October 2010 Archives

Hundreds of runners had reason to complain after this year's Birmingham Half Marathon suffered numerous problems. To find out how things could be improved next year I spoke to the Director of Communications,David Hart, of Nova International - organisers of the Great North Run since 1988.

(Although David would not comment directly on this year's Birmingham Half Marathon, he explained how his team approached the challenges of organising long distance races for thousands of people.)

1. The Start

The Problem - After 50 metres the road decreased in width creating a bottleneck that left many competitors walking for more than a minute.

David Hart says - The start is always going to be a big challenge and the key is the availability of space. We start the Great North Run on the central motorway, using up all four lanes.

To avoid a bottleneck after the start we funnel the four lanes into a single lane as runners approach the start line. As soon as they cross the line the road opens out again and people have more space.

Another way to avoid bottlenecks at the start is to set runners off in Waves. The BUPA Great Manchester Race, which we also organise, starts in the city so there's no motorway space available. We set people off in 5 waves, with up to 40 minutes between each wave.

Road Runner says - Maybe the Birmingham Half Marathon could start from the A38 dual carriageway by the University of Birmingham and then make it's way into the city centre? If not, then the "waves" idea seems very plausible.

2.The Finish

The Problem - Hundreds of runners were left queuing at the finish line for up to 10 minutes (see video, above, couresty of Thomas Joyce). Chip times therefore innacurate.

DH says - When people finish long distance races their first reaction is to stop and rest. But we need to keep them moving. Again, the key is avilability of space. For the Great North Run we allow 800 metres for the run off beyond the finish line. We have lots of stewards encouraging people to keep moving. Many of these are on raised platforms so they can see what is going on at the back.

Also, we don't hand anything out for a good distance and we don't ask people to take their timing chips off until the end of the run-off.

RR says - This was the major gripe for runners this year. Many were disappointed that they didn't get an accurate time, others felt dejected by the anticlimax of the finish. On a postive note, this is a problem that can be put right easily and quickly and the Birmingham organisers are already looking at how this could be improved.

3. Runners not in the right pens.

The Problem - People in fancy dress were mixing with serious runners and club runners were left dodging fun runners as people failed to stand in the right timing pens at the start line.

DH says - We've been organising races for more than two decades now and this is always a major challenge. In the end it comes down to trust. You have to hope that people put down an accurate estimated finish time. Obviously making sure everybody has a satisfactory experience is important but health and safety is crucial.
You can't even ask fancy dress runner to start at the back - once a pantomime horse finshed in the top 200 in the Great North Run!

RR says - Birmingham Half marathon organisers can't really be blamed for this one. Runners need to use their common sense and be honest with themselves. There was far too much pushing and shoving as slower runners got in the way of faster serious runners.

4. Water station chaos

The Problem - Water stations were under-manned and poorly signed, creating bottlenecks

DH says - We try to make the water stations as long as possible, sign post them well in advance, and have them really well marshalled. After that it's up to the runners to position themselves to get water.

RR says - Water stations were a mess this year. Again, this could be improved by increasing the number of volunteers, adding more signs and making the stations a bit longer.

5. Chip timing

The Problem - A finish line fiasco meant hundreds of runners could not get an accurate chip time.

DH says - Chip times are very important. Not only do they mean that runners can compare times with their friends and other competitors but it means posting individual results becomes very easy for the organisers. It's a key element of the race.

RR says - If you pay £20+ to run the race you want an accurate gun and chip time. Sort the finish line fiasco out and everyone's happy.

6. Overall

The Problem - Frustration leading to many runners questioning if they will run again next year.

DH says - You have to remember that the Birmingham Half Marathon is still in it's infancy. It's already got 14,000 runners and it's got lots of things right. I'm sure with time and support it will grow and improve.

RR says - Organising a race of this magnitude is extremely difficult. Race organisers and Birmingham City Council got most things right. However, one or two basic errors turned into huge issues. If they can nip it in the bud now, and learn from this experience, I think next year could be a real success. I for one will definitely be entering again in 2011.

It was a case of the good, the bad and the ugly as the EDF Birmingham Half Marathon struggled to handle the increased number of runners this year.

A total of 14,650 registered for the third Birmingham Half Marathon but many were left frustrated as they queued at numeroous bottlenecks throughout the 13.1 mile course.

The elite athletes had no such troubles with Kenya's Enwin Kipyego, who had already won the Bristol and Reading Half Marathons this year, winning in a time of 1 hour 3 minutes.

The women's race was won by GB international long distance runner Susan Partridge, from Leeds AC, in a time of 1 hour 13 minutes.

The wheelchair race was won by Phil Hogg (at the time of writing his official time was not available).

Behind these elite athletes were thousands of runners of all levels - many posting new personal best times and many more raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity.

