Silverstone half-marathon

[jvlepkowicz]

I enjoyed running the half-marathon yesterday. It was my first time and I was impressed with the time that I had finished in 2:04. I learned something from yesterday as well. Where I stood before the race was the section marked 2:00 to 2:30. When the race started, I was surprised to pass the starting line and see the clock had already had 2 minutes and change already on it. I think that if I were in the front that I may have finished the race under 2 hrs. I would have thought that the clock would have started after everyone had passed the starting line but then that would have not given the correct time to those who were in the front of the line. What will happen to those timing chips that were on our shoes? Will those chips give the correct time and will they be posted on the london-marathon web page? Unfortunately, I will not be running in the london marathon but I will be doing it in Scotland in June. I wish all of you who will be running the "Big Race" next month the best of luck and I'll be watching it on tv.

john

[El Gordo]

Hi John

Welcome to the forum, and nice to meet you yesterday.

I just mailed a reply to you, but I'll repeat it here.

You shouldn't start at the top of the field when you run a race with a champion chip. The use of the chip in your shoe is designed specially to get an accurate time, wherever you start. Your chip, and therefore your race time, begins only when you cross the mat on the start line, regardless of whether it takes you 30 minutes to reach the start.

So the good news is that I looked up your time (at http://194.77.28.97/2005/silverstone/list.php) and see that in fact you did 2:02:05, which is a great run, and even better than you thought.

The clock starts when the gun goes off, so it stands to reason that if it takes 2 minutes to reach the start, you'll pass it when it says 2 minutes. All it means is that you have to take the 2 mins off at the end of the race. Though with a chip, it's done for you.

The main point is, you did the right thing to start where you did. If you start further up, you'll annoy the faster people who will have to overtake you.

Cheers

Andy

[Angela]

I too ran at Silverstone, when I crossed the finish line the clock said 1:56. But if you go the marathon web site and enter the half marathon link it has got offical times. I finished in 1:54:52 which I am very pleased with.
I hope this helps.

Angela

[jvlepkowicz]

When I start at the back how should I run to avoid wasting alot of time passing the slower runners? I thought about that also after sending my first comment about the timing.

[El Gordo]

If you're starting at the back, you will, by definition, be passing a lot of slower runners.

Why not start a bit farther forward...?

[El Gordo]

Sorry John, I didn't mean to sound flippant, but I just mean, if you're a 2 hour runner (as you evidently are) then you shouldn't start at the back. For an event like Silverstone, about half way would be right.

Unfortunately a lot of people do start in areas faster than they should be. Sometime it's not deliberate. It's not always clear where they should be, or people may not know what time they're going to do.

Don't be tempted to start too near the front, or you'll simply be committing the same offence that you understandably are complaining about.

Do you have another race planned?

[Sweder]

to all Silverstone finishers, but especially to Andy who, at this rate, will be keeping up with the amazing Paula some time in 2007. I can't believe I actually miss Silverstone, but reading your accounts of the race definately stirred the green-eyed monster.

Well done all.

[jvlepkowicz]

Sorry John, I didn't mean to sound flippant, but I just mean, if you're a 2 hour runner (as you evidently are) then you shouldn't start at the back. For an event like Silverstone, about half way would be right.

Unfortunately a lot of people do start in areas faster than they should be. Sometime it's not deliberate. It's not always clear where they should be, or people may not know what time they're going to do.

Don't be tempted to start too near the front, or you'll simply be committing the same offence that you understandably are complaining about.

Do you have another race planned?

Andy,

I have the marathon in san diego coming up in june. i'm working on trying to beat my time of 3:48 that i set in rome. not bad for a first timer. i'll be working at trying to get my time down to 3:15 to qualify for boston. take care of yourself.

john

[El Gordo]

Wow, that is some improvement, going from a 2:02 half marathon to a 3:48 marathon in less than a year. Well done. Looks like "Hello Boston" for you.

Good luck in San Diego. That's the Rock n Roll Marathon, isn't it? It's one of those that I would really like to do sometime. Will probably never get round to it though. Could be a little warm I would have thought, though it sounds like a great event. You might meet the great Ozzie Gontang too.

Let us know how you get on.