As, apparently, I haven´t been lucky in the London marathon ballot, I´m thinking of travelling to London and take part at Reading half marathon on 6th March. I could leave on Saturday morning and come back on Monday morning from Gatwick for only 48 euros. I´ve read the course is quite flat.
Why don´t you open a new thread, Andy, and tell us something about your local half? For instance, the course, the atmosphere, the weather, the lodging, etc. I´ve read your report on 2003 half marathon but I think the course is new.
Nestling in the foothills of... the Chilterns, the picturesque Berkshire town of Reading is rightly famous for its annual half marathon...
OK, more seriously...
Reading is a somewhat middle-of-the-road town about 40 miles west of London. It's not especially beautiful, and history doesn't have a lot to say about the place. It's probably most famous for its association with Oscar Wilde who was incarcerated in Reading at the turn of the 20th century, where he wrote his famous Ballad Of Reading Gaol.
I live about 6 miles away, so it's my nearest half marathon, and a pretty good race it is too. It's big - usually about 10,000 runners - and takes place entirely in the town. This is one of the reasons I like it. Nice though it is to run in the country, I sometimes feel that race organisers send runners out into the sticks for a few miles in much the same way that parents send their kids into the garden to play for a few hours. Get rid of them for a while.
Crowd support and general atmosphere is very good, and it really feels like a big event - one of the reasons why so many people do it in preparation for the London Marathon in April. Quite a few first-timers do it, as well as the usual top Kenyans, so there's something for everyone.
I've done it twice. In fact, it was the first race I ever did (in 2002). Yes, the route has changed since then. Or, to be more accurate, the route itself isn't actually that different, but the start has moved to a different point on it, on the outskirts of the town, and the finish is now in the new Madejski Stadium, home of Reading Football Club.
It's not absolutely flat, but there are only a couple of small hills. Undulations really. Could definitely be a PB course. This is what the website says:
2004 saw the introduction of a flatter, faster course which is unchanged for 2005. The route starts at South Reading Leisure Centre on Northumberland Avenue.
The course is fairly flat and there are only two notable climbs - one from Whitley Wood Road to Shinfield Road at 1.0 mile and the other at Russell Street (6.75 miles). The rest of the route is generally down hill or flat, and after descending Coley Avenue (8.8 miles) the route is almost entirely flat and fast as it passes along the A33 and around GreenPark.
As you leave GreenPark it's just a short hill up to the Madejski Stadium and into the tunnel to the finish in front of the stands.
It's a bit pricey at £19.50 for non-affiliated runners but you get a decent medal and goody bag, plus chip timing, sports drinks etc.
Weather? Well, early March is likely to be very cool but not wintry. Pretty much ideal running weather in fact.
Lodgings? We'll sort something out for you, Antonio. Would be good if you could make it over. Heathrow Airport is much closer than Gatwick, though it would almost certainly cost more to fly there.
Hi Antonio
There's also a report on that 2003 race on page 3 of my training diary (post no. 18).
I set a PB there, although I improved on it the following week at Bath. I won't be running in Reading this year, since I'm doing Bath and I've decided not to run two half marathons in two weeks again.
A little bit severe perhaps, though it's true that the starting point in those days wasn't terribly salubrious. Nowadays it's moved to Whitley Wood which isn't much better, it has to be said.
It's true that it's not the prettiest of races but it has its compensations.
As soon as I remember what they are, I'll post them....
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
In fact there is a direct train service from Gatwick to Reading, with trains once an hour. The journey takes about an hour and a quarter, and you can buy a special airport return ticket. You must ask especially for this and show your air ticket to qualify.
This should get you a return train ticket, valid for up to 30 days, at a cost of 12 pounds. If you don't ask, they will happily sell you two single journeys, for about twice the money....
Thank you very much for the information, Andy and Nigel. I´ve already booked the flight to Gatwick on Saturday. It´s a pity you won´t be able to come to Reading, Nigel. You could take it as a sort of training for Bath and help us do our PB in Reading.
It´s incredible the amount of people who will run Reading half. In Almería the number of particpants is much lower, just around 600.
I´ve already booked the flight. It´s really cheap 54 euros included the 6 euro commission for the credit card. Is it advisable to get an insurance for the flights?
Are there any good pastry shops over there? I expect we´ll have tea on Saturday afternoon there. We´ll need a lot of carbohydrates.
My idea is to go back on Saturday afternoon to London, go sightseeing and take a train or coach to Gatwick late since my flight leaves at 6:20 am on Monday. So, I´ll get to Almería to start lessons at 10:45 am since can change with a colleague my 9:25 class to 12.55 pm. It´ll be really amazing.
