Flora Mini Marathon 2011

Oleander

Hi

Has anyone ever done one of these Marathons and if so, what majority are walkers? I'm interested in doing it but I'm not a jogger or a runner, I do walk a lot, and I'm doing it with a few other people who are interested in walking it. I know it says on the website that you can walk it. Has anyone walked it?

BeepBeep67

The vast majority are walkers and joggers - so no issues for you there.

Mr Slow

Oleander wrote: »

Hi Has anyone ever done one of these Marathons and if so, what majority are walkers? I'm interested in doing it but I'm not a jogger or a runner, I do walk a lot, and I'm doing it with a few other people who are interested in walking it. I know it says on the website that you can walk it. Has anyone walked it?

It's 6.2 miles so very walkable.

robinph

Oleander wrote: »

... Marathons ...

AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!




For the 10km that you are on about there are a large proportion of people who will be walking so you'll have no problem if that is your intention. Start from the back with the other walkers so that your not in the way of people who want to run the course, and enjoy yourself.

hollypink

robinph wrote: »

AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!




For the 10km that you are on about there are a large proportion of people who will be walking so you'll have no problem if that is your intention. Start from the back with the other walkers so that your not in the way of people who want to run the course, and enjoy yourself.

Ha I knew people were going to pick up on that word!

But OP, for info, when you sign up for the mini-marathon, you select whether you are a runner/fast jogger/walker. You get a race number with a particular colour and at the start line there are separate 'pens' for the different colours. The stewards tend to be quite strict about which pen you can enter so don't worry, if you're a walker you'll be in with other walkers. As others have said above, there will be lots more walkers than runners.

Just to add that I've taken part a few times and always enjoyed the atmosphere - hope you do too OP!

Oleander

Thank you all for your feedback, I had no issues with walking it until I mentioned it to my partner and he said 'but it's a marathon - most people will be running' so it got me thinking, maybe we'll be in people's way but yes, we will be putting ourselves down as walkers and I tend to enjoy it, whilst earning a little for charity. Thanks again folks.

Oleander

robinph wrote: »

AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!




For the 10km that you are on about there are a large proportion of people who will be walking so you'll have no problem if that is your intention. Start from the back with the other walkers so that your not in the way of people who want to run the course, and enjoy yourself.

What did I say wrong??

Mr Slow

Oleander wrote: »

Thank you all for your feedback, I had no issues with walking it until I mentioned it to my partner and he said 'but it's a marathon - most people will be running' so it got me thinking, maybe we'll be in people's way but yes, we will be putting ourselves down as walkers and I tend to enjoy it, whilst earning a little for charity. Thanks again folks.

It's not a marathon, far from it, the name 'marathon' is used to generate interest in it. It's a 10k!

Enjoy yourself.

RayCun

The mini-marathon is 10k, an actual marathon is 42k, and its an important difference

Your partner is all kinds of wrong, to be honest - the mini-marathon is not a marathon, plenty of people walk it, and quite a few people walk marathons too

robinph

Oleander wrote: »

What did I say wrong??

I know your just quoting someone else in this particular bit, but this:

Oleander wrote: »

... 'but it's a marathon ...

...is wrong.



Don't take offence, just some of us around these parts are a bit anal about people referring to certain distances of races as being a marathon. The Flora sponsored event that you are thinking of doing is a 10km or 6.2 mile event. You not the first, you won't be the last, just laugh at the rest of us for being so petty as to get hot under the collar about such things.

RayCun

lol, three people in as many minutes. I reckon the OP has been told.

Oleander

mrslow wrote: »

It's not a marathon, far from it, the name 'marathon' is used to generate interest in it. It's a 10k!

Enjoy yourself.

Blimey - I didn't give it the name!! Thanks, I will enjoy the mini walk!!

Oleander

RayCun wrote: »

lol, three people in as many minutes. I reckon the OP has been told.

YES, I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE LOOKS OF THINGS!!

hollypink

hollypink wrote: »

Ha I knew people were going to pick up on that word!

But OP, for info, when you sign up for the mini-marathon, you select whether you are a runner/fast jogger/walker. You get a race number with a particular colour and at the start line there are separate 'pens' for the different colours. The stewards tend to be quite strict about which pen you can enter so don't worry, if you're a walker you'll be in with other walkers. As others have said above, there will be lots more walkers than runners.

Just to add that I've taken part a few times and always enjoyed the atmosphere - hope you do too OP!

If you're a slow jogger do you start off with the walkers

Oleander

If this event does generate interest because it has Marathon in it's name then it's all good because most if not all will be raising money for charity. The most I've walked so far in one day is 21km up a mountain carrying stuff so 10km flat walking with no heavy stuff will be no bother. I think my other half was just saying that it will not really be a challenge for me unless I do run it! I've got what I wanted from this thread, sorry if I annoyed you proper runners out there:)

robinph

Oleander wrote: »

YES, I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE LOOKS OF THINGS!!

