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18th Jun 09, 02:51 PM
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Real Name: James
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
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2009: 106 miles
Week: 30.19 miles, 3 hrs 47 mins
Year: 472.01 miles, 56 hrs 50 mins
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Fastest half marathon course in the UK?
Does anybody know what the fastest course is in the UK. I'm thinking in terms of profile predominantly. One that is flat and/or has some nice downhill sections that aren't too steep. Thinking of running a half marathon later in the year or early next year and want a nice fast circuit to target a sub 1:20.
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Running Goals for 2010
1. Sub 5 minute mile
2. Sub 17 5k (Done in 16:57)
3. Sub 35 10k
4. Sub 1:20 half marathon
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18th Jun 09, 02:54 PM
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Age: 28
Gender: Male
Location: Scotland.
Site Staff
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2008: 483 miles
2009: 1052 miles
Week: 0.00 miles, 0 hrs 0 mins
Year: 212.34 miles, 27 hrs 33 mins
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I read somewhere that Edinburgh was a fast 1/2 and full course.
O.
__________________
RunnersForum.co.uk running tops and hoodies. - Orders now closed : >> Watch this space<<
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18th Jun 09, 02:57 PM
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Age: 26
Gender: Male
Location: Warwickshire
Site Staff
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2008: 1382 miles
2009: 2004 miles
Week: 40.66 miles, 4 hrs 45 mins
Year: 635.82 miles, 74 hrs 24 mins
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Looking at top UK Half Mara times from last year, Newcastle-South Shields seemed to have been very popular amongst the quick times, so could well be worth taking a look, also a number of very quick times ran at Glasgow...
Check out Ranking List for the best of 2008
__________________
www.richardsimkiss.co.uk
'The minimum requirement to achieve something is to believe that it's possible'
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18th Jun 09, 02:58 PM
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Real Name: Gary
Age: 40
Gender: Male
Location: Cornwall
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2009: 25 miles
Week: 0.00 miles, 0 hrs 0 mins
Year: 0.00 miles, 0 hrs 0 mins
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Bideford is completely flat, except for one brief incline.
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18th Jun 09, 03:03 PM
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Age: 28
Gender: Male
Location: Scotland.
Site Staff
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2008: 483 miles
2009: 1052 miles
Week: 0.00 miles, 0 hrs 0 mins
Year: 212.34 miles, 27 hrs 33 mins
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suprised with glasgow as I heard you started up hill! I guess what goes up, must come down.....
O.
__________________
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18th Jun 09, 03:09 PM
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Real Name: James
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
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2009: 106 miles
Week: 30.19 miles, 3 hrs 47 mins
Year: 472.01 miles, 56 hrs 50 mins
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It's a difficult one to judge. I've seen lists based on times, but these can be quite skewed. For example, Great North Run ranks high for finish time, but that's because you get a lot of elite athletes running it. For non-elites, it's not a good course for a PB because it's so crowded and I don't think the profile is that great. I'm asking for people with personal experience of a super fast course. It may be some minor little race somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Some gem that isn't too well known might be a great course.
Owain, Edinburgh is a fast one. That's the only one I've raced and got my 1:23 on, but I'm sure there must be an even faster course somewhere, because there are some slight inclines on the Edinburgh route near the end. I want flat as a pancake but with some nice down hills.
__________________
Running Goals for 2010
1. Sub 5 minute mile
2. Sub 17 5k (Done in 16:57)
3. Sub 35 10k
4. Sub 1:20 half marathon
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18th Jun 09, 03:15 PM
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Real Name: Gary
Age: 40
Gender: Male
Location: Cornwall
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2009: 25 miles
Week: 0.00 miles, 0 hrs 0 mins
Year: 0.00 miles, 0 hrs 0 mins
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Based on number of runners in the rankings, Bath is the commonest race for fast times, then Newcastle and Reading are almost equal 2nd.
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18th Jun 09, 03:23 PM
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Gender: Male
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2008: 235 miles
Week: 0.00 miles, 0 hrs 0 mins
Year: 0.00 miles, 0 hrs 0 mins
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Cardiff is pretty flat and is in October so usually get good weather for a quick time.
__________________
I run because I don't have to.
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18th Jun 09, 05:14 PM
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Real Name: Grant
Gender: Male
Location: Hamilton
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2008: 46 miles
Week: 0.00 miles, 0 hrs 0 mins
Year: 0.00 miles, 0 hrs 0 mins
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Apart from the hill at the start, Glasgow is fairly flat.
