 am and the road between us and asda was almost deserted, so poss move down towards crosshabour might work, ie 17.5m

Having said that this is my 3rd FLM 1st time as a runner. last 2 years as a supporter, and I think revery year M17 (or 18 as it was) has got better and better.

UM if you fancy meeting up sometime for a reccy of the 16-19m area then let me know.
think sooner the better, then we have a whole year to iron out any poss probs and sort out signage balloons etc etc, esp if I run next year

Hello all

I was too late to register for a group but knew I would be welcome to come over and say hello, get a hug, jelly baby etc. It made a real difference knowing that forumites were going to be there, as my friend was at mile 13, OH and children at mile 15 and then 19, so having some support in between was eagerly anticipated.

Saw the countdown markers easily, although 800m seemed like miles away! Then, because I hadn't run the FLM before and didn't quite know what to expect and also because by this time I must have been having a girly giddy moment, I thought that you must have been the group singing at the side! My ignorance!! Then I spotted you all, scampered over to say hello and promptly almost tripped over the mounds of discarded water bottles!

I would have stopped for the promised hug, but I was going pretty well at that point and didn't want to risk stopping and losing momentum. But what a great idea to provide a structured support like this - will definitely register if I get a place next year and if I don't, would love to join the support team. Like a lot of other runners, I found the miles between 20 and 23 absolutely the worst, but if you were positioned there, how bad might I have felt if there hadn't been the prospect of support at mile 17? Difficult call.

Anyway, the point of this long rambling email is to say a humungous THANK YOU to Meerkat for sorting it all out and to all of you for being there for us people. And to all the other runners, esp forumites, for supporting each other. I had just the most fantastic day, loved it all, blubbed a few times, laughed loads and feel humbled and privileged by the whole experience. I love you all, mwah mwah.

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