Longford Marathon

Oisin11178 · 17-07-2009 1:15pm #1

Hi was just wondering how many of you guys are doinng Longford.
If so where are you staying and any tips about the course ect would be helpful:)

Krusty_Clown · 17-07-2009 1:34pm

The water stations can be at irregular points (sometimes a mile before or after where they should be) so if you're planning your gel strategy around them, be prepared to take it early (or late!). The roads are open, so if you have family/friends around, they can meet you at a few points to cheer/give you water/drinks etc. You can even drive around beforehand, and drop a bottle or two in locations you'll remember.

Be prepared for long stretches of being by yourself! At one stage last year, I didn't see anybody for 10 minutes, until eventually I saw a couple of runners a mile ahead of me. Took me 10 minutes to catch up with them, and then didn't see anyone for another 10 minutes till I came across the next water-station. This is just on the backroads. There was good support in the towns etc.

Might do the half this year.

Oisin11178 · 17-07-2009 4:21pm

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

The water stations can be at irregular points (sometimes a mile before or after where they should be) so if you're planning your gel strategy around them, be prepared to take it early (or late!). The roads are open, so if you have family/friends around, they can meet you at a few points to cheer/give you water/drinks etc. You can even drive around beforehand, and drop a bottle or two in locations you'll remember.

Be prepared for long stretches of being by yourself! At one stage last year, I didn't see anybody for 10 minutes, until eventually I saw a couple of runners a mile ahead of me. Took me 10 minutes to catch up with them, and then didn't see anyone for another 10 minutes till I came across the next water-station. This is just on the backroads. There was good support in the towns etc.

Might do the half this year.

thanks for the info:)
How many run it do you know?

Oisin11178 · 19-07-2009 11:03pm

Is there no1 else doing this race, i find it hard to believe.
Come on dont be shy:)

RacoonQueen · 19-07-2009 11:36pm

I might do the half as a training run. Doing the dingle half and the dublin half though so it wouldn't be purely a training session.

Krusty_Clown · 19-07-2009 11:51pm

Oisin11178 wrote: »

thanks for the info:)
How many run it do you know?

You can see the results on their website: http://www.longfordmarathon.com/

Last year, it looks like they had:
Marathon
233 - Male
38 - Female

Half Marathon
It says 338, but I think there were closer to 1,000
220 - Female

rigal · 20-07-2009 9:29am

I'm doing the half and will be heading up on the morning of the race. I haven't ran it before but have heard it's relatively flat so should be good pb potential.

Brienoian · 20-07-2009 11:34am

Im running the half. Heading up on the morning of the race. It's my second half marathon. Caught the bug after doing Achill a few weeks ago. Hope to better my time

Oisin11178 · 20-07-2009 3:54pm

Im doing the full, sounds like its going to be a lonely journey. Not to worry i have my tunes and the training is going well. Fingers crossed no injuries now. Im going up the night before and staying the night of the rac itself with the other half:)

average_runner · 20-07-2009 4:11pm

I be doing the half as part of my training program for Dublin.

Think Dublin half is a bit close to the Dublin Marathon

VanBosch · 20-07-2009 4:17pm

I was planning on doing the Half marathon as part of my training for the DCM. I was just wondering what the standard is like?

I would just be worried that with such a small field (compared to Dublin Race series for example) I might be last. I was hoping to complete a half in around 2:15:00.

Krusty_Clown · 20-07-2009 4:40pm

Why don't you look at last years results.
At least 139 people were 2:15+

watergal · 29-07-2009 10:04am

Krusty_Clown wrote: »

Why don't you look at last years results.
At least 139 people were 2:15+[/quote

I ran the full last year and am running it again.

Don't worry about the time as the field may be small but people will be coming in all through the day ( between the half and the full ). Also there will be walkers who will be coming in from the half around the 3 hour mark ..

good luck !

theFinishLine · 29-07-2009 1:11pm

Longford is a pretty good marathon setup. The field is small in comparison to Dublin (obviously), Cork, Belfast, and Connemara. For new marathon runners it can be a lonely course - it streches deep into rural Longford, Leitrim, and Roscommon. The only places you see human life after Tarmonbarry (7 miles) is at Waterstations or at the few villages you pass through. The course is flat - a bump here and there - but the rural parts of the course are not 100% traffic free. However the locals take to the race very well and have patience in driving past you - so you can pick a decent part of the road and follow your racing line. I found the miles 22 - 25 tough as there seems to be a slight incline as you run from the countryside into Longford town.

The one thing you should note is that there are NO shower facilities - there are really no facilities at all in terms of changing rooms, showers, etc. Toilet facilities at the start are very scarce but the few pubs and hotels opened on the mainstreet before marathon start have no problem with the runners using the toilets there.

