London Marathon 23rd April 2023

robinph

Just noticed that we don't have a thread for this year's London Marathon. Guess it's a bit trickier to get places compared to normal with the shorter turn around since October and the hangover of carried over places from 2020 still in place.

FYI for anyone that is going, be aware that there will be a government warning message sent out to everyone's phones that afternoon to test the system. Don't Panic!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-64999417

chrismean

I am so excited and also a bit scared but mainly ya know….excited. Anyone else heading over?

Unthought Known

I'll be there, the weeks seem to be flying by now.

robinph

Just got an email through with QR code that is needed for number collection. They don't tell us what our numbers are yet, but do give start zone and wave.

I get to hang out with the z-list celebs in the Green start this year which is nice. Only start zone I'd not run from before.

Q7

Back in yellow wave 1 this year after the mess-up of last years start in red. Getting close now.

Unthought Known

Blue wave 2 for me. Getting real now, I've found myself watching YouTube to try and remember the course (last ran it in 2017).

Unthought Known

A little early to start worrying, but it could be pretty warm.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2643743

robinph

The issue there is more the difference from what we've had for the last while and it suddenly getting quite a bit warmer.

rom

Just spotted this.

https://news.sky.com/story/climate-activists-threaten-new-and-inventive-protests-if-ministers-do-not-meet-ultimatums-12859914

robinph

Targeting 40k+ people using the most environmentally friendly mode of transport to get across London would not be a good move for the profile of their cause.

I'd assume that security is even tighter than normal around that area as well seeing as there is another mass gathering of heads of state going on in another week or so.

robinph

Just done the expo. I can still just about make it 400m on the treadmill at WR pace, but certainly feeling a bit wobblier than before towards the end.

All the normal stuff back in the expo, just quieter being a Thursday. They don't give you any instructions booklets anymore, just a number, kit bag and safety pins. So nothing to worriedly read through in the hotel room the evening before trying to figure out what you forgot.

You do need the app QR code to get your number, then all instructions are in that.

Rossi7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120498998#Comment_120498998

QR code is on the app when you log into it. Yellow Wave 3 for me. Flying into Heathrow Sat morning, I take it the train is the quickest route to the ExCel centre for number pick up ?

rovers_runner

I see Sinead isn't running now, gone a bit quiet of late so she is.

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120499548#Comment_120499548

Yes, and I think the Elizabeth Line goes from Heathrow T4 through to Custom House so must be the quickest way... If you can get to T4 which I'm not sure on so check that. The TFL journey planner should give you a bunch of options and times by various routes.

https://tfl.gov.uk/plan-a-journey/

Rossi7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120500208#Comment_120500208

Fair play Robin, thanks for that. Hope the day goes well for you

robinph

For those who are into their dot watching, I'm number 41311 and going from the Green start.

Unthought Known

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120504839#Comment_120504839

Best of luck tomorrow, have a great race.

I'm 30877, going from blue 2. For anyone watching on TV I'll be the one in the black top.

marathon2022

Best of luck guys,

Unthought Known

3:19:38 for me, 3 minute PB. Target was 3:19:30 so I am absolutely chuffed! Perfect running weather, cool, light rain, no wind. Crowds were amazing.

robinph

Really bad day at the office for me. Really struggled on the last few miles. No reason other than lack of training recently, but that made for a painful last hour. Finished in 3:28 I think.

Not helped by all the people finishing at the same time were all from the same start and same baggage truck. They have always had a bit of a melee at the baggage lorries for GFA, but this year on Green seemed way worse. Took half an hour to get my bag and I was getting progressively colder and wobbly on my feet.

Once I got my heated gilet on though the world was a far better place.

eliwallach

What about this!

Probably the greatest performance in a marathon let alone a debut marathon.

Well she may laugh!

event

Well done all the same Robinph

I've applied for 2024 as usual. For anyone successful, whats the best location for hotels etc to stay in?

robinph

There are a million and one options for hotels of varying price and quality. But after seeing people stressed out stood on train platforms on the morning of the marathon as they cannot get on board I think the main criteria should be figuring out location based on getting to a mainline terminus where the trains to Blackheath start from, such as Charring Cross, as it removes an unnecessary stress on the day.

Murph_D

Do GFA people always start at Blackheath? Hope to be there next year.

robinph

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120523393#Comment_120523393

Everyone starts at Blackheath, just if in the main Red start which is normally charity places you'd have a longer walk to get into Greenwich park for the assembly area.

It used to be sub 3:15 GFA runners would go from Yellow(which is the front of the Red start) and remaining GFA runners tended to go from Green. But it's all changed a bit over the last few years. It seemed that Green this year was loaded with faster GFA runners and anyone going for fancy dress word records. Not sure what the mix was on Yellow this year, but still seemed to be plenty of them towards the pointy end of the mass field so hopefully better than October when they had 5hr runners mixed in with the sub 3 in pen 1 of the Yellow start.

chrismean

3.12 and some change for me in London and I could not be happier.

now I’m itching to hear if they’ll keep the championship start standards as they are or if they’ll make them harder. Due to be announced the end of June.

Trampas

I’ve set off my request to get my annual pfo email from the ballot

Murph_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120526344#Comment_120526344

OK. I'll read the instructions carefully. Sounds like lots of change.

chrismean

Pure speculation from me after talking to a good club runner at London. He was saying that because everyone is getting faster with shoes etc they are likely to adjust again…

robinph

Possibly for mens Championships times, although they knocked 5 minutes off those only a couple of years ago to 1:12:30/2:40:00.

For the women I think the Championships time is still at 3:15 and I couldn't see that changing. The women's GFA is really soft starting at 3:45 but unlikely to move that. The softness of that time is shown though by how few extra minutes women get for their GFA times for the next couple of age groups after 40.

For the men's GFA there is likely to be a bit of an imaginary line that they don't want to move below 3:00 for the starting point of the times.

The 3000 total per m/f cut offs reduces the need to keep adjusting the times though as that naturally adjusts the times for them(although I'm sure there is some complicated decisions over the exact cut off going on behind the scenes). The cut off was between 0 minutes and 3ish minutes for the men over the last couple of years, including 0 extra cut off in a non covid impacted year, so not sure it's needed to adjust further.

chrismean

Women’s championship time is now 3.14 for the full and 1.28 for the half. Hence me being interested in whether they could move that a bite more but hoping they won’t :-)