DFW running club mark 2!! ALL ARE WELCOME!!!

beer_tins

chickadee wrote: »

I don't know about 2010, but this year the Shakespeare Marathon is popular. Quite a few of my friends who didn't get into London are running there. It is the same day as London. I think race organisers are getting savvy to the fact that loads of people get rejected from London so there are a few alternatives out there. People can train with friends and still follow London-specific training plans and Spring is the marathon silly season after all!

Very interesting. Isn't that for charity as well though? Fine if it's just the race fee, but raising money :rolleyes: I'm not really good at asking for that kind of thing!

becky_rtw

chickadee wrote: »

But is it is listed as a fun run the serious runners would avoid it as it won't be a 'race' for them. Now if it said 'championship' in the title, I bet it would be a lot faster. We shouldn't knock the fun-runs completely though, because they make running more accessible to people who would never have tried running before. I know loads of people who started running by training for a Race for Life 5k women-only run and have gone on to be totally addicted to running where they would never have thought it was for them.

I do agree about London though, and the Great North Run. They are more about charity fundraising than proper running, apart from the few international athletes at the front. There isn't much of a place in them for club runners any more.

I know Chick - I wish I could have picked a better one but being public transport bound leaves me with few options for races sadly , plus the other were wayyyy too expensive, but its cool got my serious race next week - Ashby 20!!! :eek::eek::eek: I am scared by that!

I think RFL is great by the way - thats a great way to raise money without putting too much commitment on yourself and a great way to get into running

hypno06

I daresay I could have got a place that required slightly less fundraising, but I wanted to run for a charity that meant something to me, and unfortunately they required a higher amount! Ah well.....perhaps next year I will get in through the ballot.

Chick, my understanding was that after 5 rejections you were almost guaranteed an entry.....so 2010 may be your lucky year!

I think most marathons and half marathons have a chosen charity - but there is not usually any compulsion to fund raise for it. Part of the entry fee would normally go to the charity, together with profits from sales of t-shirts, raffle etc, and then any extra raised by runners is a bit of a bonus for them.

rachaelfleur

chickadee wrote: »

But is it is listed as a fun run the serious runners would avoid it as it won't be a 'race' for them. Now if it said 'championship' in the title, I bet it would be a lot faster. We shouldn't knock the fun-runs completely though, because they make running more accessible to people who would never have tried running before. I know loads of people who started running by training for a Race for Life 5k women-only run and have gone on to be totally addicted to running where they would never have thought it was for them.

I do agree about London though, and the Great North Run. They are more about charity fundraising than proper running, apart from the few international athletes at the front. There isn't much of a place in them for club runners any more.

my first race was Race For Life, did it in memory of my gran and aunt, but I did get the running bug afterwards. I am very competitive but only with myself, each race I have to do faster. I don't think I'll ever be classed as an elite runner (maybe in my own head ). I've entered the GNR for a charity, for 2 reasons, mainly because my running buddy's mum was diagnosed with bowel cancer (we're running for beating bowel cancer) and secondly it's very difficult to get in otherwise. Although we are running for a charity I'll still be treating it as a race.

RichOneday_2

beer_tins wrote: »

Well the Kenyans and Ethiopians might challenge your "best marathon runners" claim, unless you go way back I see your point though. I don't know why other cities don't hold more marathons, though? Surely there is a lot of demand from runners who can't get into the FLM?

It depends what you call 'way back'? But certainly Steve Jones broke the marathon world record in London (and I was in that race so its not that long ago!:p )

Kenyans and Ethiopians are a VERY recent addition to the marathon scene - they were traditionally strong at cross country and steeplechase.


But I agree with Chickadee, there has to be the right balance - a 20% or 25% first timer ratio perhaps. And as for charity money - make the entry fee £100 if need be with £75 to be dished out to charities. Nobody would have too much concern about a big entry fee for their 'big race' but its the automatic assumption that if you want to run a big race that you seem to have an 'obligation' to raise money for charity which doesn't sit comfortably.

becky_rtw

Oooo so runnerly people I have another question for you all:

Bristol Half may be getting in trouble because of all the paper cups left strewn around last year - so my step dad has asked me to think about other ways of organising the water stations so that they dont produce loads of rubbish and basically making races in general more evironmentally friendly...

My suggestions were:
make them more public transport accessible i.e. lay on special buses or hold them nearer to train stations etc
remove water stations for anything less than a marathon - people who want drinks can bring their own in a camelback or bottle
Or give away bottles of drink only and offer plastic bottle recycling at convient points
Give away recycled fairtrade cotton canvas bags only, no leaflets and offer compost bins for banana skins

What other ideas to people have?? Any thoughts??

hypno06

becky - encourage online entry to avoid lots of paper entry forms being printed.

becky_rtw

Thanks Hypno - its a shame online entry is usually more expensive than paper isnt it?? Now that would be a good one though - I'll get him to speak to the organisers about that - they could also have collection of numbers/chips on the day for some people perhaps to save on postage and envelopes...

beer_tins

RichOneday wrote: »

It depends what you call 'way back'? But certainly Steve Jones broke the marathon world record in London (and I was in that race so its not that long ago!:p )

I meant in my living memory :rotfl:

P.S. Didn't realise the Welsh TV presenter was a runner and didn't think he was any older than me!

Idiophreak

becky_rtw wrote: »

Oooo so runnerly people I have another question for you all:

Bristol Half may be getting in trouble because of all the paper cups left strewn around last year - so my step dad has asked me to think about other ways of organising the water stations so that they dont produce loads of rubbish and basically making races in general more evironmentally friendly...

Think it's a little cultural, tbh - one person chucks their cup down, everyone else thinks "well, someone's gonna have to clean these up, anyway" and so it goes. If you start by having bins immediately following the drinks station (you want long, thin bins ideally - for 30 or 40 yards after the station, then some more every so often for the next half mile, there's a much better chance of people using them.

Also, print the sentence "bins will be provided around drink stations - anyone seen littering during the race will be disqualified and their time will not be published" - and get the announcer to state the same at the start of the race. Have someone with a video camera by each station and start striking people off. It will be a harsh lesson for some to start with, but will gradually start to shift the culture toward using bins...