Sub-4hr marathon support and celebration thread
181 watchers
5 May
8:36am, 5 May 2025
7,334 posts
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Shades
@Velociraptor not sure why I'm on this thread, imposter 🤣 But there are some steep cambers on DD so that's also something to bear in mind with shoe choice. I don't run in carbon plated shoes but I know Big G commented about some runners' choice of shoes when they were wearing their VF's. Big G and Ian both wear carbon plated shoes for marathons and they've both run DD so might be worth asking them about shoe choice. |
5 May
8:47am, 5 May 2025
75,212 posts
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Velociraptor
Thanks, @Shades  My old knees are squealing at the thought of cambers. I'm thinking, cushioning, but nothing fancy that will make descents feel unstable.
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5 May
8:48am, 5 May 2025
75,213 posts
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Velociraptor
(I'm an impostor on here too nowadays.)
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5 May
8:57am, 5 May 2025
7,335 posts
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Shades
@Velociraptor you have run several sub 4's so you are not an imposter. Pop the question to Ian and Big G on my thread re shoes. I like a well cushioned shoe and have elastic laces which I find very helpful with steep cambers, avoiding that potential blister or hot spot. |
5 May
9:09am, 5 May 2025
4,903 posts
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Big_G
Shades/Velo, yeah, I personally wouldn’t wear plated shoes for DD but have for fast attempts at marathons. Not sure if it’s too late Velo, but for DD the downhills are a consideration for your toes (if your feet move forward in the shoes going downhill) as you struggled a bit with Belfast. I actually went half a size up and also a wide fit for my last attempt at DD, and I was going to do the same this year, but that’s just me - not sure if others do that. I’m the same that I valued cushioning and comfort really - comfortable both when running and when (fast) walking. Reality is everyone except maybe the first few at the front of the race will be walking the big climbs at DD and for me, plated shoes aren’t easy/comfortable/stable to walk in on the flat, let alone the hills. I worked it out one time and there are only a few hundred metres of flat in DD - it’s either up or down, to varying degrees and again, for me, that type of profile doesn’t work with plated shoes. But we’re all different. If you do have a pair of shoes that feel a bit more roomy in the toe box though and are comfy, possibly consider those.
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5 May
9:49am, 5 May 2025
75,216 posts
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Velociraptor
Thanks, @Big_G The shoes I wore yesterday were nominally "half a size up" but clearly a smallish model since my toes took a hammering. I think the only non-plated road shoes I've got stashed are Lunaracers and Pegasus 38s. I feel a shopping trip looming.
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5 May
12:08pm, 5 May 2025
1,973 posts
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Fenners-Reborn
From memory, the first half of the Dartmoor Discovery course has some really short sharp descents/ascents. As I'm a heavy old git, I'd want some cushioned shoes for that race. Again, from memory, the second half is slightly kinder, still bumpy but less sharp.
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5 May
12:28pm, 5 May 2025
4,906 posts
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Big_G
I always think of it as the first half marathon is mainly downhill, except for one sharp climb. Then from 13-32, it’s mainly uphill….but also with some sharp uphills and down hills One down hill is too steep for me to run down
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5 May
12:30pm, 5 May 2025
1,979 posts
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Fenners-Reborn
@Big_G I'm just so lucky I was able to recce the course, an out and back to Dartmeet from Ashburton, so that I was prepared on the day. That would have been some shock
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5 May
12:54pm, 5 May 2025
4,907 posts
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Big_G
Fenners, I remember one time overhearing a conversation. Ultra runners know to walk the hills I think (not that I’ve got much experience at all of ultras), but I remember overhearing some people saying ‘oh, here’s a hill, let’s walk it’ and I was thinking ‘urrrm, this isn’t a hill…it’s just a slope’. I would imagine they had to recalibrate what their perception of ‘a hill’ was at some point during the race. Shades will know this as I’ve mentioned it elsewhere before, but one year I was timekeeping at the marathon point, which is the final check point, which was a great spot. It was amazing seeing how different people react - the front runners go through as if it’s nothing. That year, the leader went through in around 2hr45, looking like he was jogging, which is crazy; he still has the course record of 3:29 from that year. Others sprint through, some don’t acknowledge it, whilst I think there is a relief for many and a reason to celebrate, knowing they’ve made the final cut off and now ‘just have to finish’ to get a finish time and medal. In terms of who to look out for Velo, Naomi F is a local runner (Torbay Tri, but I don’t think she wears club kit often). She was less than a minute outside of the course record last year, and she’s back this year. She did 2:59 at Newport this year for 3rd, but she has gone quicker than that in the recent past. Also, the lady who took my place this year has some pedigree (putting it mildly), but I’m not too sure if she’s at the sharp end in road ultras as she looks to be mainly a trail ultra runner. But she has a very good race CV! nationalrunningshow.com |
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