Everybody who completed the course, which had a particularly nasty uphill at 10 miles, should be very proud of themselves.

The support on the streets, which included more than a dozen live bands, was a fantastic boost to every runner too.

And having Great Britain's Mo Farah, European champion over 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres, starting the race was a real inspiration.

That's the good covered, now let's turn to the bad and the ugly.

With 14,000 people queuing up for the race start one can only speculate what had been going through the minds of the race organisers when they designed the race course in such controversial fashion.

Less than 50 metres after crossing the startline the width of the road decreased by half, forcing hundreds of runners into a bottleneck that took a minute of shuffling to progress beyond.

Most races of this size experience crowding at the start but the level of congestion was so bad that it was not only a hinderance but a danger as fast and slow runners competed for space.

And it got worse as runners reached the Pershore Road. There simply was not enough room for the road to be split into two lanes - one running out to Bournville and one heading back to the finish line.

While I was running I saw people having to run on the pavement - a tactic that puts spectators at risk of being knocked over.

Even worse, some runners were forced to run in the lane which had runners going in the opposite direction.

The flow of runners into the water stations was also poorly organised as runners were forced to jostle for position to grab water bottles from under-manned stations.

But by far the most farcical part of the race was the finish.

As thousands of runners came down the home stretch to the cheers of hundreds of fans they must have been anticipationg that amazing feeling of crossing the line - a culmination of months of training and hard work.

But for anyone who finished in a time of around two to two-and-a-half hours there was a nasty surprsie awaiting.

A queue to cross the finish line saw runners waiting for around 5 to ten minutes before they could complete the course.

After all the hard work and training many had put in, their big moment became a huge anticlimax. I had never seen anything like this before.

You can read the council's response to this here.

However, despite these controversies and frustrations the 14,000 runners who completed the course must be extremely proud of themselves.

You can see full race results here and get them in print in Tuesday's Birmingham Mail.

We have also filmed as many of the runners as possible crossing the finish line. A link to this will be available soon (AVAILABLE NOW HERE)

Congratulations to everybody who ran the race. Let me know how you got on and how much you raised for charity.

As I write there are less than 48 hours until the EDF Birmingham Half Marathon 2010. Here are my final final last words of advice....

The first mile of the race is downhill through the city centre. Most advice you will read will tell you not to go off too fast. But my advice is to hit the first mile hard.

If you look at the course profile you will see that it is largely flat from mile 1 until mile 10 (apart from a short climb in Bournville). Miles 11 and 12, however, are uphill and are going to prove to be a real test.

So, going hard for the first mile, and making the most of the downhill, adrenaline and atmosphere, will give you a nice cushion when you naturally slow down for those nasty miles late on in the race.

Knowing you are ahead of your target race pace when you're struggling up a steep hill can prove to be a real boost - believe me.

A word of caution on this one though. The start is going to be extremely crowded so you'll need to have your wits about you not to fall over other runners or trip them up. Also, make sure you're warmed up. A fast start on cold muscles is asking for a nasty injury.

View Birmingham Half Marathon 2010 in a larger map

A few other bits and bobs for you. Above is a google map of the race, courtesy of Alex Wilmer. In my opinion, it is much clearer than the official maps and certainly much easier to view online.

The race has been very well organised in the past. However, when you leave your bags and belongings at the NIA be sure NOT TO QUEUE.

Last year I was stuck in a queue of around 500 people trying to get into the NIA with just minutes to go until the start. It turned out that we were all just being terribly polite and British and queuing up through one tiny door when there were several large entrances to the hall.

Remember to smile and wave when you cross the line. We'll be videoing every single runner as they finish with the footage being put on this website on Monday.

Good luck, and give me a wave or a shout if you see me on Monday. I'll be in my green Macmillan Cancer Support vest with "Paul" written on the front (You can sponsor me here).

Here's a video of last year's race to whet your appetite.

The Birmingham Half Marathon is approaching, you've done your final training run and now it's time to make sure everything goes swimmingly on Sunday.

Here's some top tips and advice - take it or leave it!

1. Target - whether you're aiming for a personal best, running for charity, or simply aiming to get round in once piece, a goal is pretty important.

Firstly, work out what you want to achieve. Don't set the bar too high as this could lead to a mentally miserable race. But don't set it too low - you don't want to cross the finish line wishing you had tried a bit harder.

I'm aiming to break my 2 hour 5 minute PB. I reckon I'm in the best shape I've been for a few years but I am carrying a slight injury. So I've got three aims which I'll have in my head throughout the race:

Beat my PB, break the 2 hour barrier, finish in under 1 hour 50 mins.

2. Handling the nerves - get this right and you'll have a great race.

Different people suffer from nerves in different ways but I always think that pre-race nerves are just an indication of how much things mean to you personally.