Please don't think we're being nasty or picking on you.

RayCun

bluewolf wrote: »

If you're a slow jogger do you start off with the walkers

I think you'd start with the joggers, maybe towards the back of that group.

RayCun

Oleander wrote: »

I've got what I wanted from this thread, sorry if I annoyed you proper runners out there:)

Not at all, it's just the whole mini-marathon/marathon thing... we can't help ourselves. It's like being mistaken for being English.

Not that there's anything wrong with being English! But you know the way when you're on holiday and people say "Ah, English!" and you have to immediately correct them...

Oleander

RayCun wrote: »

Not at all, it's just the whole mini-marathon/marathon thing... we can't help ourselves. It's like being mistaken for being English.

Not that there's anything wrong with being English! But you know the way when you're on holiday and people say "Ah, English!" and you have to immediately correct them...

Absolutely no bother at all = but I have actually had enough feedback to answer my original question. Ta.

robinph

<robinph lends RayCun a step ladder to help him out of that hole>

Woundedknee.

Why doesn't anyone whinge when the word Marathon is coupled with Ultra?

robinph

Woundedknee. wrote: »

Why doesn't anyone whinge when the word Marathon is coupled with Ultra?

Well, it is the same issue really as ultra means just as little as mini does. But at least they have done a marathon in the process of doing their random distance event.

hollypink

bluewolf wrote: »

If you're a slow jogger do you start off with the walkers

RayCun wrote: »

I think you'd start with the joggers, maybe towards the back of that group.

Well I think a slow jogger would have to start with the walkers because of the colour of your race number. But they classify a fast jogger as someone who's able to show they are capable of doing 10k in under 100 mins if that helps. It's a couple of years since I entered but IIRC you show that by giving them your result from a previous race (e.g. previous year's mini marathon/ Great Ireland run / Aware run etc.) but I'm not quite sure if that's just runners or not - maybe someone else knows?

http://www.womensminimarathon.ie/race_information/2011_race.93.LE.asp

Timing Chip: All participants will be provided with a Timing Tag and those who enter as Runners or Fast Joggers must wear the Timing Tag. Elite Runners have to produce official results from a race,over the past two years ,showing they are capable of a 10K time under 45 minutes. Other Runners must do likewise to prove a time under 60 mins. Fast Joggers have shown that they are capable of jogging below 100 mins.

HardyEustace

bluewolf wrote: »

If you're a slow jogger do you start off with the walkers

RayCun wrote: »

I think you'd start with the joggers, maybe towards the back of that group.

hollypink wrote: »

Well I think a slow jogger would have to start with the walkers because of the colour of your race number. But they classify a fast jogger as someone who's able to show they are capable of doing 10k in under 100 mins if that helps. It's a couple of years since I entered but IIRC you show that by giving them your result from a previous race (e.g. previous year's mini marathon/ Great Ireland run / Aware run etc.) but I'm not quite sure if that's just runners or not - maybe someone else knows?

http://www.womensminimarathon.ie/race_information/2011_race.93.LE.asp

Um, to be honest, the first year I did it, I was down as a jogger so went into that group.

The vast majority of people were walking. There was a lot of people who obviously had the "oh yeah, I'll train for it" then never did. So if you're planning to run at all then either get there early and get up the front of the jogging group or put yourself down as a runner.

To be honest, while it's a popular event, I wouldn't do it again in a fit, way too many people and way too packed. If you want to walk/stroll around with your pals and have a laugh then it's great. If you want to go out on the lash the night before and wander round hungover then it's great.

If you want to train and participate in a race, find another one.

RacoonQueen

robinph wrote: »

Well, it is the same issue really as ultra means just as little as mini does. But at least they have done a marathon in the process of doing their random distance event.

Random distance event. I like that term.

jb-ski

Woundedknee. wrote: »

Why doesn't anyone whinge when the word Marathon is coupled with Ultra?

You've just given me a great idea; the 'insert Sponsor' Mini-Ultra-Marathon;
something about 13K should do it.

A bit far for you, WK, I would imagine!

and i could walk it for charidee....................:)

(maybe Ultraman would join me)

RayCun

robinph wrote: »

<robinph lends RayCun a step ladder to help him out of that hole>

<goes back to flicking v-signs behind the sassenach bastard's back>

RayCun

jb-ski wrote: »

You've just given me a great idea; the 'insert Sponsor' Mini-Ultra-Marathon;
something about 13K should do it.

oh, you're way behind the times

ThisRegard

I opened that link on a mobile so the browser couldn't fit the full title in the header so to me it read as 'MaxiMarathonKillathon'.

