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Nov 2012
8:43am, 15 Nov 2012
284 posts
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mblnFERCr
Or just too crowded? Your thoughts please
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Nov 2012
8:54am, 15 Nov 2012
48,010 posts
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Puddington
Yeah, no problem  (depends where you start, I guess).
I'm no expert. I've only done it once.
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Nov 2012
9:04am, 15 Nov 2012
18,482 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
I asked similar question of club mates and fetchies recently mbln - I got about 50/50 answers for and against! Mostly the fors were people with GFA or Championship start who were in clear space near front due to being in separate pens. Most people in "normal" ballot and charity starts said that they ground to a halt in first 2 or 3 miles lots of times and no way you could do your best time.
So, like Pudds says, depends where you start, I I think. :-)G
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Nov 2012
9:06am, 15 Nov 2012
18,483 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Also, the one time I did it (admittedly, with a group of 3 we had to weave around quite a lot - I was in Blind Ken's crew, as a guide) it measured 26.8. It's a very wide course so the opportunity to go wide and hence long is significant! :-)G
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Nov 2012
9:07am, 15 Nov 2012
2,794 posts
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longboat
I've started about that pace for the last 3 years from the Red (Charity) start and not found the crowds too bad - huge crowd around the 3:30 pacer, but space either side
1st year was Pen 5, so a bit of a fight in the first mile, last couple of years pen 3, and much easier
Good luck!
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Nov 2012
10:05am, 15 Nov 2012
18,484 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
There's also the argument that being held back in first couple of miles is no bad thing. Most people start off too quickly and lose more time at the end than they "gain" at the start. Start slow and then power through the field once it clears?! :-)G
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Nov 2012
10:06am, 15 Nov 2012
48,012 posts
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Puddington
There is indeed. *applauds Foghorn Leghorn*
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Nov 2012
1:57pm, 15 Nov 2012
2,135 posts
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clare1976
I think it can be and it worked for me to do 3:29 this year. I started in the green start this time, which is smaller and less congested, but it felt quite busy very quickly as we merged with blue start. I have done VLM several times off blue and green and each time have achieved the target I set myself. The first couple of miles can get a bit congested, but as they said ^^^, that can help and I have always found miles 3-4 to be naturally quicker as they are slightly downhill which has compensated for a slightly slower mile 1. Just try to make sure you are in the right start pen, especially if you are on red or blue start - i.e.you should have put sub-3:30 on your predicted finish time to be allocated the right pen.
Come and join the sub-3:30 mara training thread (http://www.fetcheveryone.com/viewtopic.php?id=3235) if it's something you are going for this coming spring - there are a number of us going for sub-3:30's in VLM and other marathons and it's always good to share training / racing highs and lows and advice in the build-up
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Nov 2012
2:03pm, 15 Nov 2012
28,132 posts
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Hills of Death (HOD)
It is if I was fast enough it is my pb course
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Nov 2012
6:03pm, 15 Nov 2012
3,108 posts
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paul the builder
And don't worry about running *enormously* over distance. That just isn't going to happen. If you take a wide line around a 90 degree bend - you don't really add significant distance, just do the sums: If you are 5 metres off the racing line (which is pretty damn wide) you only run about 8 metres further on that bend (pi/2*r). Your Garmin *will* give you a screwy distance in VLM, every time, no matter where in the race you are - because of tunnels and (very) tall buildings. Doesn't mean you ran that distance....
I don't see why it shouldn't be a fast course at 3:30 pace. Although - you would benefit from being a calm individual, prepared to let more stressed folks around you perform sidesteps, bomb up and down kerbs etc. just to stay on their target pace RIGHT NOW URGENT EVERYBODY OUT OF MY WAY. Take your time, save energy, you'll be fine.
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