Thanet Marathon & Half Marathon

[Andy Carter]

Firstly well done to the team in putting this event on.  Well done to ALL runners that ran either race today, hope you got your times and better.  Unlike myself hope there were no serious injuries, got two week of hyrdo therapy now sort out groin.

Well Done again to Team & Runners

[Ed Heardman]

Seconded - very well done and big thanks to everyone, runenrs, organisers, marshalls and supporters.

oh, no - not good Andy. Hope it all clears up for your trip oop north.

[Nigel Ross-Hunt]

Well, what a day. i was a drinks marshall at Pavs cafe today and i want to thank all of our Juniors who just seemed to  appear from knowhere to help. They were fantastic, like little foot soldiers, off they went handing out bottles, gels, clearing up all the rubbish. Even the local council commented on how clean it was.They didnt stop all day. As for the encouragement they gave to all the ruuners it was superb. Thanks guys, you were brilliant 

[Andy Stevens]

I think I have got photos of all the TRRACies running today.  If anyone wants hi-res versions of their ones let me know your contact details and I'll email them on.  Well done all.

[Rick Ryder]

Crikey where do i start to say thank you?
ED and Sharon top organisation... and to give me number 1 for my first Marathon was a master stroke, any second thoughts.. or doubts about running became history once i saw my entry number!
last minute words of advice from Sharon and Darren the sports science Guru left me in no doubt in my head how to run it... and it all went to plan..only 43 seconds off my expected time calculated from my training of 4hrs 30 eta! I noted Debbie Hatt had a great deal of support in the first half and we had a similer pace.. but at 13 miles her gels must have been shell super unleaded and i watched the tan and the blue vest dissappear into the distance..well done Debbie a well deserved fantastic finish time, you appear to have got everything right.
The most important BIG THANK YOU... to the marshals absolutly fantastic job, i made a point of saying good morning and thank you to everyone as i trotted along and the support was top drawer FROM EVERYONE
Special thanks to my work mate Andy Beaumont who marshaled at the bottom of Minnis Bay slope
WOW what a day.... one more thing to strike off my bucket list.

Rick Ryder...

[Ed Heardman]

Nigel, yes the kids were great, weren't they?! I so wanted to stop and walk, but it didn't fell right to!!

Rick, very well done on your first marathon - you looked like you were really strong at the end! Good on you - I wish I'd run to plan and not got so carried away in the first half! But I can't take the credit for anything - Phil's the main man!

Andy, if you send me 1600*1600 max and up to 5MB, I'll put them on the site for all to see, and then they can let you know if they want the full verison. Sound like a plan?

[Debbie Hatt]

Rick - I have just posted a note in then "general" section so messed up there!  But basically reiterate what you said.   I enjoyed running alongside/in front/behind you!!! for quite a while - your "chirpyness" made me smile - and what a brilliant pace to set for a first marathon - very well done you!!!  Enjoy you glory.  I echo all that you said about the marshals/mini-marshals - if that is what our club will be built on that that is pretty good.  Can't praise them all enough.
Have a good evening everyone, organisers, marshals and runners together!
Debbie x
 

[Sharon Foster]

Well done to all the runners both 'virgins' and old hands!  Challenging conditions and undulations don't make it an easy course!
Loads of lovely comments about the marshals and organisation - TRAC really do seem to put on the best events - a hUGE thanks to all those who helped out

[John Cooper]

I would like to pass on my thanks to Phil for taking on the race again this year and to Sally for letting him. Also a big thankyou to the race committee and all the marshalls on the course during the day. Without all these people then this race really would not surrive. I thought the competitors this year were very apreciative of the support they received and all gave enormous encouragement to others throughout the race.
On a personal note i would like to apologise to all the Marshalls for the length of time it took to complete the course with the last runner and fully support the decision made to withdraw all support from the course at 2:30. Thank you to Phil, Sharon, Mark, Derek, Carol and Oliver who all waited at the finish line for over an hour after the cut off time for the last runner to finish in 7 hours and 3 minutes.
Lets hope that the Quicksand in 2 weeks time is also a success.I am running Tail end Charlie in that race and hope that the pace will be fater than i have just run in the marathon otherwise i will need some flippers and a snorkle to get round.

[Andy Stevens]

Could we have a stricter cut-off time limit in future ?  7 hours to complete a marathon is pretty much walking pace the whole way round.  If people haven't gone past a certain point by a certain time they are pulled off the course ?  I'm not suggesting everyone should be speed-freaks but anything past 6 hours would get caught.

[John Cooper]

I totally agree with you Andy, the time limit needs to be enforced. It needs to be made clear that if they fall behind the time limit pace then support will be withdrawn, including the back marker who will make up time to run with the last runner inside the time limit. If they decide to continue then they do so at their own risk and on finishing outside the 6 hour time limit they will not be entitled to a goodie bag, medal or an official time.

[Rick Ryder]

re live it all again with the superb review and video by Dave Wise...www.trekandrun.com

http://www.trekandrun.com/eventreports/thanetmarathon/page.html

Thanks Dave i have enjoyed your video reviews of Faversham 10k and Ashford 10k please keep it going..

Rick Ryder

[Sharon Foster]

Andy I totally agree too - it did say on the entry form and I believe Derek tried to stop her at half way!  Next year I will make sure it states clearly on the form that anyone not getting half way within 3 hours will be removed from the race! 
Having to to the Oval at 6am I certainly didn't appreciate hanging around and then being told "ooh that was an hour inside my last time" with no word of apology or anything 
I personally blame the London Marathon!

[Ed Heardman]

also agree - I also think the big marathons are responsible. They are all geared up for road closures and support etc all day.
It was an exception - need to go back to 2006 for someone to take longer than 6hrs, and certainly not had anyone over 7 hrs in all the results I can see (back to 2004). Noted for next year, and to be enforced!

[Nigel Ross-Hunt]

Yep, I agree. Especially when runners are walking past you eating ice creams, its not a Sunday afternoon stroll.