Preparation can help hugely. Have a pre-race plan. What are you going to have for breakfast? What time are you leaving the house? Where are you parking? Where are the toilets?

I've already decided that I'm going to get up at 6.30am, eat porridge and chocolate for breakfast and leave the house at 7.30am. I've also worked out the route I'm driving to Broad Street so that we miss all the closed roads.

3. Keeping warm - This is the thing I find hardest before a big race.

I'll be running in my shorts and MacMillan Cancer Support vest - but that ain't going to keep me warm on the startline if I'm there for ages.

I recommend getting to the startline 10 minutes early (ie 8.50am) after doing a gentle warm up. Then try and hide yourself in a huddle of other runners so you are protected from the wind. Some people where binbags (which you can throw on the floor when you start running) but I think this looks daft. We'll soon get warm when we're running.

If it rains, well, that's just tough luck.

4. Eating - Fuel startegy is important but again differs for everyone.

I will have a pasta meal the night before and then porridge and nutella for breakfast. I'll also pack a few bananas and some energy drink to have when I arrive in Birmingham.

Once running I've got two energy gels to eat. I'm going to have these at the three and nine mile water stations. Hopefully this will keep me feeling good throughout.

5. Drinking - Nearly every sportsman will tell you how important being hydrated is.

Don't have booze the night before and make sure you drink lots of water in the two days preceding the race. Your pee should be clear. If it's yellow then you're dehydrated and it's probably going to make the run feel that bit tougher.

6. The Hills - The organisers have changed the route this year and there's a pretty hard hill between miles 10 and 12.

Personally, I'm allowing an extra two minutes on top of my race-pace to get through these miles.

It's up to you if you leave something in the tank for this. I'm going to see how I feel on the day.

7. Pershore Road - the course is out-and-back and a good seven miles will be along the Pershore Road.

Be warned: It's a long straight road and it can feel like it's never going to end.

Personally, I'm going to play a few mind games in this stretch, mainly based around pace and catching the other runners around me. I find breaking things up into small chunks is a real help.

8. Smile, you're on camera - There's always official photographers and newspaper photographers at these races.

Keep an eye out for them and remember to smile! You may be feeling the pain but looking cool is an essential part of any half marathon.

9. Other runners - This sounds obvious but runners come in many shapes and sizes.

I've lost count the number of times an obese man/pint-sized woman/pensioner/Scooby Doo has overtaken me during a race.

It's frustrating but don't let it affect you. Some people are naturally great runners and you just have to accept it. Others however, are simply inexperienced.

Let them pass you - I guarantee you will catch many of them again before the finish line

10. Enjoy it - when all is said and done only you can decide if it was all worthwhile. So, like I said at the top, work out a goal which is important to you and go for it.

The support in Brum was fantastic in 2008 and 2009. So soak it all up and have fun.

See you at the finish line!

RESULTS NOW IN....AND FREE PICTURES TOO
Find out how you got on here and take a look at the free pix here.

It was wetter than than a haddock's bathing costume, windier than a bean eating convention and muddier than a World War One trench.

But the Bournville Leafy (read rainy) 10k race was a masterful example of Britishness at it's most stubborn.

Perhaps it wasn't quite as bad as I make out above, but the 200 or so runners huddling under two great oak trees must have been wondering why they had left their snug warm beds at 8am.

But, as with every race I've ever taken part in, as soon as the whistle went all that was forgotten and it was down to business.

Let me describe the route to you.

First we negotiated the 400 metre Rowheath mud track, dodging puddles and each other.

Than it was about a 1 kilometre run round the playing field at Rowheath. This time the clever runners were the ones desperately looking for the firmest ground.

Then the first of two 4km loops.

Down a nice long hill and a chance to try and drain some of the water out of the trainers.
Then left into a short wooded trail which was ankle high in mud and peppered with puddles resembling mini lakes.

Then through a housing estate, up a few relatively easy hills (if such things exist), through another sodden field, along a footpath and back out into the park where we started.

That was 6km done - then it was just a case of repeating the 4km lap once more.

Strangely, on my last lap I was overtaken by two Bournville Harriers who were trying to psyche each other out with banter along the lines of "you're legs are heavy" and "you're tiring aren't you?".

I had to laugh as their banter failed to work on each other but nearly stopped me dead in my tracks.

Thankfully, Jesse Malin on my mp3 player drowned out the verbals before my legs came to a complete standstill.

There is a race report on the Bournville Harriers website now.

There were 176 runners in total. Dean Parker won the race in 35:02 with second place Rob Andrew almost 90 seconds back in 36:30. First woman was Lindsay Smith in 42:12.

All in all a cracking race, well organised and a good atmosphere.