Belfast Marathon 2014

Ron DMC

Couldn't find an existing thread, so here goes.

Anyone else doing this? Closing date was last Friday and I decided to jump in last minute. At this rate I might even hit 5 marathons in my first calendar year!

Any old-hats have any advice on this one? Seems reasonably flat which is always nice. Let's hope we've nice weather Monday week, though I don't want it too hot either.

Ron DMC

Just me then?

Alright, well I'll let ye all know how I get on anyway.

TFBubendorfer

Too many events on the same weekend!

Downtime

Ron DMC wrote: »

Just me then?

Alright, well I'll let ye all know how I get on anyway.

I'm doing it as well Ron DMC with my brother in law. Not planning on anything great as Ive been sick for the last two weeks. Will give it my best anyway.

Ron DMC

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

Too many events on the same weekend!

True, almost signed up for the World Run thingy this morning before realising that it wouldn't really be the best idea to do it the day before at the other end of the country.

Downtime wrote:

I'm doing it as well Ron DMC with my brother in law. Not planning on anything great as Ive been sick for the last two weeks. Will give it my best anyway.

Yeah, been a bit under the weather the last while too, working and studying full time taking it's toll, plus less time for training

Going to aim for 3:20 anyway, but I'd be surprised if I get home in much under 3:30.

McWotever

Doing it too, think my mate has booked a park and ride from Lurgan. Driving up from Dublin that morning.

martyboy48

Ron DMC wrote: »

Couldn't find an existing thread, so here goes.

Anyone else doing this? Closing date was last Friday and I decided to jump in last minute. At this rate I might even hit 5 marathons in my first calendar year!

Any old-hats have any advice on this one? Seems reasonably flat which is always nice. Let's hope we've nice weather Monday week, though I don't want it too hot either.

I hear there is a bit of a steepish climb around the 28k mark

opus

martyboy48 wrote: »

I hear there is a bit of a steepish climb around the 28k mark

That's actually my track from last year, it's a grand run, goes through lots of 'interesting' neighbourhoods! Just watch out for relay runners as I saw one guy in our pace group go smack into the the back of a woman who was going significantly slower.

There is a stretch where you running along a dual carriageway which wasn't great but the rest was fine, nice finish in a park. We stayed in the Youth Hostel on Donegall Rd which was grand and had a small locked carpark at the back to hide away the auto.

Think Garmin Connect has gone a bit nuts with that elevation graph seeing as I don't remember a 12,000m climb anywhere along the route It looked fine last time I looked but that was around a year ago. There is a bit of a climb however in the first half of the race.

Ron DMC

Reckon I'll just get a bus up that morning to save worrying about accommodation, can rarely sleep in a strange bed before a race anyway. 6 o'clock bus *should* have me in by 8.25 but I'm gonna get the 5 o'clock from Busáras just to be doubly sure, and to give myself time for a warm up before the start.

TFBubendorfer

Ron DMC wrote: »

Reckon I'll just get a bus up that morning to save worrying about accommodation, can rarely sleep in a strange bed before a race anyway. 5 o'clock bus *should* have me in by 8.25 but I'm gonna get the 5 o'clock from Busáras just to be doubly sure, and to give myself time for a warm up before the start.

I think you're mad :eek:

What about breakfast? If you eat at 4 o'clock in the morning you'll be starving by the time you're running the marathon.

Ron DMC

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I think you're mad :eek:

What about breakfast? If you eat at 4 o'clock in the morning you'll be starving by the time you're running the marathon.

I'll probably continue to nap on the bus, I'll bring some fruit and cereal bars with me and eat that as breakfast about 7.30. It'll be grand.

Jelly-Bean

Does anyone know if there is a website tracker for following runners??

Ron DMC

Jelly-Bean wrote: »

Does anyone know if there is a website tracker for following runners??

Doesn't seem to be anything listed on the site. Shame really, other big marathons let you sync up your twitter/fb to send a message out as your chip goes through various checkpoints. Was dead handy in Dublin.

Jelly-Bean

Ron DMC wrote: »

Doesn't seem to be anything listed on the site. Shame really, other big marathons let you sync up your twitter/fb to send a message out as your chip goes through various checkpoints. Was dead handy in Dublin.

Yeh its such a shame. I have a friend doing it and I can't be there on the day and I would love to track his progress.

MissCatherine_

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

I think you're mad :eek:

What about breakfast? If you eat at 4 o'clock in the morning you'll be starving by the time you're running the marathon.

