HALF MARATHONS IN UK THIS WEEKEND -

Bath is slow. At least it is whenever I run it. Never run Wilmslow but times are always fast, almost certainly short.

Bath is likely to have the fastest winning time because they offer good prize money. You'll upset a lot of people saying wilmslow is short, do you not think that a guy like andy norman with about a 29.30 10km pb should not be able to run sub 66 for the half? It has a certicate/permit so its as accurate as all other road races in the UK

I don't know which elites are running Bath this weekend but I'd expect the times to be a bit slower than usual because some of the course has roadworks on it so has a poor surface. Hopefully no-one will twist an ankle or anything like that but it may disrupt their pace.

what about reading? Any thoughts on the course, fast? twists and turns? Hills?

Bath field looks solid up front, course is great for fast times and roadworks have not really got underway and have been restored to a good condition.

13.1 wrote:

You'll upset a lot of people saying wilmslow is short, do you not think that a guy like andy norman with about a 29.30 10km pb should not be able to run sub 66 for the half? It has a certicate/permit so its as accurate as all other road races in the UK

I don't really think it's short, but times did look strangely quick in 2003:

I realise it was the AAAs that year. If the course hasn't changed at all then fair enough.

Yeah - times were quick? Will Cockerell 66 minutes?? Prob a little short in 03'.

Reading? Whats the course like? Paul Evans has course record 61.38

there's some really good athletes doing Bath.

Lobb is definitely doing Reading this weekend, not Bath, which someone mentioned above.

Vero is expecting to go sub 1:10 at Reading this weekend.

Fast times at Reading today - Dan Robinson sub 63 minutes, Mark Miles 64.30, Huw Lobb 64.40

13 guys sub 70 minutes.

Any news on Bath, Liverpool, other races?

Surely more than 13 guys sub 70 at Reading or there were alot of casualties late in the race - or is that 13 Brits?

was 12 brits who broke 70 minutes, not sure how Vero got on.

Liz Yelling broke 70 minutes @ Bath today, Louise Daimen ran 70.45.

Course record @ Bath was broke by Kenyan.

bath taker wrote:

Bath is slow. At least it is whenever I run it. Never run Wilmslow but times are always fast, almost certainly short.

Do you realise that race organisers have to have their courses officially measured to get a permit. Highly unlikely it is short. If anything courses are more likely to be long because the course measurers will always take the shortest possible route.

When fast times are run people are very quick to lay accusations of courses being short - (The Hague a week or 2 ago).

I have no reason to believe that any of the big courses in the UK are short but when you've run in Holland you realise that a course which in Britain is called "flat and fast" e.g. Reading which I did today - is mountainous compared to a truely pancake flat course.

Unfortunately the few really flat UK courses are round lakes etc, and so are often very windy, or don't attract the decent fields.

A uk resource which lists certified courses is available here

http://coursemeasurement.org.uk/

Wilmslow was a good run.

1st Tomas Abyu, Salford Harriers 64.20 something

2nd Andi Jones, Salford Harriers 64.59

3rd Gareth Raven, Sale Harriers 65.14

Weather was dry, but some wind in places. Race started fast, Tomas took the lead and front ran from Andi Jones and Gareth in third place. Places at front never changed after mile 1.

Full results will be on Wilmslow half website later on.

Womens race won by lady from City of Stoke in joint CR time. (72 something)

Andi Jones wrote:

5.14

Weather was dry, but some wind in places. Race started fast, Tomas took the lead and front ran from Andi Jones and Gareth in third place. Places at front never changed after mile 1.

Do you always talk about yourself in the 3rd person?