Now that's an event I'd like to be a spectator at !

hollypink

hollypink wrote: »

Well I think a slow jogger would have to start with the walkers because of the colour of your race number. But they classify a fast jogger as someone who's able to show they are capable of doing 10k in under 100 mins if that helps. It's a couple of years since I entered but IIRC you show that by giving them your result from a previous race (e.g. previous year's mini marathon/ Great Ireland run / Aware run etc.) but I'm not quite sure if that's just runners or not - maybe someone else knows?

http://www.womensminimarathon.ie/race_information/2011_race.93.LE.asp

I've not even done a 5k yet and I certainly haven't done a 10k to time myself. I'll go with the walkers and stand in front I suppose

hollypink

bluewolf wrote: »

I've not even done a 5k yet and I certainly haven't done a 10k to time myself. I'll go with the walkers and stand in front I suppose

I think HardyEustace is right actually so if you can, enter as a fast jogger not a walker. You're doing the c25k right? So you're really not a walker!

rainbow kirby

Last year for a runner number (sub-60 mins) you had to prove you had done any race in less than 9:30/mile pace. I couldn't find the results online for my last 10k while I was signing up, so used my 40 minute 5 mile time from the Raheny 5. For the fast jogger numbers, you had to prove you had completed a 10k in under 90 minutes - which some people would have ended up getting by run/walking the Great Ireland Run.

If you get a runner number and can get close to the front, it's a pretty good course for a PB - quite flat and open and the only real hill is Nutley Lane. If it's your first 10k or you're walking, the atmosphere makes it a lot of fun. Otherwise, meh. I'd rather do Cork on the same weekend. I dislike the 10k distance :pac:

Seres

first year i got in , entered the joggers but got a number for the sub 60 minutes on registration by a really sound fella , got their early , just a row or two down from the elites and still managed to get caught behind people walking , couldnt even get between these two people at one stage cause they were holding hand !!!! got a few dirty looks for tryin to pass people that were crawlin along , it was sub 60min for feck sake , ya gotta move it a bit ! fair enough if you want to walk or jog but just pic the right section

shazkea

Seres wrote: »

first year i got in , entered the joggers but got a number for the sub 60 minutes on registration by a really sound fella , got their early , just a row or two down from the elites and still managed to get caught behind people walking , couldnt even get between these two people at one stage cause they were holding hand !!!! got a few dirty looks for tryin to pass people that were crawlin along , it was sub 60min for feck sake , ya gotta move it a bit ! fair enough if you want to walk or jog but just pic the right section

I've done this a few times with different charities as a walker/jogger before I got addicted to running. Many different people advised us that if we weren't interested in chip timing that the trick was to wait along the first bend past the maternity hospital and just join in as soon as the first few runners past! This way they could could skip any queues and the messy start. Hence you get plenty of walkers joining as the first few elites past.

Must add I never did this because I always liked to know how crap my time was but know plenty who did.

Like RK said though it is a good course for a PB but at the end of the day it is a fun run for most.

Mr Slow

Oleander wrote: »

Blimey - I didn't give it the name!! Thanks, I will enjoy the mini walk!!

It's not elitism, for me to run 26.2 miles last year involved 18 weeks of training, lots of pain and several trips to the physio. When I rang my mother to tell her I had completed it she said 'Oh am well done, Susan in work ran a marathon too' turns out Susan ran the women's mini marathon, you can imagine how quickly I educated her.:)

robinph

^ That is seriously bad form if the people from the charities were advising people to do that.

huskerdu

shazkea wrote: »

I've done this a few times with different charities as a walker/jogger before I got addicted to running. Many different people advised us that if we weren't interested in chip timing that the trick was to wait along the first bend past the maternity hospital and just join in as soon as the first few runners past! This way they could could skip any queues and the messy start. Hence you get plenty of walkers joining as the first few elites past.

Must add I never did this because I always liked to know how crap my time was but know plenty who did.

Like RK said though it is a good course for a PB but at the end of the day it is a fun run for most.

If you want to run sub 60 minutes, be prepared to spend the first 2K elbowing your way past walkers holding hands, its a complete mess.

Never again.

HardyEustace

The instances listed above are a few of the many reasons why I will never do this race again.

I think it's a great fund raiser for charity.
I think it does get people who don't do ANY exercise out walking.
I think it's very accessible for people who have no history of racing/jogging/running.

I don't think it's a race to train for if you're serious about running.
I don't think it's safe for a runner as there are so many people who are just CLUELESS about race safety or etiquette.
I don't think it's a suitable race if you plan on going faster than a walk.

A friend of mine ran from the elite section* one year and said that the first 5k consisted of exhausting and frustrating dodging the "bags of monster munch" brigade who were hurtling barriers from the first corner onwards to "avoid the crush".

