Laps for the marathon 2012

[Daisy]

Just saw an article describing the London 2012 marathon course as having three laps to maximise spectator participation. Has this been done before? I recall the olympic trials in central park was two laps with spectators getting quite a few chances to see the race. This sounds like a good idea to me.

[gh]

Haven't seen that done since.... oh.... Sunday! :-)

[Daisy]

Haven't seen that done since.... oh.... Sunday! :-)

Obviously I missed that! ops:

[nevetsllim]

I really don't like the course at all. It's not particularly spectator or athlete friendly because it's so twisty and undulating and quite narrow on certain parts of the course.

[midnightsun]

Re: Laps for the marathon 2012

I recall the olympic trials in central park was two laps with spectators getting quite a few chances to see the race. This sounds like a good idea to me.

If you're referring to NYC '07 it was actually 4loops in Central Park. Each loop is almost exactly 10km

[Daisy]

I really don't like the course at all. It's not particularly spectator or athlete friendly because it's so twisty and undulating and quite narrow on certain parts of the course.

Do you have a link for the course?

[gh]

Ever since I announced a walk World Cup for the IAAF back in the early '90s, on pure road courses, with a central start/finish point and then walking through a popular public area, I've been telling IAAF people they needed to do that at the Worlds.

NYC did it for men's OT marathon in Central Park in the fall of '07, I think to large critical acclaim.

The scene at the Brandenburg Gate for all 5 of the road races was absolutely wondrous in Berlin. A criterium case not feasible for a mass marathon with 10s of thousands of runners, but for less than 100 people in a championships race it's, IMHO, the ideal format.

Seb was apparently quite impressed with how it came off and plans for London are now said to be quite firm with running it by Buckingham Palace and in The Mall.

The "party atmosphere" at the Gate was palpable, with the German emcee working the crowd (as he apparently does at teh Berlin Marathon) very well.

At one point during the women's marathon, he had one of the two small seating areas singing, "That's the way I like it" and the other side would then chime in with "uh huh, I like it" etc., etc. KC & the Sunshine Band live!

[Daisy]

Re: Laps for the marathon 2012

If you're referring to NYC '07 it was actually 4loops in Central Park. Each loop is almost exactly 10km

Yes , that's the one. More laps than I remembered but the concept is great. Really good to get the crowd involved.

[Powell]

At one point during the women's marathon, he had one of the two small seating areas singing, "That's the way I like it" and the other side would then chime in with "uh huh, I like it" etc., etc. KC & the Sunshine Band live!

Actually, it was the spectators standing around the course who did the singing. Those sitting areas were only for the teams.

But I have to agree the whole experience was very fun. I had a good walk around the course, walking the opposite way to where the runners were going, so I would see them every twenty odd minutes, and then made it back to the Brandenburg Gate in time for the finish. There were lots of people standing all along the course, and the runners were getting good support all along the way. And the atmosphere for the finish was really great.

[nevetsllim]

I really don't like the course at all. It's not particularly spectator or athlete friendly because it's so twisty and undulating and quite narrow on certain parts of the course.

Do you have a link for the course?

I don't, I'm afraid. This is just my impression from watching the Bupa London 10,000 on the TV (which will be the lap used in 2012).

[midnightsun]

The one thing that sucked that day in NY (well, apart from Shay's death obviously) is that the weather was horrible, wind gusts and blistering cold, and many people didn't show up (I remember I thought it would be neat to go watch the trials but decided to stay in bed having seen the conditions). Quite the opposite the next day when the regular marathon took place.

[Daisy]

This is just my impression from watching the Bupa London 10,000 on the TV (which will be the lap used in 2012).

Just found the BUPA course. Their web site states:

The BUPA London 10,000 is presented by the London Marathon and is run on the course likely to be used for the 2012 Olympic Marathons.

You're right that there do seem to be a lot of tight turns.

[rasb]

Triathlons have done a good job of using laps to increase the spectator's
ability to follow the races. Cross-country, of course, started this years ago.

[KevinM]

The one thing that sucked that day in NY (well, apart from Shay's death obviously) is that the weather was horrible, wind gusts and blistering cold, and many people didn't show up (I remember I thought it would be neat to go watch the trials but decided to stay in bed having seen the conditions). Quite the opposite the next day when the regular marathon took place.

The forecast was rough for the OT in Central Park, but in reality the morning brought perfect running weather. The trees in CP shielded almost all of the wind, and the forecasted heavy rains never materialized. You should have come out -- it was a great atmosphere.

[gh]

At one point during the women's marathon, he had one of the two small seating areas singing, "That's the way I like it" and the other side would then chime in with "uh huh, I like it" etc., etc. KC & the Sunshine Band live!

Actually, it was the spectators standing around the course who did the singing. Those sitting areas were only for the teams.....

Well, if you want to get realllly precise (I was just painting a simple general picture), the seating areas were for teams, press, VIPs (anybody wearing a credential). And they heartily joined in the proceedings.