The Balloch to Clydebank half is an extremely fast course - its usually held the first week in March. Alloa may be a bit closer to you though, JB, so you might like to consider that too.
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Sub 1:50 half and sub-4 hour marathon (Thanks, Badz)
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18th Jun 09, 09:30 PM
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Real Name: Pete Matthews
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Location: Warwick, The Shire
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2008: 177 miles
2009: 1876 miles
Week: 0.00 miles, 0 hrs 0 mins
Year: 161.99 miles, 22 hrs 28 mins
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the birmingham one this oct should be pretty quick.. its a new route this year decided for the world champs which looks a lot flatter
http://www.birminghamhalfmarathon.com/raceinfo
__________________
Kenilworth Runners | Doing hill sessions makes you a better person!
Challenged by RichardSimkiss: Sub 40min 10k by the end of 2010
Running is like mouthwash; if you can feel the burn, it's working.
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18th Jun 09, 10:19 PM
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Real Name: Erm, Rob
Age: 39
Gender: Male
Location: Manchester
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2008: 287 miles
2009: 406 miles
Week: 7.46 miles, 1 hr 17 mins
Year: 85.54 miles, 13 hrs 21 mins
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Does this mean I can choose a route with some nice downhills to get closer to my one mile challenge?
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19th Jun 09, 04:31 AM
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Real Name: Badz or James - u choose
Gender: Male
Location: Geneva
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2008: 399 miles
2009: 1006 miles
Week: 0.00 miles, 0 hrs 0 mins
Year: 0.00 miles, 0 hrs 0 mins
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JBBury
I want flat as a pancake but with some nice down hills.
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Is this really the way to target PBs though?
Its clear from your times that you have the ability to go go sub 1h20 on ANY course - just concentrate on the training instead of scouring the country for the 'easiest' course you can find
__________________
Personal '2009' Goal 1 - sub-40 10K | status:39:12 at Carouges 10K - 26/09/09
Personal '2009' Goal 2 - sub-1h30 Half | status: no 'halfs' ran so far in 2009 (well ever in fact )
Personal '2010' Goal - sub-3Hr Marathon - Edinburgh 2010 | status: HELP!
RF Challenge - sub-37 10K & sub 1H27 Half before my inaugural marathon (Edinburgh 2010) (Grant) | status:in progress
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19th Jun 09, 07:51 AM
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Age: 28
Gender: Male
Location: Scotland.
Site Staff
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2008: 483 miles
2009: 1052 miles
Week: 0.00 miles, 0 hrs 0 mins
Year: 212.34 miles, 27 hrs 33 mins
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Would say Alloa is a tough 1/2, you are climbing for quite a bit of the time and then the run along the foot of the hills with a head wind is tough, throw in the hills near the end and I would say there are faster courses out there.
Still a good race though and hope to do it again next year
O.
__________________
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19th Jun 09, 08:18 AM
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Real Name: James
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
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2009: 106 miles
Week: 30.19 miles, 3 hrs 47 mins
Year: 472.01 miles, 56 hrs 50 mins
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Badz
Is this really the way to target PBs though?
Its clear from your times that you have the ability to go go sub 1h20 on ANY course - just concentrate on the training instead of scouring the country for the 'easiest' course you can find 
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You are of course right. It does seem like semi-cheating by just looking for an easy course, but then again a PB is a PB as long as it is a recognised race abiding by national race rules. I wouldn't, for instance, run a course that was entirely down hill. But for PBs I think it is ok to look for something as flat as possible, because it means your ability will determine your time and not the course. My current half pb was a fast course in that it was relatively flat. Don't think I could have run that time on a course with lots of undulations.
__________________
Running Goals for 2010
1. Sub 5 minute mile
2. Sub 17 5k (Done in 16:57)
3. Sub 35 10k
4. Sub 1:20 half marathon
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19th Jun 09, 08:23 AM
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Real Name: Ali's real, Kitten may not be
Age: 36
Gender: Female
Location: Harrogate
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2008: 114 miles
2009: 280 miles
Week: 0.00 miles, 0 hrs 0 mins
Year: 0.00 miles, 0 hrs 0 mins
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Jedburgh half is supposed to be mostly flat and not far from you! Might fit in with your timescale too. Jedburgh Half Marathon
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