My Forum

Googled this as I was looking for an answer as more and more races are considered non-official by the UKA. Which is fine for whatever petty inter-body issues they all have with each other, but as runners we have choices on what races we do, infact more and more choice for events in the same areas on the same day, so if given the choice of doing one thats UKA (mainly as im interested in the difficulty ratings they use which can sometimes turn you from being disappointed in a performance, to realising it was on a harder course). And most of us are motivated by continuous improvement, and obviously the better you get, the smaller the improvements are, so having the runbritain data can help with that....

Personally im happy I ran an 88 min half on sunday....but annoyed it doesnt get put on my score on runbritain. Moreso because parkruns are counted, and when I was livng in the US, I could submit the results for races I did out there (obviously not UKA affiliated) and they were accepted! So in context, the Maidenhead Half wasnt good enough for UKA, but the San Jose Half was.

Anyway, if you want to know if a race is "official" or not, you can check the runbritain events calender. If its listed with a race number on there, its official. If its not, you wont get the score. Looks like many races that were UKA in 2011 have decided to go ARC for 2012.

http://runbritain.com/events/

Booooo!   My PB wont count with UKA or on runbritain: "Sorry but we are unable to include this race as it did not have a UKA race license. Oh well, garmin doesnt lie!

With a congested 2013 fixture list in sept next year already, thats the sort of thing that might make me skip it in 2013 and try another one. Typically I always run a PB only to find out after it wasnt an officially measured race. The 2011 had a license so not sure what the problem is/was?! GPS sort of suggests it was long enough though (Although Mr GPS does not like tunnels or 180 turns).

Not sure why people are complaining about the tunnel either. They arent going to let anyone close the A4, even on a sunday, so you have to get under it somehow unless you want 10 laps of maidenheads "town" centre.

Get Boris on it! He can ride the pace bike at the front.

Judging by people being happy to pay £50 for the British 10k (the nike sponsored one, which sadly wasnt accurately measured, under UKA rules or using a proper start), I think theres a money spinner here. Whether they chanel that money into the sports legacy fund, charities or the local council, I'd most likely pay £50 to run around the park....moreso if it meant I got to finish on the track. Not sure how long it will be after the para's before stadium remodelling happens to make it into a football stadium/running track but people are so high on the olympics at the moment I feel like they are missing a trick....a trick that will make a lot of money and give us all a wicked experience.

Im sure they had the nike human race 10k in 2010 that finished in wembley stadium and every year I do the reading half marathon which finishes in the madjeski stadium, and arsenal have a multi lap 5k going around their stadium a few times. Good fun!

Whatever race they have, they wont be able to have the name "olympics" in the title or marketing, or even have any olympic rings logos in any PR or finishing pictures due to the way the IOC do the copyright. So my guess would be the local council will be the ones to put something on under the new name (Queen Elizabeth Park or something I think).

Slightly related, there are loads of races if you fancy running round dorney lake (where the rowing and sprint kayak was). One lap is basically 5k, so they have several 5k and 10k events, plus duathlons there thoughout the year. Although its an open site, so providing there isnt a regatta or...or the olympics....you can just show up and go for a run anytime.

F3 events do all the winter ones and 2013 dates already locked in. Wont be the same as the olympic park, but its as flat as flat can be if you fancy a PB.....unless you get unlucky and its a really windy day. http://www.f3events.co.uk/  Hoping the leave the big olympic rings up at the site, but for the same copyright reasons, pretty sure they'll be going.

I know they had the national lottery 5 miler and the newham 10k there this year, but walking around the olympic park last week I noticed how massive it was, and how they could really lay on an awesome/fast/flat/iconic 10k course within the park...and maybe even let us finish in the stadium? I know paralympics have to happen first, but before they start knocking bits down, would be great to have an event or two in there. I'd personally pay a higher than average 10k cost in order to do that race, especially if you get to run on the track at the start or finish.

Anyone know of any planned? Its not the sort of thing you can easily do a google search for. But currently no info regarding 2013 editions of the newham or lottery races. If they want to recoup more money for putting on the olympics, it seems a no brainer to me.