Hooray for the London Marathon!

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Gone for good 23 Apr 2017

Just watching the start of the London Marathon brought back a few memories.
I first ran the London 1985. I dressed as Batman and wore a pair of black and white Adidas Sambas. Having consumed half a dozen pints of Guiness the night before (Guiness is good for you) I felt a little rough but managed half way in 1hour 45 minutes and then promptly bombed finishing finally in a little over 4 hours.
I ran it again in 2002 and got round again in 4 hours 30 minutes Disappointed with the time but still, it was a great experience and I still harbour hopes of a sub 4 hour marathon in the not too distant future.
Anyone else got any London Marathon anecdotes?
Post edited at 10:17
 summo 23 Apr 2017
In reply to Gone for good:
Done it once never again. 26miles running sideways around people who had clearly over estimated their pace by a massive margin when they selected their start slot. Let's just hope IS nutters don't spoil the day.
Post edited at 10:43
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 DancingOnRock 23 Apr 2017
In reply to summo:

Yes. Ran it in 2014. Ran the first half far too quickly and I don't do sunshine. Managed 1:55 for first half then 2:45 for second half. Horrible. Close on 3 hours of thousands of people 'encouraging' you to run.

I ran Paris two weeks ago again in heatwave conditions and in a similar time. Brighton last year was so close to 4:00, but not quite there.
 yorkshireman 23 Apr 2017
In reply to Gone for good:
Not really any anecdotes but great memories of it. It was my first ever marathon in 2008 and I got round in 3:35 - i got severe calf cramps at mile 20 and remember a lady in the crowd offering me Ibuprofen as I was stretching them out at the crowd barrier.

The atmosphere was fantastic and still beat Paris (3:07) and Amsterdam (3:06) in terms of crowd support and the thing that struck me the most was the constant noise. I felt like I'd come out of a music constant at the end and even in the bits that everyone says are quiet (Docklands) it was still heaving, with little kids handing out jelly babies and cut bananas (from their homes, not official) or just giving high-fives to the runners.

In reply to Summo, it's not the race if you want to go for a PB, unless you're at the very pointy end of the race - it's crowded but that's to be expected and part of the reason for the fun experienced above.

Watching it on telly now, I've just come back from a local 10k, and we had a vertical KM race last night as I mainly do trails now and have given up road marathons - however seeing it makes me wonder if it's not too late to chase a sub-3, although the extra (non-mountain running) training effort puts me off.
Post edited at 12:17
 mountainbagger 23 Apr 2017
In reply to Gone for good:

I've got an anecdote from today. It was crowded but if you're in a good start pen (I was in 3:15) it's not too bad. However, despite my aspirations and looking good for 3:15 for 8 miles or so, I bombed and came in at 3:46 (1:40 first half, very uncomfortable 2:06 second half).

I have a PB of 3:18, so 3:15 wasn't unrealistic but I think I ballsed up the training and running Brighton marathon only 2 weeks ago in exactly the same time probably hurt me more than I thought!

Oh well, better luck next time!

Still a great, well organised, well supported marathon nonetheless, though I actually prefer a quieter off-road race where people can't see you suffering!
Gone for good 23 Apr 2017
In reply to mountainbagger:

2 Marathons in 2 weeks is very impressive. I could barely walk for days after my last one.
Great times as well. Bravo.
 mountainbagger 23 Apr 2017
In reply to Gone for good:

Thank you
 Rampikino 23 Apr 2017
In reply to Gone for good:

Great memories - I ran it I. 2001, 2002 and 2011. Wonderful occasion and memories that will last a lifetime.

Far too many stories to relate, but getting 3:26 in 2002 was brilliant and getting the missus round in 2011 was superb, especially given how warm it was.
 planetmarshall 23 Apr 2017
In reply to summo:

> Done it once never again. 26miles running sideways around people who had clearly over estimated their pace by a massive margin when they selected their start slot.

Oh ffs. It's a fun run. Also, by even turning up you contributed to the overcrowding. I've no doubt you obstructed just as many runners as obstructed you.

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 JamButty 23 Apr 2017
In reply to Gone for good:

no anecdotes as I've never ran it, doing my first trail one in June...gulp.

But hats off to Swansea Harriers - first British guy home from the club pool and then the chap helping out the struggling runner - great stuff.

 mountainbagger 23 Apr 2017
In reply to JamButty:

> doing my first trail one in June...gulp.

To be honest, I found the one trail marathon I've done (Beachy Head) much more pleasant than the relentless even paced slog of a flat road marathon like London. Mentally, London was a lot tougher. I think you are wise to go for a trail marathon - particularly if you like varied terrain, nice views and less people!

