What is the most dismal finish of a race which you have done?

6 watchers

Dvorak Dec 2014 3:05pm, 29 Dec 2014 9,468 posts	0 Dvorak A wee while ago, I found myself in Clydebank, a suburb of Glasgow which, in general, looks like it was comprehensively bombed much more recently than the occurrences of WW2. Whilst there, I took a couple of pictures to remind me of a race I ran there in 2011. Participants in the Balloch To Clydebank Half Marathon are bussed from Clydebank to the start at Lomond Shores at the southern tip of the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond. The water stretches out before you, the islands romantically shrouded in mist. And then you run in a generally southerly direction; and finish here: The service road behind the shopping centre. The actual finish is about three-quarters way down the stretch pictured. On a Sunday, it's even less lively than it appears here. As a bonus, here's a picture of the final turn onto the road, out of a dingy underpass, coming from a windswept business park. Any other contenders?
TRO Saracen Dec 2014 3:18pm, 29 Dec 2014 9,881 posts	0 TRO Saracen Not quite the same, but the 5k where I shat myself with about 300m to go and had to go straight through the finish ignoring the medal and barely slowing down (but however noting that I'd finally nailed my sub 20) as I went straight for the loos. 20 minute, 2 bog roll clean up job was a pretty dismal end to a landmark race achievement and PB... I have no photographic evidence either.....
RichHElf Dec 2014 6:26pm, 29 Dec 2014 9,618 posts	0 RichHElf LOLling around at TRO...
McGoohan Dec 2014 6:28pm, 29 Dec 2014 13,766 posts	0 McGoohan Superb. I don't think I can beat this but I'm going for a rummage through my race history
becca7 Dec 2014 6:39pm, 29 Dec 2014 5,922 posts	0 becca7 Can't beat the lovely Clydebank but the Belvoir Challenge, an otherwise superb and scenic race, has a stinking muddy puddle of some sort of effluent in the last half mile. No way round it, so everybody ends with minging shoes.
McGoohan Dec 2014 6:41pm, 29 Dec 2014 13,767 posts	0 McGoohan This is not in the same league but the Elmore 7 is run on quiet lanes in Surrey (but just inside the M25) except at the halfway point where it goes along the A217 for a few hundred yards. Here's a Google Maps screen grab. At least there's a pavement. [IMAGE]
Dvorak Dec 2014 6:42pm, 29 Dec 2014 9,469 posts	0 Dvorak TRO, that's epic. Longer in the bog than you took to run the race. Could have paused for the medal and a handshake, though
Nellers Dec 2014 6:43pm, 29 Dec 2014 29,134 posts	0 Nellers Paddock Wood Half finishes on an industrial estate quite similar to the pictures from Dvorak but it does also start there so the contrast with a scenic start just doesn't occur. The rest of the race is OK, though.
swittle Dec 2014 9:24pm, 29 Dec 2014 32,074 posts	0 swittle Wasn't thinking of that sort of sh!t finish
Derby Tup Dec 2014 10:00pm, 29 Dec 2014 14,010 posts	0 Derby Tup