Regards
Antonio
PS. It would be great if some more forumites could go to Reading.
That's a shame. 13:05 might be pushing it. I was going to collect you and offer you a superb afternoon of spectacular sport at Queens Park Rangers FC. Coincidentally, they're playing Reading that day. But the match starts at 15:00, which might make getting there in time a bit difficult, given that your plane might be late.
Alternative possibility is to meet up in London after the game and do some carbo-loading.
That's an early start on Monday. Where are you thinking of staying? I'm just wondering if it might be a good idea to stay in the Reading area on the Saturday night, then somewhere near Gatwick on the Sunday night to make sure you get your plane.
So a possible scenario is:
Saturday, arrive Gatwick, get train to London. Eat cakes all afternoon. Meet me in London late afternoon. Drive to Reading, carbo-load, get you in a hotel.
Sunday: collect you, do the race, come round here for a shower and more cakes. Sometime in the evening, get you on the Reading - Gatwick train.
No need to book accommmodation just yet but this is a possible plan.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
I think I´ll take the train to Reading from Gatwick airport and go to the hotel in Reading. What do you think about the Madjeski hotel? There´s an offer for half marathon participants, 60 pounds a single room with breakfast included. It must be very near the finish. Then, when the match is over, we could meet and have tea or dinner. Then, on Sunday afternoon, I´d like to go to London and take a late coach or train to Gatwick to rest a little there because I don´t want to risk missing the plane if I stay at a hotel on Sunday night since my plane leaves at 6:20 am.
It´s a pity we can´t watch the football match together but anyway we can have a good time afterwards and on Sunday. It would be wonderful if other forumites could also come with us.
I don't know much about the Madejski Hotel, to be honest, except that it's by the Madejski Stadium, which is where the race finishes, and not too far from where it starts. It's modern because the stadium is modern, and I know that a lot of the runners are staying there. The drawback is that it's some way from the town and the station.
So all things considered, I'm sure it would be fine.
The details can be decided later, but you might prefer to meet up with me in London on Saturday and I can drive you back to the "MadStad" as it's called round here. It's a bit out of the way. We'll talk about that nearer the time. Perhaps you might want to book the Mad Hotel first, and we'll talk about this other stuff later. I think you have to quote the race to get the special rate.
Let me know how you get on. If the hotel is full, there are plenty of good alternatives, and I'll look after the transport, so don't worry about that.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
It would be great if you could come, Griff. You can take your daughter to the race and she could take part at the 4 km race called "GreenPark challenge" open for anyone over 10 years old.
I haven't forgotton the Hogweed race, Griff, but it's going to be hard for me to do it. I'm committed to the Reading half, and the Silverstone Half is a week later. I'm supposed to be organising another coach to Silverstone so it seems likely I'll run it. Then it's the Hogweed a week after that. Can't do 3 in a row. 2 in a row is pretty stupid.
But I'll definitely aim to get over for the Hogweed 10K in May again if they run it (though Monday night was a strange time to choose....)
Why are you laid up Nigel? Sorry if you've mentioned this already. Are you injured?
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
Antonio, there are (or were) two good reasons for staying in Reading. Firstly, Wadworth's 6X beer is (or was) available in some pubs in the wooden cask version. Secondly there's a Fuller's pub with a Thai restaurant in the town centre by the river or canal (surely Andy knows it - don't know if it's still the same though).
If your return flight is so early, you'd be best off spending Sunday night in one of the hotels in Gatwick. Even if they are soulless. The bigger ones have minibus services to the airport.
Riazor Blue Wrote:Antonio, there are (or were) two good reasons for staying in Reading. Firstly, Wadworth's 6X beer is (or was) available in some pubs in the wooden cask version. Secondly there's a Fuller's pub with a Thai restaurant in the town centre by the river or canal (surely Andy knows it - don't know if it's still the same though).
If your return flight is so early, you'd be best off spending Sunday night in one of the hotels in Gatwick. Even if they are soulless. The bigger ones have minibus services to the airport.
There's no shortage of good eateries in the area. I might even knock up a cheeky little egg and chips for him myself if Antonio is such a gourmand. But it's his apparent enthusiam for 6X in cask that's surprising. (Will he know what we're talking about? Surely not.)
Seems Antonio is planning on spending Sunday night at the airport itself. I'm sorting him out some accommodation for the Saturday night.
El Gordo
Great things are done when men and mountains meet.
