Pacers at VLM 2012 - Spring Marathon

Hilden Bro

23/04/2012 at 08:54

Thought it might be interesting to share experiences of running with a pacer.

First marathon for me and I stuck with the RW 9 min pacer from Red 5 until Narrow Street. I think his name was Justin, very encouraging, shortish bloke with a short 9 lollipop, might have been a Kiwi.

I had "Joshi" on a Hospice in the Weald vest and wondered how he and other followers got on after I separated.

Speed-10

23/04/2012 at 11:17

I was 2 pens behind the one (10 min) I wanted to follow, we were held back for ages so he will have been well away. After a slow start I saw his sign about 20 metres a head of me a while after tower bridge, think I spent too much time weaving and trying to pick up lost time as after a 2 hr 12 half I finished in 435 and never got to the Pacer!

Tommygun2

pirate

23/04/2012 at 11:29

hey hilden bro are you from Hildenboroug in kent?
i am from hildenborough. ran london yesterday and met a lady who was also from hildenborogh. i wanted to follow the 9 min pacer from blue start. but he was at the front of my pen and didn't chatch up with him until mile 6 then ran just behind for.amile or so until i had to.stop for pee. never saw him again

touie2

23/04/2012 at 11:36

I only saw one pacer and that was at the start and slower than I wanted to go, I did have success with my luzocade wrist pace band though!!!

Barney Desmazery

23/04/2012 at 13:14

I couldn't have done it without the 9 min mile pacer. I ran 3.56.42 on my first marathon and it's all down to him. If anyone knows who he is (older gentleman with a northern accent) please could they thank him from me. I was with him from mile 8 until the finish.

WHAT A LEGEND

Hilden Bro

23/04/2012 at 14:44

Tommygun2 - Yup, another Hildenborough resident- we've probably nodded to each other as we've run along Tonbridge Road!

Barney - sounds like he did a cracking job but good on you for staying with him. Was he from the Blue start?

Barney Desmazery

23/04/2012 at 14:58

Hilden Bro - I don't know because I started from Green and only found him at around mile 8. I had to leave everyone and go faster at mile 25 as they were running 7 mins slower than my starting time and I wanted to make sub 4hrs. Pacer highlight - singing all togther now by the farm at the top of our voices at about mile 22. What a day.

Edited: 23/04/2012 at 14:58

KateF

23/04/2012 at 15:04

No, but I did hold up one of signs in the pub afterwards.

Hilden Bro

23/04/2012 at 15:33

Even better Barney- you must have felt like you were in the Olympics, kicking at 25 miles to leave the pack for the gold medal!

Or perhaps it's just me who uses sporting imagery like a ten year old...

Barney Desmazery

23/04/2012 at 15:54

Hilden Bro - Complete tortoise and the hare scenario. I ran 9 min miles pretty much all the way round (thanks to the legendary pacer), it's a pace I'm comfortable with and I didn't deviate from it – chuffed to bits but my toes are the worst the St John’s team had seen at that point. I felt my toes pop several times during the race. Nasty.

Edited: 23/04/2012 at 16:43

Juggler

23/04/2012 at 17:03

I ran with the 3 hour pacer for the last mile, or at least tried to, he slowly pulled away and must have finished in 2:58 something since I did 2:59:31 having crossed the line only 10 seconds after the gun. I'm guessing he was a little ahead of schedule since he didn't seem to have a lot of people running with him. I ran the last 2k at 4:19 pace which is almost exactly 3 hour pace sop he really shouldn't have been pulling away from me. I wonder how many of the people he was pacing were dropped by him over the last mile or more...

Black And Tabby

25/04/2012 at 10:54

Did anyone run with the run/walk pacer? Was just wondering what time they crossed the line

seren nos

pirate

25/04/2012 at 11:20

one of the run/walk pacers had a 5:14 target ...on blue start and he did 5:13:45...if that helps

Black And Tabby

25/04/2012 at 11:39

Wow seren - that's really helpful - thanks! Good job I couldn't find them at the start then!

musketeer

25/04/2012 at 11:42

A freind of mine paced a sub 4:00 group. Not sure which colour start he was on, but his finishing time was 4:00:02. Pretty sure he would have stopped short of the line and got all his group over the line before finishing himself

Emmy H

25/04/2012 at 11:50

The Pacers did an absolutely sterling job and they get my full praise! It's a shame that more racers don't do it.

The guys that I ran with (I ran with a few...) were all smiling, helpful and making sure that everyone was ok. The guy from 11 Minute miling (we called him Jesus because we were all following him...) made a point of announcing each mile with a huge cheer. It was great to see!

need for speed

25/04/2012 at 12:00

I caught up with the 3.56 pacer at mile 25 and overtook him slowly, so finished just a bit in front. My chip failed so I would love to know what his time was as my gun time was 3.58.50 something. (thanks to a QuickQuack for finding my gun picture) less the time it took me to cross srart line from two thirds back in pen five. I couldn't see the pacer from where i started in pen 5. I have no official time, no splits and no photo's apart from the one mentioned

. All I can do is take 1 min' off the 3.56 pacer's time I guess?

seren nos

pirate

25/04/2012 at 12:02

black and tabby...........his sign said run/walk 5:14 so there might well have been a slower pacer out there.....not sure what times they were this year......

Bartholomew Roberts

25/04/2012 at 12:59

The other run walk pacer - red start - got around in 5:13:06

The run/walk 5.14 group is the slowest pacing group at VLM.

It was the perfect day for it, my group had a ball (I hope!)

Sphinx

25/04/2012 at 13:08

Hilden Bro - Did you manage your sub-4? You and I were both following the 9-min/mile pacer for a few miles, and then I ran into you again some time after we'd both lost track of him (I was the girl in the white t-shirt with red pattern and dark hair in a ponytail). I never saw the pacer again after that. I take it you didn't either? Anyway I managed my sub-4 all the same (3:57:58) so I was really happy. Relied on my trusty Garmin to pace me instead!