Cardiff Half Marathon - Slight Problem!

Pross

I don't know if anyone ran in this and got a PB but apparently the course was 0.2 miles too short :oops:

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/10/19/cardiff-half-marathon-too-short-91466-27498022/

You'd think that one of the primary things you check in setting out a course for a half marathon is the length. I think if I were a serious runner I'd be asking for a refund and would be seriously annoyed if I'd run a 'PB'. Even more embarassing is it was the first time it had been given Champs status so we now have the first ever Welsh Nearly Half Marathon Champion. Still, at least it has given me a chance for revenge over a colleague who had slightly beaten my own best time for a half

hammerite

Courses have to be officially measured in advance and receive a certificate to show the distance of a race, most courses are very slightly long to take into account a margin of error (this is permitted under course measurement).

I suppose given the last minute change to the route that there's little they could do about it, I'd be gutted though if I'd set a cracking PB to realise it was way short (for me 0.2 miles at half marathon pace would be about 80 seconds - so a good chunk off).

hammerite

Of course it's a massive shame for people who smashed their previous best by a long way - I know of people that beat their previous best by 20 mins. They'd have got a PB regardless of whether the course was the correct distance.

Pross

On the plus side the winner may now be the official world record holder over 12.9 miles The change to the course was apparently due to scaffolding on the route, if this is the case then the Council should not have granted a licence for the scaffold as they would have known it was on the race route or, if the scaffolding was already there, the organisers would have had plenty of time to change the course. At the very least they should have known before the start of the race and advised those taking part. It's all a bit embarassing for a race that is trying to raise its profile, especially with a very successful half marathon not far away in Bristol at about the same time of year.

bexley5200

ill do 13 miles on my bike thank you

Smokin Joe

Back in around 1970 I rode an evening 25 on a revised version of the E72 which used the A12 in Essex. The night was absolutely perfect for a TT, warm with zero wind and I was gutted to go off course and post a crap time while all of my clubmates and about half the 120 strong field did PBs.

One week later came the news that the course had been re-measured and found to be short...