GFA - talent, quantity, quality, diet?

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Apr 2012
12:55pm, 30 Apr 2012
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Caterpillar
I would be interested to know what basis they used to get the GFA targets. I hope it is actually based around a percentile of the population acheiving that time rather than manipulating the entry to be the mix they want.
Apr 2012
12:57pm, 30 Apr 2012
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Gobi
Perfect advice indeed Cat :¬)
Apr 2012
12:58pm, 30 Apr 2012
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Fenland Runner
Cat, it seems to me that it is contorted to the mix they want. I would say this but I think the blokes times are the difficult side of tough and the ladies times are the easy side of soft.
Apr 2012
1:06pm, 30 Apr 2012
5,297 posts
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The_Saint
A runner I know who is one of the 12 London "Ever-Presents" and is a stats whizz devised the latest London Good for Age bands as I understand it. Done strictly by analysis of actual Marathon times, not sure what other criteria is correct really. Doing it by feel sounds good but not very scientific is it?
Apr 2012
1:10pm, 30 Apr 2012
5,298 posts
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The_Saint
My mistake, there are now 16 London Ever-Presents everpresent.org.uk
Apr 2012
1:19pm, 30 Apr 2012
20,190 posts
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Velociraptor
How could the number of Ever-Presents go UP? ;)
Apr 2012
1:31pm, 30 Apr 2012
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Maclennane
Strict analysis of the time bands no doubt, but to what end? What distribution are they looking for? If they were looking for the same number of entrants in the 65-70 ategory as the 35-40, I'm guessing they'd let more or less everyone in. Wouldn't it be fairest to have a WAVA rating across the board?
Apr 2012
1:52pm, 30 Apr 2012
47,339 posts
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Gobi
GFA should be tough, would seem pointless to me getting one to then be stuck behind 300 59 years olds who run 4hours 30.

That said I always made it clear that I would retire once I couldn't run 3.15 and I have retired.
Apr 2012
2:43pm, 30 Apr 2012
3,541 posts
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Marts
Gobi - The GFA pens are still time graded based on predicted time. you would be pen 1 on 'fast good for age start'

Since the 'fast good for age' start was introduced for sub 3:15 predicted times in 2009 it works like this.Sub-3 is in front of red start (called 'fast good for age) in Pen 1 and 3-3:15 is same start in pen 2 is just behind it on the same start.

I was pen 1 in 2009 and 2012 and took 15s and 23s respectively to cross start line and then ran 10s and 5s slower in 1st mile than planned pace so able to start running straight away and no negative effects really.

The other GFA pens are at the front of the green start behind the 'celebrities' I was there in pen 1 in 2007 and 2008 and was a bit annoyed to have to weave around a load of fat big brother rejects and the cast of emmerdale (yes I know Tony Aldershaw runs about 3:05 so not including him) who started walking at 200m.

Can't find out how long took to cross the line in 2007 but was 23s in 2008 but after crossing the line I lost 32s in 2007 and 48s in 2008.
Apr 2012
2:55pm, 30 Apr 2012
47,340 posts
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Gobi
Marts - shows I haven't bothered with GFA for a long time as there was no real organisation the one time I used a GFA, the elite start is a far safer option.

About This Thread

Maintained by DeeGee
I've been looking at the GFA times for VLM. I'm a little way off now, but it would be a nice aim. ...

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