*[clarification] and was fully entitled to

Mr Slow

robinph wrote: »

^ That is seriously bad form if the people from the charities were advising people to do that.

I think people zone in on the name and while it's a tremendous achievement for someone running the distance for the first time, they should be aware it doesn't resemble a marathon.

shazkea

robinph wrote: »

^ That is seriously bad form if the people from the charities were advising people to do that.

This was never said officially from a charity but more of a tip on the day from loads of people in a wink, wink, nudge, nudge type of way!

HardyEustace wrote: »

The instances listed above are a few of the many reasons why I will never do this race again.

I think it's a great fund raiser for charity.
I think it does get people who don't do ANY exercise out walking.
I think it's very accessible for people who have no history of racing/jogging/running.

I don't think it's a race to train for if you're serious about running.
I don't think it's safe for a runner as there are so many people who are just CLUELESS about race safety or etiquette.
I don't think it's a suitable race if you plan on going faster than a walk.

A friend of mine ran from the elite section* one year and said that the first 5k consisted of exhausting and frustrating dodging the "bags of monster munch" brigade who were hurtling barriers from the first corner onwards to "avoid the crush".

*[clarification] and was fully entitled to

+1000 on both the pros and cons of this marathon (she says stirring!).

But in fairness this race is what got me interested in running so I suppose I can't knock it too much. IMO it's kinda like a stepping stone to a new pastime/lifestyle similar to what the Operation Transformation race is.

rainbow kirby

shazkea wrote: »

IMO it's kinda like a stepping stone to a new pastime/lifestyle similar to what the Operation Transformation race is.

I'd be inclined to agree with that. There's been some talk of it in tLL lately (no thread yet though) - a few people using it as something to get them motivated.

jcsmum

shazkea wrote: »

Many different people advised us that if we weren't interested in chip timing that the trick was to wait along the first bend past the maternity hospital and just join in as soon as the first few runners past! This way they could could skip any queues and the messy start. Hence you get plenty of walkers joining as the first few elites past.
.

Tut tut! :rolleyes:
I have a love/hate relationship with this race. It is a great course and there is a great atmosphere, but it is so frustrating if you are trying to run it... no matter where you start, you will end up having to avoid walkers. I mean last year, I had to jump on a footpath to avoid a group of umbrella holding walkers at about the 9k mark!!!! :rolleyes:

This year, I want to do it, I'll be up the front (horay for me ) but yet, I don't want to do it!

Bubs99

Hi OP,

I did the Flora mini marathon last year for the first time.
Ive always been a walker, never a jogger/runner and i thought it'd be great for my chosen charity (which you can choose ANY whatsoever...even for a relative if ill).

My friend did it with me and we speed walked the whole 10km and made it in 1 hour and 15 mins.

It was a wet, dull day but thousands had so much fun.
Most of the people who do the marathon are walkers and just stroll, we even saw people smoke while strolling...which IMO was inappropriate (due to most charities being cancer ones).

But go do it and have a great day.

GOOD LUCK!

rainbow kirby

Bubs99 wrote: »

we even saw people smoke while strolling...which IMO was inappropriate (due to most charities being cancer ones)!

You'll see a frightening amount of people smoking outside McDonald's in charity t-shirts on Mini-Marathon day :pac:

jcsmum - come down to Cork that day and do the full or half, or else we'll get a relay team together

jcsmum

rainbow kirby wrote: »

jcsmum - come down to Cork that day and do the full or half, or else we'll get a relay team together

If I was to go to Cork, I'd actually prefer to do the full. I'd like to do another marathon before DCM.

jb-ski

shazkea wrote: »

But in fairness this race is what got me interested in running so I suppose I can't knock it too much. IMO it's kinda like a stepping stone to a new pastime/lifestyle similar to what the Operation Transformation race is.

+1
this was the first 10k for lots of my (female!) running buddies, many who are now experienced marathon runners.

rainbow kirby

jcsmum wrote: »

If I was to go to Cork, I'd actually prefer to do the full. I'd like to do another marathon before DCM.

You should totally do Cork - just over 16 weeks to go, loads of time to train and you'll destroy 4 hours.

xebec

rainbow kirby wrote: »

You should totally do Cork - just over 16 weeks to go, loads of time to train and you'll destroy 4 hours.

Oh jees, even I'm getting tempted now! Not sure I've blocked last years race fully out of my mind yet though...

Mr Slow

rainbow kirby wrote: »

You should totally do Cork - just over 16 weeks to go, loads of time to train and you'll destroy 4 hours.

I am interested in this Cork you speak of;) tell me more...

rainbow kirby

mrslow wrote: »

I am interested in this Cork you speak of;) tell me more...

Cork thread hither :pac: