Thank you London...

I agree. It was a nightmare most of the way for me too. I was in pen 5 which is 9 min mile pace but no one was running at that pace, was more like 10 or 11mm. And we started walking at 2m cos everyone was bunched so much! Very frustrating and tiring to keep weaving in and out of slower runners and people walking from 4m - why didn't  they start further back??

One runner accidently pushed me into another runner and even though I apologised to the guy I ran into he was really rude to me and said it was my fault!  So if you happen to read this thread then shame on  you - where's your LM spirit?!!

 I will consider doing LM again but may have to lie on my form and get myself further to the front 

Lucy Wilson 5 wrote (see)

I will consider doing LM again but may have to lie on my form and get myself further to the front 

 <!--StartFragment-->I was asked to high-five a kid in Rotterdam, I had been going a couple of hours and had just bust a gel all over my hand.  No idea what he was shouting but I assumed it was good luck in the rest of the run although it was a bit aggressive.

My brother did London for the first time this year and didn’t really see what all the fuss was about.  I think I have guaranteed entry next year so will hopefully do it then, so long as my foot has recovered but after that we will hopefully go back to choosing a European marathon a year as it is a good excuse to get away.

I have never lied about my expected finish time on a form before and probably never would for that reason, but after doing 14 half and 4 full marathons and had several ruined by selfish runners, maybe its a case of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em?" 

Sorry, but these events take a lot of training over many months and it makes me mad!

Agree Fat Buddha.

I enjoyed much of the run yesterday - the support on the course was great and the atmosphere fantastic, and for £30-odd entry fee it offers great value for money...but like you when I finished I had a nightmare with the crowds on the course, and then getting away from the finish and back to Waterloo station.

And like you say, the course seems to be getting more and more crowded each year. I lost count the amount of times I got tripped from behind, elbowed or cut up by runners who were quicker than me (or thought they were - some of them I saw a few miles later struggling!!) haring off up the road - and it wasn't as if I started in a higher pen than I should have. Although the start was a shambles, as others have said on another thread, and as a result there were plenty of people in the wrong start place, and I found the field didn't settle down until the second half of the course.

My main running gripe (and this will polarise the forum readers I have no doubt!) was people wearing headphones - for fecks sake its a crowded marathon - 40000 people are on the course, if you're not looking where you're going, and you can't hear other runners, you will run into them! How many times did I have an iPod wearer run across / into me yesterday!?! Too many times to mention!

On the way home my thoughts were 'never again' and they haven't really changed today. After seven Londons I think it may be time to think of another spring marathon - my brother did Stratford yesterday and whilst it was a tough course he enjoyed it and only 800 or so runners did the full marathon, so maybe next year I may think about that one.

It's certainly an interesting thread.

I ran my third London yesterday and totally sympathise with FB's thoughts. Although it's flat, because of the congestion it's hard to get a decent time, especially when you get some of the charity guys in early pens causing bottle necks.

Since I finished, I've been asked if I will be back and in short, no. The only way that I would consider doing it again would be for charity and dressed in a daft outfit. That way I can just tootle along at the back and enjoy the day out.

For myself though, I'm now looking at a smaller marathon where it's more about running.

If we're starting a rant thread, wtf is going on with people using blackberrys on the way round? If I see it again I shall take careful aim with a pouch of gel...

 TMM

LOL FB

I've said never again four times now.  I hate it for all the reasons listed above and there are so many much better marathons out there BUT...

Never seen as many walkers in the middle walking side by side as yesterday! Not pairs but threes and sometime four abreast! That's really not fair to those that have put a lot of effort into preparing.  And beofre somebody say's it, I'm assuming everybody put at least a reasonable amount of effort into the training.  Some are going to cover the course slower than others.

Missed the wife on several occaisions so not a good day for her but that's London.  If you want a good personal time, the ability to run at a constant pace or see your supporters don't do this one. It's a huge party and expecting anything else is going to spoil your day. 

Will I be back? Maybe but there are other marathons and having my eyes openned at one of those may well become the deciding factor. Four months is a long time to train for a party even if there is a huge measure of satisfaction crossing the finish line.

I was impressed he still had the energy to after his run yesterday FB  Brighton Rocks (groan)

The problem is that people think that London is THE marathon.  As an 'event' it's fab but as a race it stopped ticking those boxes a few years ago.  The average times are getting slower.  I was interested to read that ave finish time for 2008 was about 4.20.  It was closer to 4.40 in 2009 and would guess it was even slower this year. 

Its a never again from me aswell .....first and last time.  Coming from a really rural area the constant noise .....now there is noise and there is noise but jeeeeeeeeeze 26.2 miles of absolute din in your ears.  Music, banging, clapping, loud whistles, drums, loud speakers.....im not joking you name it and it was there.  I had trained really hard for this marathon but it was nigh on impossible to settle into the run at any point.  The funny thing is ive run in a few races now but you wouldnt credit that out of 35 thousand odd runners only two people spoke to me.....35 thousand runners and i can honestly say it was better company running my long runs on my own ...at least i could hear myself think!!!  Found it a long lonely run ...consequently had a real mental issue going on for nearly five miles from mile 15.  The last six miles of this marathon are by far the best and the finish is something to experience other than that give me a nice rural run where people actually give a shit any day.

Sorry London but i wont be in a hurry to come back

FB - I think it's just that crowded and that noisey everywhere. I was constantly trying to run around people the whole route. I had people dive in front of me at water stations knocking me flying and some poor soul hit the wall right in front of me at around 18 miles. Suddenly going from an 8m/m mile pace to stationary. I became the filling for a rather large sandwhich as others were unable to avoid collision as much as I was.

I am very grateful to St. Johns for the vaseline, my team vest was rubbing my armpits raw but a big dollop of vaseline put paid to that.

Ah Lucy, I tripped over a hump in the road and fell into someone. They appologised to me! I did admit it was my fault and was saying sorry to them at the same time. They took it in good grace. The spirit remains somewhere at least. Sorry for your rude chap, says more about him than it does you.

I have't bothered to enter for the last few years - for all the reasons FB put forward.

I wouldn't go up and support unless my nearest and dearest were running, because that's a nightmare and I'm USED to using public transport in London in the rush hour.

Next year I think I'll support from my sofa, even though being with the RW crowd at Mudchute was great.  Getting to (near to) the finish to meet my loved one was horrible.