London marathon 2021

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Oct 2021
3:41pm, 6 Oct 2021
1,239 posts
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Spideog
The rolling wave starts seemed to create a thinner field and I didn't find it particularly busy at any point compared to normal years. Even the fact that peoples paces were all mixed up wasn't a massive issue for me as it's easy enough to dodge around people as long as they are not forming lines across the road.

But at the same time the mixed up paces meant that the likes of some blind runners were started in the wrong pace, and it's hard enough for them and their guides at the best of times, but with people being caught going at significantly slower paces than you are and minimal space to get around them made it very tough, it's hard to steer a blind runner around moving obstacles. Saw one pair crashed into the barriers after getting tripped and know of another couple who met a similar fate due to the mixed up target times within the waves.

Even without that though I'd rather see it return to the normal start processes in future. Start positions should be based on time rather than age, and mixing 2:41 runners in the same wave as 3:49 runners just because they happen to have been born within 5 years of each other is stupid.
Oct 2021
9:57pm, 6 Oct 2021
130 posts
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sparklecloud
The slowest man in the virtual took 23:15 and I imagine they were running just over a mile every hour on the hour from midnight until 23:15. That would take an unheard-of amount of self-discipline from me.


I did that last year. It was fun!... sort of.

I had the most amazing day at the in-person race this year and have serious post-marathon blues now. Don't know what to do with myself!
Oct 2021
11:50am, 8 Oct 2021
8,778 posts
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Fragile Do Not Bend
Some pretty blatant cheating

twitter.com

I’m not sure what they hope to gain though because of the medals already being in the kit bags. I presume there was a system in place at the expo to stop someone checking a kit bag more than once?
Oct 2021
12:47pm, 8 Oct 2021
4,880 posts
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Pothunter
When you check your bag in they scanned your QR code. They updated the system to record the crate your bag ended up up. You then went to get your bib which had the crate number printed on it.

If you tried to check in a second bag the system would have flagged that it had been done.
Oct 2021
12:55pm, 8 Oct 2021
43,382 posts
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DocM
looking through my sons photos, there is someone with his number, different style etc on the bib. the system has recognised the number and decided i must be him
Oct 2021
12:57pm, 8 Oct 2021
43,383 posts
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DocM
Oct 2021
12:58pm, 8 Oct 2021
43,384 posts
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DocM
in fact its not even the VLM!
Oct 2021
1:43pm, 8 Oct 2021
8,779 posts
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Fragile Do Not Bend
Maybe the photographer hasn’t cleared the memory card from the previous race they photographed :)
Oct 2021
1:45pm, 8 Oct 2021
8,780 posts
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Fragile Do Not Bend
I’ve also seen on Facebook that someone’s photos included another person with their number. On closer inspection it looks like someone running with a virtual number from last year. Again, why do it as you aren’t going to get a medal?
Oct 2021
2:47pm, 8 Oct 2021
21,234 posts
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ChrisHB
If the experience of running in noisy crowds/in the same race as world champions means more to you than getting the medal?

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Maintained by DocM
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