It is about 1/4 mile from the race HQ to the start/finish line - so if you have no friends/family with you - you will probably need to leave a t-shirt/top on a window sill near the finish so that you have something warm to step into after crossing the line. The mainstreets are only kept closed for a few hours - so marathoners taking more than say 4 hours will find themselves in traffic as you navigate the last mile or so toward the finish line.

belcarra · 29-07-2009 1:23pm

I ran the full last year and have to admit to not enjoying it very much at all! I think the town and organisation in general is pretty decent but I just didn't get on with the course from the halfway mark onwards! As mentioned above there is a stretch from 20-25 miles that really broke my spirit! Of all the marathons I did last year (Dublin, Connemara, Cork, Newry, Belfast and Longford) this is the one i least enjoyed. Very lonely course also.

beamgirl · 29-07-2009 4:00pm

I had planned on doing the half but havnt signed up yet, not so sure i want to do it now after reading the above comments! Sounds very lonely but as we usually give out about overcrowding maybe that will be a good thing...

RoyMcC · 29-07-2009 4:03pm

beamgirl wrote: »

I had planned on doing the half but havnt signed up yet, not so sure i want to do it now after reading the above comments! Sounds very lonely but as we usually give out about overcrowding maybe that will be a good thing...

Depends what you're looking for I guess. I thought it was great being able to just enjoy the race and the scenery in comparative peace and quiet.

Krusty_Clown · 29-07-2009 4:05pm

Hi Beamgirl, I've only done the full, but I don't imagine the half will be quite as lonely/isolated. It's the stretch on the road back from Tarmonbarry and then the N11 that's very quiet. This is only part of the marathon route.

watergal · 29-07-2009 4:34pm

I've done the half twice and it's fine. Flat all the way. You do have to run down the hard shoulder on the strokestown road, but it's fine. Also, because it's the half, you won't be on your own (so not lonely).

The full marathon starts to get lonely after Termonbarry and then a bit of a spirit booster in Rooksy as there are people out. The last few miles are hard up the hard shoulder, but as I remember, there were quite a few of us battling along together last year so got there in the end. It's definitely more of a mental challenge than Dublin or Amsterdam as you don't have the crowds, but if you want something different other than running through city streets, it's worth doing once.

I drove down the morning of the race both for the halfs and the full and will do the same this year.

I did the Achill half this year also and the hills at 8 & 11- ish miles nearly did me in ...got there in the end though . The hills in the pheonix park seem like lumps after that ..

Aimman · 30-07-2009 11:49am

I'm signed up for it, but havent received any offical confirmation of registering. I paid in Liam's shop (too tight to pay the booking fee, lol) The guy will be doing his 200th marathon on the day. Fair play to him. He said that there were water stations no more than 3 miles apart, but not sure if there are any energy drinks or gels along the way. If you need any pick me ups along the way, you can always stop into the Esso Garage in Termonbarry or the Centra at the bridge in Roosky for a coffee and a muffin.

I heard it was a good flat course, so I'm looking forward to seeing what my time will be, but I didnt realise the numbers were so low, hopefully they'll keep the finish line up a bit longer till I complete the course.

But I was hoping for a pb with Longford, as I doubt I'll beat any records in Donegal or Dublin shortly after it.

I dont mind running long stretches of road with no one about, as I have done all my 20M+ long runs on my own, and I've abandoned the ipod now for a while and just listen to the strange voices in my head instead.

lol. But for such a spread out field, it might take away the incentive to pick up pace. Especially if you dont have many people to pick out and try to overtake, or to speed up if people are overtaking you. Might even feel like I've taken a wrong turn and running in the wrong direction (it has happened to people before)

Its actually the complete contrast to Berlin last year, It was also a very flat course, but I was always in a pack of people, because there were 48,000 of us on the road, It was actually hard work overtaking people running in packs, you had to run around clusters of people.

Opps, I'm waffling..... Needless to say, I realise it's going to be a more challenging run than I anticipated, in order to get a pb.
My supporters will be in Termonbarry, I might persuade them to take photos of everyone and stick them up on the RacePix site.

I'm planning to run the course on the 7th as my last long training run, so pehaps I can pass on any tips about the route after that.

Oisin11178 · 30-07-2009 1:06pm

What time are you guys doing the full planning on running. Maybe a few of us can group together for some company. Just an idea, my planned pace is 8.30 miles so should bring me in about 3h43m.

watergal · 31-07-2009 11:10am

Aimman wrote: »

I'm signed up for it, but havent received any offical confirmation of registering. I paid in Liam's shop (too tight to pay the booking fee, lol) The guy will be doing his 200th marathon on the day. Fair play to him. He said that there were water stations no more than 3 miles apart, but not sure if there are any energy drinks or gels along the way. If you need any pick me ups along the way, you can always stop into the Esso Garage in Termonbarry or the Centra at the bridge in Roosky for a coffee and a muffin.

I heard it was a good flat course, so I'm looking forward to seeing what my time will be, but I didnt realise the numbers were so low, hopefully they'll keep the finish line up a bit longer till I complete the course.

But I was hoping for a pb with Longford, as I doubt I'll beat any records in Donegal or Dublin shortly after it.

