London Marathon

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rjb
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London Marathon

Post by rjb »

Anyone else run the London Marathon.
Heres me 29 years ago, finished on Westminster bridge in those days not on the Mall as now.
I'm the guy behind 6988
Filed my entry with another rider from the cycling club, that was his third try and he wasnt accepted. I was accepted at the first attempt :D .
Entry confirmed on Xmas eve which left me 3 months to get ready from a standing start as i had done no running in the expectation of my entry being turned down. Regular cycling had kept me in good condition.
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Ben@Forest
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Re: London Marathon

Post by Ben@Forest »

rjb wrote:Anyone else run the London Marathon.


No - (and it doesn't seem many others have either!) but I have run two. My best time was 20 mins slower than yours!
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: London Marathon

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
I used to run marathons, and after running one with 3500 people in it and being caged in down a lane for 7 miles I had no interest in running boxed in again.

People who run Big Name Marathons do it for other reasons, its become a political thing the London run.

And sportives seem to have become charity big name sponsored too, maybe that's how they started in this country?
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mercalia
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Re: London Marathon

Post by mercalia »

not me. well only if I could get some of those kiddie shoes with wheels on them :wink:
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661-Pete
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Re: London Marathon

Post by 661-Pete »

And yet another death reported following yesterday's event.

In my view, one death is one death too many. Is it worth it?

Some will no doubt raise the same argument about cycling. But cycling is different. You can do your own preferred distance at your own pace without being under pressure to drive yourself to exhaustion...
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Mike Sales
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Re: London Marathon

Post by Mike Sales »

661-Pete wrote:And yet another death reported following yesterday's event.

In my view, one death is one death too many. Is it worth it?

Some will no doubt raise the same argument about cycling. But cycling is different. You can do your own preferred distance at your own pace without being under pressure to drive yourself to exhaustion...


Clearly many people want to run these mass participation races. To ban them would seem an unwarranted interference in freedom. You and I may see cycling as different, but others may not agree, especially in the case of semi-races like sportives.
I have done a few things that might lead to death, and I would really resent any attempt to ban climbing, say, or small boat sailing.
I have no idea of the expected death rate in runners of all ages who are not in a race, but merely trying to stay healthy, but it is surely not zero.
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mercalia
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Re: London Marathon

Post by mercalia »

661-Pete wrote:And yet another death reported following yesterday's event.

In my view, one death is one death too many. Is it worth it?

Some will no doubt raise the same argument about cycling. But cycling is different. You can do your own preferred distance at your own pace without being under pressure to drive yourself to exhaustion...


agree. the idea of running so many miles in hot weather as a race is shocking masochism.
thirdcrank
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Re: London Marathon

Post by thirdcrank »

661-Pete wrote:... In my view, one death is one death too many. Is it worth it? ...


Surely, the question is whether the presumed health benefits of getting a lot of people to exercise, be it going for a jog in the park, completing a 6 mile fun run or getting up to the bigger distances, outweigh the negatives of a small number of regrettable deaths, more frequent achilles tendon injuries, sprains, pulled muscles, blisters etc.
Ben@Forest
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Re: London Marathon

Post by Ben@Forest »

mercalia wrote:
661-Pete wrote:And yet another death reported following yesterday's event.

In my view, one death is one death too many. Is it worth it?

Some will no doubt raise the same argument about cycling. But cycling is different. You can do your own preferred distance at your own pace without being under pressure to drive yourself to exhaustion...


agree. the idea of running so many miles in hot weather as a race is shocking masochism.


There's risk in everything, in Bill Bryson's book 'A Walk In The Woods' - about walking the Appalachian Trail he briefly reflects on those who have been murdered whilst doing it (about a dozen over about 60 years of the trail's existence when he wrote his book). It may sound like a lot but around 2 million people walk at least part of the trail every year and about 2,500 do the whole 2,200 miles every year.

In the book I think one of his friends says, 'If you drew a 2,000 mile line across anywhere in America, you are bound to come across a dozen murder victims'. And it's the same for people involved in sport - some will die through an undiagnosed (edited - oops!) condition, or an accident or misadventure (which may include being badly equipped on a mountain) - but we shouldn't therefore stop doing it.
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: London Marathon

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Wasn't it last year a death was drinking sports drink or something.
Any death through exertion is more likely bad planning or underlying health problem.

People collapse at large music venues too, not sure marathons are that unhealthy.
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roubaixtuesday
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Re: London Marathon

Post by roubaixtuesday »

the idea of running so many miles in hot weather as a race is shocking masochism


Most people would regard cycling distances and climbs folk here regard as routine as being amazing feats of endurance.

And I'd be surprised if most of us here haven't pushed ourselves to our limits one way or another on a bike at some point.

Each to their own. We shouldn't prejudge the cause of this poor man's demise IMO.
pwa
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Re: London Marathon

Post by pwa »

BrianFox wrote:
the idea of running so many miles in hot weather as a race is shocking masochism


Most people would regard cycling distances and climbs folk here regard as routine as being amazing feats of endurance.

And I'd be surprised if most of us here haven't pushed ourselves to our limits one way or another on a bike at some point.

Each to their own. We shouldn't prejudge the cause of this poor man's demise IMO.


Life is terminal. Putting yourself at risk for your chosen sport is okay so long as you don't endanger others, so I respect folk who run that distance, even in the heat. I've done daft endurance events on the bike knowing that there is some risk of hypothermia but I don't regret it. You can get out there and do stuff that excites you, or you can play it safe, but you finish up dead in the end either way.
Tangled Metal
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Re: London Marathon

Post by Tangled Metal »

Wasn't there a case in Europe of a car careering into a pro cycle race last year? What about the group ride in Wales which resulted in deaths when a few were killed by a vehicle ploughing into them. One death is one death too many surely?

I remember once winter 20 odd years ago where in the space of a few weeks there were 29 deaths in Scottish hills in winter. Including experienced mountaineers. There was a call to ban access to the hills my some misinformed people.

I remember it because my uni hiking society cancelled their Scottish winter trip for the weekend after the greatest number of deaths were recorded in a week in that weekend. We ended up going a few weeks later in February and enjoyed sitting in t-shirt just below the summit of Buchaille Etive Mor in glorious sunshine having scrambled up a really nice snow slope.

Deaths happen but what is the rate of deaths per participant for mass every running and mass entry cycling events? If anyone knows that then you could have cause to ban cycling if there's more deaths doing that.
mikeonabike
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Re: London Marathon

Post by mikeonabike »

One of the papers ran an article about marathon running being a rather unhealthy form of exercise - obviously strain on joints, but also because it's an extended period of not particularly hard work. Much better to do something more gentle with occasional hard cardio work.

It didn't go on to say that cycling would fit the bill here, but I know I feel much better after a good ride with a few decent hills.
Cyril Haearn
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Re: London Marathon

Post by Cyril Haearn »

Much better to just do a bit of cycling walking running swimming
I guess lots of amateurs try to do a marathon with too little training

I have cycled 100 m(iles) in a day many times but not for years, I would need to train before doing it again, and have the right weather

Could probably manage 100 km tomorrow mind :wink:
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