Amsterdam Marathon 2023

Lazare

Thought I'd start a thread for this. Who else is signed up?

Maybe mods can merge from post #74 onwards on last year's thread. https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058234599/amsterdam-marathon-16th-oct-2022#latest

marathon2022

I'm in. Starting a P&D 18/75 plan on Monday. If I get a clean 18 weeks I'm hoping for a sub 3.10 attempt.

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120684829#Comment_120684829

Pretty much exact same here except Hansons.

Best of luck with it.

token56

I've registered for it. My first ever marathon and I'm being very ambitious and targeting sub 3 but that might get revisited closer to the time.

marathon2022

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120687383#Comment_120687383

Thanks very much, best if luck to you too 🙏

rizzee

I posted in the 2022 thread, so I'll hop onto this. Entered this the day after Dublin last year and just started back running last week after 2 months out. No idea how it'll go but going to keep the head down and keep the legs moving for the moment :-)

chabsey

Just booked my flights so all sorted. Flying in on the Saturday and out Sunday evening. Looking forward to it. Plan going well so far but only 7 weeks in.

chabsey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120687532#Comment_120687532

How's the progress? Still targeting sub 3?

rizzee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120896225#Comment_120896225

I'm flying around 6am the Saturday, probably a bad idea as the Friday evening should be scheduled as getting a good night's sleep!! Back out the Monday afternoon. Staying in the I Inside by Melia, I think it's close to the start.

3 months to go... Training is really going to ramp up.

Laineyfrecks

I thought I already posted in here but evidently not! I too am in for Amsterdam, 4th marathon. Dub 2019, Manchester 2021 & Dub 2022. Really looking forward to this one. We have made a family trip of it so flying Sat morning until Weds, lot's of activities planned by the family for Mon & Tues(who cares that I will just have run a marathon😉).

Training is going really well, after building up a base I am now on week 4 of my plan which is mainly EIM based but also has a mixture of other runs included, this is given to me by a friend mentoring me. The training is really ramping up now with a big weekend just gone, a steady 90mins on Sat - 22km then a 28km on Sunday at around 5:10km pace finished up a decent week of training. Haven't really gotten near that Sunday distance since last years Marathon so it did feel tough towards the end but was buzzing when I put the week together & realised how much I had actually done, also feeling quite strong (have added in some S & C which really seems to be helping me) Long may it last!

Hope everyone's training is going well😊

rizzee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120898251#Comment_120898251

Ah brilliant E, didn't realise you were doing it. Maybe this time I will finally see you at a race 😂 Fair play on the training, you are smashing it!

Laineyfrecks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120908824#Comment_120908824

Thanks L, hopefully we get to meet up😊

token56

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120896232#Comment_120896232

Going very well thankfully. Did my first half marathon race 2 weeks ago in 1:23:27 which should have me in a good position for the sub 3 so definitely still the target. Had a tiny little niggle this past week but hopefully over that now and I can get really stuck into the final phase of training.

What are you targeting yourself?

skyblue46

I'm in for this too...not really sure of a target after a few injury disrupted years. And I'm old, really old 😂 All going well over the next few weeks I might look at a 3:10 target.

token56

Just curious where are people planning on staying for this. I've never been to Amsterdam before so not familiar at all with the area. There are some hotels close to the stadium but obviously pricey. It looks like there are some metro stops close to the stadium so would it be safe enough to book somewhere on a metro line? It doesn't seem like the metro is too impacted before the race itself but is anyone has done it before what would be your recommendations?

Burkie1203

I stayed in amstelveen last year. 25-30 walk to stadium

chabsey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121030046#Comment_121030046

Same as myself, pleasant walk to the stadium on the morning, through a quiet park until you start meeting crowds heading in the same direction.

rizzee

Staying in the Innside by Melia, just under 2km from the stadium.

rizzee

2 weeks! How is everyone doing? Are people flying over the Saturday morning? Any further info on number collection/expo?

Burkie1203

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121176804#Comment_121176804

Expo is good. Easy and well organised

Lazare

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121176804#Comment_121176804

I'm flying out Sat morn. Straight to hotel then down to the Stadium for the expo, bit of lunch (there's a pasta party apparently) then back to the hotel to relax.

Can't believe it's only two weeks away. Am excite.

smeal

It is possible to pick up your bib number the morning of the marathon. The expo is a very short stroll from the start line which is extremely well organised for bag drop and entry to wave. Lots of hands on deck at the bag drop which are organised per your bib number so you can hold on to your bag virtually until the moment you want to enter the wave entrance in the stadium which is a few meters away. Hint- There are also lots of toilets in the expo hall which not many people seemed to know about and were instead forming the usual long qs at the portaloos.

Had I have known last year it was as well organised I wouldn’t have bothered going out to the expo on the Saturday (we were staying in the city centre so had to get the train out and back in again.. and then out again the next morning to the startline!). The expo is very straightforward but there’s not much to see at it which was surprising. Probably one tenth of the stalls that are in the RDS unless they’re aiming to have more this year.

Anyways its a brilliant marathon. Great route and crowd along the way. Lots of water stops with sports drink and magic sponges at most stops. My favourite marathon so far and I’d love to try it again in a few years for a better time. Have a great time and best of luck 🙂

Lazare

That's great info, thanks very much 👍

Lazare

Have been watching a few YouTube vlogs of people running it and one guy commented about it being a little congested in parts along the Amstel. What was your experience of that?

smeal

Yes there were parts of the Amstel on the return leg that were crowded- you run out the Amstel towards the country side on one side of the river and then back into the city the other side. On the return leg around the 21km mark the paths were narrower than the leg out so I’d imagine it would be hard to overtake here as part of the 3.10 group. Its probably only congested for about 1-2km as it doesn’t be long until its widening out again into wider park paths and then you’re back on the streets. I found the most congested area though to be about 7-10km where you run through a business district. I suspect by this stage you’re catching up with the slower runners of the wave ahead of you.

Be careful of your step around the business district. There were lots of unmarked kerbs and people jumping around the place trying to overtake. There are also tram lines on several roads which you’d miss easily if in a pack. I passed quite a few people who had fallen and injured themselves.

Lazare

Excellent, fair play.

chabsey

I'm looking forward to hopefully remembering more of it this year. Last year I was just in a haze, I recall running along the Amstel, a guy on one of those water canon jet packs was flying around and there were windmills. Then a motorway on-ramp, then pain pain pain, brief stop, Olympic stadium, the end.

Laineyfrecks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121176804#Comment_121176804

Feeling quite excited now, can't believe it's so close! Have really enjoyed this training block & besides a minor set back I feel it has gone really well, I think no matter how I do I will look back & be happy with it! Flying over the Sat too & out to the expo then some food. Buzzing for the whole thing at this stage😁

rizzee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121186419#Comment_121186419

You are flying E! I've no doubt you'll smash it :-)

I've just gone through the most recent email - further information on number collection is to be sent before Thursday.

I'll see if I can I change waves - I'm nowhere near my estimated finish time I put down 😅

chabsey

I know they're not to be considered accurate and factors like how long you've had the watch and if you're wearing a chest strap matter, but what are people's watches telling them their finishing times will be? Somewhat depressingly mine is telling me I've got a 3:12 marathon in me, which while it would represent a PB is still not where I'm hoping to finish (maybe 3:05ish?).

The Davestator

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121188931#Comment_121188931

I wouldnt pay much heed. It can only go off the data that is recorded so if you are doing lots of easy miles, it assume that is your primary pace. Ut cannnot take account of taper, rest etc before the day.