I dont mind running long stretches of road with no one about, as I have done all my 20M+ long runs on my own, and I've abandoned the ipod now for a while and just listen to the strange voices in my head instead. lol. But for such a spread out field, it might take away the incentive to pick up pace. Especially if you dont have many people to pick out and try to overtake, or to speed up if people are overtaking you. Might even feel like I've taken a wrong turn and running in the wrong direction (it has happened to people before)

Its actually the complete contrast to Berlin last year, It was also a very flat course, but I was always in a pack of people, because there were 48,000 of us on the road, It was actually hard work overtaking people running in packs, you had to run around clusters of people.

Opps, I'm waffling..... Needless to say, I realise it's going to be a more challenging run than I anticipated, in order to get a pb.
My supporters will be in Termonbarry, I might persuade them to take photos of everyone and stick them up on the RacePix site.

I'm planning to run the course on the 7th as my last long training run, so pehaps I can pass on any tips about the route after that.

I didn't manage a pb anyway ! ( In fact I ran the second slowest time ever at 3:49. I usually manage to get in around 3:40).
I found it hard to push myself when I was on my own, but then I decided to relax and enjoy the fields, cattle and strange smells that wafted over the ditches at some stages ..

it was hard, but different ! I wish they would give out more water though, it seemed a bit stingy last year !

buck65 · 31-07-2009 11:19am

watergal wrote: »

I did the Achill half this year also and the hills at 8 & 11- ish miles nearly did me in ...got there in the end though . The hills in the pheonix park seem like lumps after that ..

What about mile 2-4 inclusive? All a steady climb. The hill at the 8 mile marker was a bitch as were the following couple of climbs. A flat half may be the ticket - might run this!

Aimman · 31-07-2009 2:15pm

Oisin11178 wrote: »

What time are you guys doing the full planning on running. Maybe a few of us can group together for some company. Just an idea, my planned pace is 8.30 miles so should bring me in about 3h43m.

Well, my pb so far is 3:56, but been getting my speeds up lately. Might have to tie a rope around you Oisin to keep up with you, haha. I might be able to stay in a group for the first em.... 2 miles. :rolleyes:

Woddle · 31-07-2009 6:00pm

My opinion on Longford is that it is a nice quite flat course. I PBd on it. My advice would be when you can, try run in the middle of the roads/tracks. I have done Longford twice and have injured myself twice, I reckon the reason is that it's pretty much one big loop where the camber does not favour your right leg. Just an opinion, I'm sure many others have ran it with no such injuries.

watergal · 05-08-2009 12:33pm

buck65 wrote: »

What about mile 2-4 inclusive? All a steady climb. The hill at the 8 mile marker was a bitch as were the following couple of climbs. A flat half may be the ticket - might run this!

I had seen the incline that was there for the first couple of miles as I had driven down that way to the start, so I'd prepared myself for them and went out slowly for the first 10k. Then picked up the pace a bit, only to be hit in the face and kneecaps by the later hills !
Just as well I didn't look at the topology as I may have backed out and missed a really nice race ( eventhough my knees were burning and one took about 2 weeks to get back to normal afterwards..)

Lex Luther · 05-08-2009 1:28pm

i've also just signed up for the half as part of my DCM prep. Ran the half last year and found it a reasonably well run race , flat but unexciting course but with a nice finish in the centre of town. Thought it was a very good sharpener for the marathon though.

heffsarmy · 05-08-2009 1:29pm

Was going to do the half, but 54euro is a bite steep for late entry fee, Dublin half is only 25euro for late entires....rip off Ireland again in action!

Oisin11178 · 06-08-2009 1:31pm

Last long run over thank god, bring on the race:)

Aimman · 06-08-2009 2:07pm

Oisin11178 wrote: »

Last long run over thank god, bring on the race:)

Fair play to you, I've mine tomorrow and dreading it. It will be along the course itself. Bit concerned about the roads from Tarmonbarry to Roosky and then another section from Rooksy to Newtownforbes. In some cases, the 'track' is just wide enought for one car, with grass growing down the middle of it (you know the type). Just hope there's no traffic on them tomorrow, some of the corners are quite blind. I drove along it this weekend to check it out. Thought I was on the wrong road, till I seen the mile markers from last year and arrows telling you which direction to turn etc.

Oisin11178 · 06-08-2009 3:44pm

Aimman wrote: »

Fair play to you, I've mine tomorrow and dreading it. It will be along the course itself. Bit concerned about the roads from Tarmonbarry to Roosky and then another section from Rooksy to Newtownforbes. In some cases, the 'track' is just wide enought for one car, with grass growing down the middle of it (you know the type). Just hope there's no traffic on them tomorrow, some of the corners are quite blind. I drove along it this weekend to check it out. Thought I was on the wrong road, till I seen the mile markers from last year and arrows telling you which direction to turn etc.

How far you doing for your lasr long run?

Longford Marathon

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