 Stig 23 Apr 2017
In reply to mountainbagger:
My word - there's no way you can run a good marathon two weeks after another. You nutter!! ???? I'm still not right three weeks after Manchester.

I'll be doing London 2018 as I have a GFA
Moley 23 Apr 2017
In reply to Gone for good:

Being a grumpy unsociable sod i never ran the London marathon, or any other road marathon. I could think of nothing worse than paying to travel and stay in London, entry fees and then joining 30000 other runners on the roads of London.
But that's just me and i can understand others enjoying the experience and atmosphere, each to their own.
I've run many, many off road 25mile and plus distances but the tarmac never really appealed, i did do a couple of local Elan valley 20miles, on the spur of the moment as they were local, hilly course and ran about 2.20 (think i did 2.15 once), so guess i could have done a decent road marathon with training.
I shall never know now, but no regrets.
 Brass Nipples 23 Apr 2017
In reply to Stig:

> My word - there's no way you can run a good marathon two weeks after another. You nutter!! ???? I'm still not right three weeks after Manchester.I'll be doing London 2018 as I have a GFA

Oh I don't know a friend ran two sub 3 hour marathons 2 weeks apart (Paris then London). I'm impressed at that even if you don't think it's that good.
 The New NickB 24 Apr 2017
In reply to Lion Bakes:

> Oh I don't know a friend ran two sub 3 hour marathons 2 weeks apart (Paris then London). I'm impressed at that even if you don't think it's that good.

Good is relative to the individual. Two 2:50+ marathons isn't great if your target is sub 2:45.
 Stig 24 Apr 2017
In reply to Lion Bakes:

I didn't say I wasn't impressed, I was just responding to the fact he 'bombed' and presumably was disappointed with his time. I know plenty of people who run marathons quite close together and then seem to wonder why they don't achieve their time goals.

Paris+London *is* quite impressive (to me). In fact I know someone who dropped out at 20 miles in Paris (heat) and did Blackpool yesterday.
 John Gresty 24 Apr 2017
In reply to The New NickB:

If my memory is correct, and this refers to over 30 years ago, certainly pre London Marathon, wasn't there a woman who ran a marathon every WE, usually winning the womans race, sub 3 hours each time. She fully admitted that she could go a lot faster by dedicating herself to a specific event instead of just a couple of easy runs during the week and then a race at the weekend. But that was what she prefered to do.
The only time I saw her race, and that was at the start and finish as ,I was about 10 minutes behind her during the race, she had won her local county X country championship on the Saturday, and came second in the womans race at a marathon on the Sunday, only being beaten by a woman who was paced/shielded by rwo men for the whole race.
Also in those days wasn't it a rule that the first feeding station was at 7 miles and then at 3 mile intervals after that.

It also appears to me that the top Brits are now slower than they were in that era.

John Gresty

 mountainbagger 24 Apr 2017
In reply to Stig:

Don't worry I know what you meant. You are probably right I was still tired from the first marathon. I had some less than ideal training in the weeks leading up to it too, plus I caught a cold just before London (though I thought it wouldn't make much difference - I felt quite spritely on the start line). Aerobically I wasn't struggling at all with 3:15 pace - very comfortable, but after 8 - 10 miles my body just felt very weary and legs starting to ache. I am disappointed definitely, but that's a source of determination to do better next time!

Anyway, I saw the leading men coming the other way at one stage. Wow! When you see them for real whilst you're also running/struggling, it's so impressive!
 fimm 24 Apr 2017
In reply to Gone for good:

I ran my first marathon, finished, got the time I'd been aiming for (sub 3:30) and said "never again". Then someone told me I had a Good For Age time for London (GFA times for women are really soft compared to the men). So I thought well that would be a thing to do, so within a month of saying "never again", I'd signed up for another. I am glad I did it for the experience, but I wouldn't do another - marathons are really hard!!!
I ran a sun 1:30 half last year - that would have got me a Championship start! LOL. I'm still not doing it again.
 Roadrunner5 24 Apr 2017
In reply to fimm:

sub 1:30 half should give you around 3:15..

I'd love to do London, if I can get back to a sub 2:45 I'll possibly do it. I'd love to do it, I love big city marathons.



 mountainbagger 24 Apr 2017
In reply to Roadrunner5:

> sub 1:30 half should give you around 3:15..

I think your smiley face says it all. Making a race time prediction work for a marathon isn't that easy, as I'm frustratingly finding out!
 Roadrunner5 24 Apr 2017
In reply to mountainbagger:

It's not that hard if you do the miles and training.
 mountainbagger 25 Apr 2017
In reply to Roadrunner5:

> It's not that hard if you do the miles and training.

