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Aug 2017
2:51pm, 2 Aug 2017
25 posts
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bgillam
There are undulations and there are undulations! Where I live it is pretty flat so I don't have much experience with hills, so am just a bit wary.
London Marathon accepts "Any official timed marathon which is 26.2 miles in length is eligible.", so Walton would be fine as the race is fully accredited.
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Aug 2017
3:00pm, 2 Aug 2017
2,466 posts
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larkim
I'm "lucky" that its quite undulating in my part of Cheshire, more so than around the marathon course. Baz is quite right, the incline at 24 miles will no doubt feel like a hill (looking back at when I ran the Metric Mara on the same day as Baz I dropped to 8:52/mile for a two minute period when I was averaging about 7:20 either side of that.
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Aug 2017
3:03pm, 2 Aug 2017
27,038 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Hills? In Chester marathon?! I've been duped! I thought it was meant to be super flat?! Actually someone did say that hill at 22/23 miles is a bit of a pig.
Come join the Chester party bgillam?
I think underfoot conditions can be more detrimental than the odd hill. I found the bits of rock and mud on a local multi lap race (Borders - barely scraped 3:13) worse than the wee hill at mile 21 in e.g. Loch Ness marathon (PB at the time 3:02)
Just sayin'!  G
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Aug 2017
3:06pm, 2 Aug 2017
27,039 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Your youngest has great form larks. It's always great to watch kids - naturally good style. Is it Zen Buddhism that says, wisdom is progressing to be like a child?
I definitely recognise the whole "never doing another one", then going for sub 3:15 at second marathon. That was me 9 years ago! G
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Aug 2017
3:07pm, 2 Aug 2017
2,467 posts
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larkim
I need to get down into Chester to run some parts of the course that I don't know so well actually. I'm a big an of a good recce!
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Aug 2017
3:19pm, 2 Aug 2017
3,068 posts
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Windsor Wool
avoid the Bournemouth marathon like the plague, hills, out 'n' backs, strong sea 'breeze'. I hated it, totally.
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Aug 2017
3:34pm, 2 Aug 2017
26 posts
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bgillam
Thanks Windsor - that's Bournemouth off the list. Your comments confirmed my suspicions to be honest. A big hill around mile 24 on the Chester route sounds a little too sadistic for my liking, so looks like Walton is the one for me.
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Aug 2017
3:57pm, 2 Aug 2017
1,115 posts
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Uyuni
Yikes bgillam sorry that a throw away comment on a forum has got you back embroiled in this marathon running business not least as I’m having the autumn off! Looking forward to London already though
Going by your profile though you are running PBs across the board recently and racking up some really good mileage, so it would be a shame to miss out on such good form and not nail a fast marathon as well. Best of luck!
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Aug 2017
4:36pm, 2 Aug 2017
4,644 posts
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chunkywizard
I can't remember the Chester hill being that bad, and the course and organisation was wonderful. Sounds a lot better than muddy loops! By the way, I'm another, 2nd marathon, trying good for age entrant.
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Aug 2017
5:37pm, 2 Aug 2017
27 posts
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bgillam
Uyuni - Thanks for the motivation to do another marathon! You're right, lots of PBs this year. I've been run commuting which has upped the mileage a lot and I've been lucky enough to stay injury free and so my times have come down a lot. A marathon PB should be easily achievable if I get the training right.
ChunkyWizard - I see you're doing Abingdon, that was where I ran last year. A nice flat course, though a bit sparse on crowds. The mud isn't too bad on the Walton course, there are just a few patches where the mud builds up if the weather has been wet for a while. Early October should still be fine. It's a bit of a lottery.
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