Great North Run



I'm a 19 stone, 56year old biffer. Started in the last pink block. Jogged the first 7km without a break other than dodging lots of walkers. After that it was a jog/walk to the end. Mostly jogging. My 5k splits were pretty even. 36, 39, 48, 49.

I shuffled along with the walking dead from mile eleven to twelve and finished in 3hr 1minute. First time I've done it for 8 years, tenth time I've done it in total. Enjoyed every minute of it and I'm going to apply next year. I'm even going to do a bit more training.

GNR isn't about PB hunting unless you are up in the elites. It's a social event made up of experience tickers who just want to do it once. If you want to brag about how fast you can do a half marathon, choose a different event. My pb is 104 minutes achieved 32 years ago, it's a meaningless number.

Enjoy it for what it is and let the shufflers and walkers enjoy it too.

Great North Run...surely the clue's in the name??
 
Great North Run...surely the clue's in the name??
If you want to go down the literal, pedantic, definition where do you stop?

What makes it Great?
Is a latitude of approximately 59 degrees north sufficient to constitute North?
What is the definition of run?

Why are people in wheelchairs allowed as they do not run?

It is only a race for the elites.

For everyone else it is an experience.
 
If you want to go down the literal, pedantic, definition where do you stop?

What makes it Great?
Is a latitude of approximately 59 degrees north sufficient to constitute North?
What is the definition of run?

Why are people in wheelchairs allowed as they do not run?

It is only a race for the elites.

For everyone else it is an experience.

What makes it Great? - It's history and the amount of money it's raised. The fact it's the biggest half marathon in the world and attrracts runners from across the globe.
Is a latitude of approximately 59 degrees north sufficient to constitute North? - Yes
What is the definition of run? - Move at a speed faster than a walk, never having both or all the feet on the ground at the same time.
Why are people in wheelchairs allowed as they do not run? - Thye run in their own way. You don't see any of them just sauntering along or being pushed.
It is only a race for the elites. - I would disagree.

I've never done it (and probably never will) - however I can totally understand people's frustrations when people enter into a run and don't actually run. I'm sure there may be a lot of folk who would intend on running the course missing out on a place due to others whose only intention was to walk around and have an experience. I'm not knocking you personally as you made all the efforts to run around. It's just the whole walking thing doesn't sit right with me.
 
What makes it Great? - It's history and the amount of money it's raised. The fact it's the biggest half marathon in the world and attrracts runners from across the globe.
Is a latitude of approximately 59 degrees north sufficient to constitute North? - Yes
What is the definition of run? - Move at a speed faster than a walk, never having both or all the feet on the ground at the same time.
Why are people in wheelchairs allowed as they do not run? - Thye run in their own way. You don't see any of them just sauntering along or being pushed.
It is only a race for the elites. - I would disagree.

I've never done it (and probably never will) - however I can totally understand people's frustrations when people enter into a run and don't actually run. I'm sure there may be a lot of folk who would intend on running the course missing out on a place due to others whose only intention was to walk around and have an experience. I'm not knocking you personally as you made all the efforts to run around. It's just the whole walking thing doesn't sit right with me.
You seem to have covered everything pretty well there mate. Couldn't agree more.
 
What makes it Great? - It's history and the amount of money it's raised. The fact it's the biggest half marathon in the world and attrracts runners from across the globe.
Is a latitude of approximately 59 degrees north sufficient to constitute North? - Yes
What is the definition of run? - Move at a speed faster than a walk, never having both or all the feet on the ground at the same time.
Why are people in wheelchairs allowed as they do not run? - Thye run in their own way. You don't see any of them just sauntering along or being pushed.
It is only a race for the elites. - I would disagree.

I've never done it (and probably never will) - however I can totally understand people's frustrations when people enter into a run and don't actually run. I'm sure there may be a lot of folk who would intend on running the course missing out on a place due to others whose only intention was to walk around and have an experience. I'm not knocking you personally as you made all the efforts to run around. It's just the whole walking thing doesn't sit right with me.

only in circumstances where maybe someone has had a life changing injury, been in a wheel chair and learned to walk again, or been 25 clem and lost 10 by excersicing and dieting over the year, to a point where they can actually walk 13 mile, which itself is an acheivement.

other than that, sharon and tracey signing up for it, then not doing a single bit of training, just milking the fund raising, then walking round, kind of defeats the object. for me, you should be spending at least a month or 6 weeks training a little bit, eating better, and putting some effort in
 
only in circumstances where maybe someone has had a life changing injury, been in a wheel chair and learned to walk again, or been 25 clem and lost 10 by excersicing and dieting over the year, to a point where they can actually walk 13 mile, which itself is an acheivement.

other than that, sharon and tracey signing up for it, then not doing a single bit of training, just milking the fund raising, then walking round, kind of defeats the object. for me, you should be spending at least a month or 6 weeks training a little bit, eating better, and putting some effort in

Even that lad who has lost half his bodyweight and still weighs 21 stone managed to do it in 2 hours 45 , my bad maths makes that under 13 min miles so at least he gave it a good go.

Know a bloke who took nearly 4 hours which is pretty much walking all the way even given for starting at the back, and he still had a few thousand behind him. I'm not a runner and probably never will be but I just don't get why people wouldn't make an effort to train or at least run most of it. Why take a place from someone who actually wants to make an effort and run the thing
 
They need to offer more places up in the ballot out of the 57000 that signed up you could easily knock 10000 - 15000 off that number for those that never turned up.
 
I was the twat showering everyone down at the top of Prince Edward Rd. Well done everyone

cheers mate, I needed that!

2:40 for me but I was fucked after having to do an emergency stop on me bad knee. Was hoping for sub 2:30 and got through 10k in 65 mins so was well on course, an. Have to try again next year.

Incidentally started in zone K at the back and finished among all greens. How to people overestimate their times so badly?
 
cheers mate, I needed that!

2:40 for me but I was fucked after having to do an emergency stop on me bad knee. Was hoping for sub 2:30 and got through 10k in 65 mins so was well on course, an. Have to try again next year.

Incidentally started in zone K at the back and finished among all greens. How to people overestimate their times so badly?
Anytime was good crack! You still did very well. It was roastin. Pleased I was working rather than running this time. The starting place thing has been a bug bear fit a long time now. There are clearly 1000s starting far too close to the front.
 
Every year people complain about the GNR. It is what it is. Unless you start near the front you aren’t going to get a PB. If you don’t get away as soon as you finish it’s going to take you ages to get home.
It’s a brilliant event and I consider myself a ‘serious’ runner but this is one event where you have to accept it’s not a race it’s an occasion. Enjoy it for what it is and it’s absolutely magnificent.
 
Every year people complain about the GNR. It is what it is. Unless you start near the front you aren’t going to get a PB. If you don’t get away as soon as you finish it’s going to take you ages to get home.
It’s a brilliant event and I consider myself a ‘serious’ runner but this is one event where you have to accept it’s not a race it’s an occasion. Enjoy it for what it is and it’s absolutely magnificent.
As much as I disagree with you it is what it is nowadays. It's still annoying mind.
Some 'runners' went to McDonald's at Gateshead stadium. They were near the back of the race.
I mean that's mental tho. :lol:
 
Other people walking along eating ice lollies. I don't even make an attempt to hand water to them.

The last time I did it, there was a married couple walking the whole route in their wedding gear. They started in pen B.

Attention seeking bellends
As much as I disagree with you it is what it is nowadays. It's still annoying mind.

I mean that's mental tho. :lol:

I just find the whole day a pain. The zany element do my tits in as well.
 
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