Trust me I have been

I'm still finding it hard (I've come close to my predicted time once in a few attempts), but I guess it depends what you mean by "not that hard"! Variables on the day itself (heat, in-race nutrition, pacing) seem have a greater impact towards the end when compared to shorter distances (e.g. where I don't eat/drink at all whilst running).
JMGLondon 25 Apr 2017
In reply to Gone for good:

Managed to dip under 3 hours (just) on Sunday for the first time. Was a great day. Cramped in both hamstrings in the final 2k but somehow limped over. Great support all the way around. Cutty Sark and Tower Bridge are the highlights. Always feels like a long slog back from Canary Wharf. Can't wait to do it again next year.
 yorkshireman 25 Apr 2017
In reply to JMGLondon:

> Managed to dip under 3 hours (just) on Sunday for the first time.

Congratulations, that's a big psychological milestone IMHO and a massive physical achievement.

When I was aiming for 3.15 in Paris and surprised myself with 3.07 on the back of little marathon-specific training (I'd been running trail races, a mix of 15-30k stuff every month and one or two ultras a year) I thought if I cut the mountains, trained scientifically on the road I could beat 3hrs.

I chose Amsterdam in the autumn (since in the Alps it's hard for me to train for the road over the winter), ignored all the beautiful trails and pounded intervals and SteadyState runs on the road. In the end I beat my PB by 1 minute at 3.06. That's a long-winded way of saying I think I'd discovered the law of diminishing returns the hard way.

After that I decided I'll stick to off-road stuff where you can't compare one race to another since there are so many variables and I wouldn't get stuck on set times/paces. And also the training is much more fun.

A friend of mine ran London on Sunday and was disappointed with 2.42 because he'd been chasing sub-2.40! Madness.

I'm sure I'll do another road marathon one day though just out of curiosity to see how much I'm slowing down with age.
 mountainbagger 25 Apr 2017
In reply to JMGLondon:

Wow, well done! I remember you saying you were doing London on a thread of mine about 2 marathons in 2 weeks.

Sub 3 hrs is amazing (from where I'm sitting/standing/running)

Congratulations!
JMGLondon 25 Apr 2017
In reply to mountainbagger:

Thanks very much. I did Manchester (3:17) and London (3:30) back in 2015 when they were a week apart. We also cycled in between which actually helped the recovery process. It's taken me a couple of years to chip off those 17 minutes!
 fimm 26 Apr 2017
In reply to Roadrunner5:

> sub 1:30 half should give you around 3:15..
Yes. I know (both the prediction and the "should"...)
I'm still not running another marathon!!

Might do an ultra sometime...

 bowls 29 Apr 2017
In reply to planetmarshall:
It's not a fun run thank you very much. I ran a pb of 2:27 this year after a very tough 12 week build up. Each year hundreds of us club runners train our arses off to do as well as we can for ourselves and also out clubs. As far as the BBC are concerned there are the masses and then charity runners, we may as well not exist, yet little known to many the event also hosts the English Matathon Championships and my club scooped the silver medal (Kent AC) -there is nothing fun about doing a 28 mile day on a Thursday which includes a full days work and also 16 miles at Marathon Pace... Or a 23 miler on a Sunday morning at 5:30am when your young kid has kept you up all night....

Buy the brainwashed BBC version if you want -also a couple of points -Josh Griffiths who ran 2:14 has recently run a 65 min half and 29 min 10k, so he didn't exactly come from nowhere having started 2 secs behnind the elite field off the championship start (but still an amazing performance and I hope we see more of him in the future). Matt Rees was 20 mins outside his pb and was clearly just jogging to finish so wasn't "sacrificing himself" as the bbc were making out. I very much doubt the same thing would have happened if he were on for 2:27..
Post edited at 23:25
 Brass Nipples 29 Apr 2017
In reply to bowls:

It you aren't finding it a fun run you're doing it wrong.

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 DancingOnRock 30 Apr 2017
In reply to bowls:
If you are running a 2:30 marathon, 16miles at MP is about 90mins. Which is no different to the kind of hours us mortals are putting in. I'm of the school of thought that training should be time based and not mileage based.

The main aim of the London Marathon is to raise money for good causes and they spend a disproportionate time on the club and elite athletes given the number of runners out there.

I agree about the 'sacrifice' but you have to appreciate that the London marathon is all about bravery and sacrifice, it's not like any other Marathon in the world.
Post edited at 08:53
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