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I could imagine some of the shops thinking customers stay away with the roads being closed.  On the other hand, I wonder how much business is generated in the shops / cafes / restaurants / hotels (etc) from runners and supporters on Marathon weekend?  We were in Sefton Park last year for the race and the cafes were doing great business.

That's rubbish Alan - sorry to hear all your hard work looks to be going down the pan.

I found out yesterday I didn't have in place in the RideLondon 100 so was only looking at the BTRL website last night for entry information for the Liverpool Marathon.

I've supported family running it in the past couple of years - very disappointed I can't follow in their tracks.

Rdrunner wrote (see)

Think i'm going to give Edinburgh Marathon end of May a go, anyone else done this one?

Like DiogoDog I did Edinburgh in 2011 as well.  The start was well organised, it's one of the few races I've done where you started running well before the start line and didn't grind to a halt straight after.

It all went somewhat downhill after that.  The course wasn't great but then the route maps were available before entering, so with the aid of Google Streetview you can see what you are signing up for.  That said the change from tarmac to gravel track through the country park was murder for me.

As for the finish, DiogoDog had the same experience as me and my running buddy that day.  A complete shambles for an event run by a commerical enterprise.  Quite how any marathon organiser can think for just one whole second that it would be acceptable to declare pre-race:

"The finish line is on Linkfield road. There is NO ACCESS for spectators to this area. Spectators can watch the finish live from the reunion area on a jumbo screen. Do not attempt to reach the finish line."

is totally beyond me.  Thankfully there were lots of spectactors inside the last mile and their support was amazing.  The few quid I spent on getting my name printed on my t-shirt was the best money I'll ever spend.

Perhaps they sorted things out for this year, I don't know.  However,  I would say that running that day was toughest thing I've ever done (mentally and physically) and to try to deny people the much-needed support to drive them on to the finish is just plain crazy.  GSI Events (the organisers of the EMF) will never see the colour of my cash again.

Well done all!

Four of us went over to run, one for the full and three (including me) for the half marathon). 

Went down to the stadium in the morning to support our man in the marathon and thought it was chuffin' freezing down there ; I really should know better than to base clothing choice just on a weather forecast by now!.  I was very glad to get back to the appartment we had out at Plein '40-'45 for tea and toast.  I've only ever run events in the morning, so did learn that an afternoon starts needs a change of eating plans.  I was starving by the time we got to 10k.

The Expo did look packed on Sunday morning, so we avoided it bar the bag drop for the half.

I'm not a fan of cups at the drink stations either, but with running with my better half, I could zoom off, stop to fill her water bottle up and have a glug myself, then catch up.

AlanRothwell wrote (see)

Chris5B - I had instruction from British Red Cross after the race about serious injury or illness so I suspect all was O.K. with the runners you saw.

That's good to know - thanks Alan.

Oh, and loved the unofficial water station on Birkenhead Road.  A couple of young kids had a few bottles of water to give out and the cafe was filling cups of water as fast as they could.