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The sub 2.45 marathon thread

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damo_HAC Apr 2024 9:53pm, 21 Apr 2024 657 posts	Quote Pin damo_HAC Excwllent work AJLB, you must be super pleased.
Chrismean Apr 2024 4:31pm, 23 Apr 2024 76 posts	Quote Pin Chrismean Thank you! Was a magic day. Was excited to be in the champs start, even if the toilet situation was not as glorious as I’d hoped…! damo_HAC wrote:Best of luck Chrismean, I'm sure it will be a great experience for you.
Stokesy Apr 2024 10:35pm, 24 Apr 2024 194 posts	Quote Pin Stokesy Champs pen has really gone downhill in recent years, I thought it was shocking this year. About 10 portaloos with a 45 minute queue, poor ladies were giving up and going along the fence behind them in full view of the public walking by over the common in the end as some jumped little Nazi ‘volunteer’ started screaming and shouting at everyone left still waiting at 0950 to get on the road or get locked in the pen and miss the start. The tent has been shrinking every year too - was good for about 12 people by the look of it. Really disappointing experience which is such a shame because once the gun goes and you get rolling there’s nothing that comes close to London. The organisers need to be better. I’m going to Manchester next year - fuck ‘em!
Chris Apr 2024 9:10am, 25 Apr 2024 1,754 posts	Quote Pin Chris Sounds like I was lucky to miss out on champs this year. Blue Wave 1 was perfect, no queues for toilets and plenty of space. Only downside was getting through the champs runners in the first couple of miles caused some issues.
larkim Apr 2024 9:22am, 25 Apr 2024 23,914 posts	Quote Pin larkim Do they publish separate results for the champs entrants? I can see "elite" and "mass" on the official results website, but nothing that separates outs the champs entrants.
Chris Apr 2024 10:28am, 25 Apr 2024 1,755 posts	Quote Pin Chris They are included in the mass list
larkim Apr 2024 12:05pm, 25 Apr 2024 23,916 posts	Quote Pin larkim That seems a shame; they should be able to distinguish between the champs and the masses to make the champs race "special". I know it's unlikely, but if a mass start UKA registered runner placed highly compared to champs starts runners, presumably they'd not count as they weren't bound by the vest / socks vetting that the champs start is meant to preserve.
Stokesy Apr 2024 10:47pm, 26 Apr 2024 195 posts	Quote Pin Stokesy Champs runners get a stripey number and seemingly less toilets, as far as I can tell that's the only difference. They're not that precious on the club vest rule anymore, I think they'd scrutinise the kit if a runner won an individual or team medal but as you say, that's pretty unlikely! Unpopular opinion here but I think they need to review the qualifying standards again. There are so many more people running quick times these days compared to my first London 10 years ago - my time then got me home 100th, this year the same time was only good enough for 300th!
larkim Apr 2024 10:04am, 27 Apr 2024 23,934 posts	Quote Pin larkim Would make some sense to have say champs quali (mens) sub 2:30, but then have age group champs times too. And set them off with the elite, and a 10min gap before the masses / GFA runners start. And also do the same for the women, with sat sub 2:45 being the cut off (that might be too small a field though, so maybe 2:55?). Might cause some congestion for the male elite racers, but I think men have enough things their own way. At the moment the outstanding female runners get completely lost in the mass of men finishing 2:30-2:50.
Chris Apr 2024 10:32am, 27 Apr 2024 1,757 posts	Quote Pin Chris Funny you should mention the vest rule, I’m pretty sure the guy dressed as Santa had a championship start number