There is an Aircoach which leaves O'Connell St at 5.30am and arrives in Belfast at 7.50am so that is another travel alternative (it really makes no difference what bus you get I'm sure bit I'm just giving you options :-)) Also I wouldn't worry about getting up early- pretend Belfast is Boston or NYC, you would be getting up at that time for those races and standing in the cold for a few hours before kick-off.

I'm volunteering at mile 12 so will be sure to scream really loudly for everyone

McWotever

Is there pacers for the race?

Richersounds.ie: John

McWotever wrote: »

Is there pacers for the race?

Yep def there are def 3/3.30/4.00/4.30 pacers anyway, 1st half of course looks a bit hilly bit of a relentless climb from about mile 7 to 14 then huge drop to mile 16 ( from memory), I met up with a pace group for a 19 miler a couple of weeks ago, really friendly bunch, should be interesting...

John mc

opus

Richersounds.ie: John wrote: »

Yep def there are def 3/3.30/4.00/4.30 pacers anyway, 1st half of course looks a bit hilly bit of a relentless climb from about mile 7 to 14 then huge drop to mile 16 ( from memory), I met up with a pace group for a 19 miler a couple of weeks ago, really friendly bunch, should be interesting...

There was a 3:15 group as well last year as I ran with them most of the way.

ultraman1

Ron DMC wrote: »

Doesn't seem to be anything listed on the site. Shame really, other big marathons let you sync up your twitter/fb to send a message out as your chip goes through various checkpoints. Was dead handy in Dublin.

Ull be getting water outta a tap from the. ground,....live tracking is d least of ur worries

ultraman1

Ron DMC wrote: »

Doesn't seem to be anything listed on the site. Shame really, other big marathons let you sync up your twitter/fb to send a message out as your chip goes through various checkpoints. Was dead handy in Dublin.

Ull be getting water outta a tap from the. ground,....live tracking is d least of ur worries

Richersounds.ie: John

ultraman1 wrote: »

Ull be getting water outta a tap from the. ground,....live tracking is d least of ur worries

Did it this morning - despite many poor reports, it was actually a really good event and great value, great volunteers and reasonable support!

McWotever

ultraman1 wrote: »

Ull be getting water outta a tap from the. ground,....live tracking is d least of ur worries

Isn't that where water comes from? Water in cups wasn't ideal, but they were every 2 miles so you got to make up for the bit that poured all down your front.

ultraman1

McWotever wrote: »

Isn't that where water comes from? Water in cups wasn't ideal, but they were every 2 miles so you got to make up for the bit that poured all down your front.

Usually comes from a spring in the ground and is den sent through a cleasnsin and flouridation process and den piped to where its needed or bottled,etc....but for the purpose of hydrating people running a marathon,out
of bottles would be the prefered option,not out of a tap sticking out of the ground in the middle of a housing estate and den being scooped out of a bucket by hand..

McWotever

ultraman1 wrote: »

Usually comes from a spring in the ground and is den sent through a cleasnsin and flouridation process and den piped to where its needed or bottled,etc....but for the purpose of hydrating people running a marathon,out
of bottles would be the prefered option,not out of a tap sticking out of the ground in the middle of a housing estate and den being scooped out of a bucket by hand..

I usually get my water from a tap that comes out of my sink, I fairly sure that that water comes out of the ground outside. Water is water, I don't fall for all that bottled water crap that massive companies spout out. See what I did there.

Have to agree, bottles are better, and scooping out of a bucket isn't the most hygienic in the world, but if it keeps costs down I'm willing to sacrifice.

Sure didn't we all eat worms as kids and it did us no harm.

ultraman1

McWotever wrote: »

I usually get my water from a tap that comes out of my sink, I fairly sure that that water comes out of the ground outside. Water is water, I don't fall for all that bottled water crap that massive companies spout out. See what I did there.

Have to agree, bottles are better, and scooping out of a bucket isn't the most hygienic in the world, but if it keeps costs downward I'm willing to sacrifice.

Sure didn't we all eat worms as kids and it did us no harm.

I didn't eat worms,,we were too poor...

Ron DMC

Enjoyable race.

Decent course, decent support.

Semi-decent weather, semi-decent time.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/494261367#

SamforMayo

Ron DMC wrote: »

Enjoyable race.

Decent course, decent support.

Semi-decent weather, semi-decent time.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/494261367#

Well done, very decent time.

TFBubendorfer

McWotever wrote: »

Have to agree, bottles are better, and scooping out of a bucket isn't the most hygienic in the world, but if it keeps costs down I'm willing to sacrifice.

I find it very strange that a race that is being sponsored by a bottled water company gives out water in cups, scooped out of a bucket!