Competing in the Great North Run

[ChrisAllen1]

Morning lovely running folk.

I usually inhabit the Bridge to 10k forum even though I regularly run further than that however last night in a moment of drunken madness 😂😂 I agreed to do this year's Great North Run.

Although I will find it tough I am confident that the distance will not be to much of an issue (I have done one half marathon and ran 18k last weekend) however these were both solo runs.

Any advice on how to run with massive crowds and coping with the inevitable adrenalin surge would be most welcome.

[Irish-John Marathon]

The one thing I will focus on in my "big run" in November is - run my own run at my own pace.

It was fairly easy to do that my first few races - but now that the "what will it be like" general jitters and concerns with beIN a race have receeded - I'm really going to watch it when it comes to "run a bit faster"

And - hydration. Damn near did for me because I ignored it and then found out the hard way that "it's only a few miles further than I've ran before" is no joke.

Best of luck

[misswobble Marathon]

No idea. I’m a small field kinda gal 😎 my biggest being 900. Smallest 28 😃

The idea of pens, queueing for lavs, too many peeps puts me right off

[mrrun Ultramarathon]

Although l am very keen on completing the marathon distance l run away from anything that may look like a crowd. Absolutely no way am l running in any organised way with other humans, even if l were to get paid, lol. I run because I want to be left alone. No chat, no noise, no rules! Bliss!

[Irish-John Marathon in reply to mrrun]

I'm 99% loner also but occasionally it is fun to be part of the big vibe at a running event And it kind of makes me re-aprecitte the "me time" when I run solo also

Sucks when there is a really "competitive" group though - last thing I was at a bunch of lamos "humbragging" loudly about how they "hoped" not to run as "slow' as the fast time last time - made right clowns of themselves 😂

[Frostie2560]

It’s a fabulous first half marathon to do!. I live very near the start line😃. It’ll be my fourth one... I’m no ace runner, always been at the back but even the non competitive runners get such great support from the crowd. I always think of the 28 year old who came last in 2017, look his story up (Matt Hadden)if he can do it then we most certainly can, a total inspiration!!!.

Keep to your own pace as you’ll end up seeing a host of people overdoing it.😃. See you at the start line!

I’m a solo runner usually.

[TedG Half Marathon in reply to Frostie2560]

I’m doing it this year too, it’s all about distance for me and the feeling of achievement after....I hope 🤗

I’ll be flying up from Heathrow, I live near Oxford.... doing the Oxford Half in Oct as well 😱

[Frostie2560 in reply to TedG]

Wow!.I gather it’s been roasting down there recently!. It’s usually quite a few degrees cooler up here so that’s a bonus for you. You’ll have complete strangers getting you through the race, it really is fantastic.

Good luck on both runs, and enjoy the atmosphere of the GNR. I’ve only ever run to finish, never for a specific time as I’m just not very fast!.

[TedG Half Marathon in reply to Frostie2560]

Hot isn’t the word for it, I’m camping for a few days with daughter and grandchildren and it’s been 30+ last 3 days 😅

Back to training when I get back, going to be a lot cooler come the weekend..... yay!

I’m the same as you, a bit of a plodder but it’s all about fitness and seeing how far I can push myself distance wise....even if it involves a bit of jeffing 🤗

Yes, I’m sure I’ll enjoy the experience l.... bring it on 😎

[Frostie2560 in reply to TedG]

I’m originally from a village in Surrey, can’t take the heat down there anymore as I’m used to a cooler climate now😅. Whatever speed we go we still get there the same as everyone else. Happy camping!.

[Sqkr Half Marathon]

My main concern is that there are going to be not one but two Red Arrows flypasts this year, which means two opportunities for me to die of shock.

[Frostie2560 in reply to Sqkr]

I haven’t even crossed the start line when they flyover😄

[Bazza1234 Marathon]

Over the past 5 years I have participated in two "giant" events - others have been smaller with maybe around 500 participants. I do like the "vibe" of the BIG runs - not only that emanating from the participants but also from the crowds of onlookers who are attracted by the spectacle of the event. The second largest of these two events, a HM ,had 10,000 entrants who basically all started from one single "corral", tapered from elites at the front and gradually going to the back of the pack based on expected finish times. Most people seem to self-seed themselves adequately here. The largest event, 14K, involved 80,000 starters with 4 corrals of 20,000 each with different starting times. These 80,000 all finish up on the "famous" Bondi Beach. The usual caution of not going out too hard at first applies the same as if you were running at parkrun The biggest consideration is in my view the start. One is that you have to contain your eagerness to get to the start line after the gun goes off and then further contain your eagerness to attempt to get "clear air" to start to develop a running rhythm. The second consideration is that for anybody wishing to run/walk long events like HM and marathon, you have to understand that you may not be able to do this until perhaps 3 klm have cleared the crowd for you to be able to do this (stop/start) so you may have to run continuously for longer that you are accustomed to. You will also have to contain your annoyance that groups of people will run or walk together across the route direction and if they are proceeding slower than you then you may have difficulty getting through them

I am basically a lone runner when training - because I can never really find a suitable training partner - BUT I do LOVE these large events

[TedG Half Marathon]

That’s great news Chris, see you there 🍻🏃😊

[Sqkr Half Marathon]

I've added you to the diary, there's no going back now 😀 I've added you too Frostie2560 , I hope that's ok? That's five of us now! We'll need to order in more pompoms.

[Frostie2560 in reply to Sqkr]

No problem😃

[TedG Half Marathon in reply to Sqkr]

Make that Six Sqkr 😊

[ancientrunner Half Marathon]

I don't know what your speed is- I did it twice and was in the pen one from last. It takes about an hour to get from the back to the start line and the red arrows are long gone. If it's cold and you are dumping a jacket, don't take it off til you can see the start line or you'll get cold. I always feel I sound negative when I mention these things but last year I was better for knowing there would be a long wait and could see people around me getting stressed that they weren't on the move. It is great thing to do and the crowds are as fantastic as everyone says but I'd have liked some warning about the start. Then again you may be in a forward wave and won't be left waiting!!!

Good luck.

[roseabi Ultramarathon]

I find it is best to keep smiling (maintain sense of humour), keep dancing (there'll no doubt be music, and it's good to be light on your feet), look down a lot (trip hazards are abundant in the initial crush), and if you're not tall watch out for sharp elbows!

[Sqkr Half Marathon in reply to roseabi]

Oh crikey, this makes it sound like being on the Tube at rush hour, one of my least favourite things 😳 Being armpit height (and likely pointy elbow height) is a real evolutionary flaw.

I watched a video of the route the other day and it is so far removed from what I generally enjoy, it seems to be a huge bunch of people on a motorway 😕 It'll be fun, won't it? Tell me it's fun!

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to Sqkr]

It's fun

[ancientrunner Half Marathon in reply to Sqkr]

It is a dual carriage A road!!!! - but actually that was okay and the wide road was good.

I am armpit height too - also means your face is rucksack height on those rush hour Tubes. .

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to Sqkr]

Another elbow thing I just thought of, when people stop for a walk when they're feeling tired towards the end of a race, they tend to put their hands on their hips (I believe it's an instinctive pose to aid deep breathing) so their elbows suddenly jut out into the path of the person running up behind them!