Londoners Help (Marathon Day)
 

Hi all..... Long time....

The O/H is running the marathon on Sunday and I'm looking to make the most of the day... see as much of the course as possible, be at places that I can be seen.... etc. etc...

I've never been down to see the race before and thought you guys might be able to help with some prime locations so that I can get the most our of it?

Plan is to drive down to Ruislip on Saturday and get the tube to London Bridge where we're staying then head to Excel to register.

On the Sunday the plan is:
To the start in Greenwich Park,
Walk up to Cutty Sark area,
Through the Pedestrian tunnel and go to Mudchute area.
Then try and get a boris bike and go to various points along the route back to Buck Pal.

Any comments on whether this is a good / bad idea? Will there be Boris' available or are they likely to all be taken?

Suggestions for places after Mudchute?

Thanks in anticipation.

MTH

Re: Londoners Help (Marathon Day)
 

Not sure about the bike idea, my wife ran it in 2012. It gets pretty busy. We, me and my father in law tubed it about. As you get nearer to the end it all gets very mental. Sod having a bike to deal with.


It is however very quiet round by Canary Wharf, which is were we started, that year the race looped round a few of the buildings, so we could wave then run through the building to catch her on the other side!


Sorry not a real Londoner so not much help. Have fun.

Re: Londoners Help (Marathon Day)
 

Around the 18 mile mark, in and around Canary Wharf is the best place to watch. You can watch them go one way and hop across the road/around the corner and see them after you've done 400m and they've done another 5 miles. Once the runners start coming through it's not really possible to cross the roads, So keep in mind where the tube stations are and how you get to them.

Don't go to the start - you won't see anything and getting anywhere else will be a major PITA

Get their runner number and track them on the website on your smart phone. Either shout encouragement or take their pic - they go past so fast you won't be able to do both. And you don't want them to stop for a chat.

arrange a meeting point after that's away from the finish. If they're running for a charity most big charities have meeting points near the end.

Oh and forget the Boris bike - the place is heaving and with all the road closures you'll not get anywhere.


It's surprisingly emotional and something everyone should go and see. Well worth it!

Re: Londoners Help (Marathon Day)
 

I didn't notice this morning, but with the road closures and extra people on the pavements, they quite often take all the boris bikes away during these events in any case

Glad I'm finishing work at 5am Sunday morning, need to get out of the City before they start closing roads at 6!!!

[edit] Had a look at the Boris bike racks as I rode down Embankment this morning, it would appear they are taking all those bikes away, only a few were in the racks, I guess they're the ones people have returned as a lot of the racks were empty