2008 SMH Half Marathon Reflections

The 2008 Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon is over and I have achieved my goal of breaking 90 minutes which has left me feeling very satisfied with myself. As a reward I will give my body a rest today and tomorrow and then go for light runs on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

I’ve done this race 15 times now and the course has been altered at least 7 or 8 times as the organisers have toyed with getting a best fit for minimising traffic disruptions and accommodating runners. It’s obvious that they’re prepared to change things if they think they can be improved so it’s worthwhile going over what I thought was done well and what could be improved.

What Could Have Been Better

The process for removing the timing chips from shoelaces at the end must be improved. Fortunately for me, I came through before the bulk of the field and was able to clear the area reasonably quickly, but the chips were being removed only a few metres after the finish line and when the finishers started coming in thick and fast the crowding was pretty horrendous. There has to be a larger area set aside for chip removal.

A few signs directing runners where to go to find water and fruit at the end would have been helpful. We searched and searched for the water / Gatorade table after crossing the finish line before finally finding it way across the other side of the park.

The course cannot handle any more competitors – simple as that. The field limit has increased from 4,000 to 6,000 but Art Gallery Road is simply too narrow to contain any more runners. As it is, the middle of the pack are jammed into the single lane in to Mrs Macquarie’s Chair and out again.

The drinks stops were too few and far between. The organisers have been lucky that the weather was quite cool, but only 3 drinks stations around the 2-loop course is at least 1 short. A warm weather day is going to cause some serious problems for runners.

While on the subject of drinks, I experienced a brand new innovation when it comes to supplying water to runners during the Canberra marathon. The water came in sealed sachets that have huge advantages over the plastic cups used in the half marathon. They’re easier for the volunteers to hand out, they’re easy for the runners to carry and they’re easier to drink without spilling or slowing down or suffering from side cramps because you’ve taken in gulps of air as well as water. The SMH Half Marathon organisers, indeed all race organisers, should seriously consider replacing the old plastic cups with these water sachets.

What Was Done Well

The new starting / finishing point gets the thumbs up from me. Hyde Park is a much more central location to get to, there’s plenty of room for all of the tents, marquees and baggage storage.

The timing chips continue to work well, in my opinion. The fact that you’re wearing a ship alleviates the need to get to the starting line hours before the actual start. You also have the advantage of seeing your results published soon after the race.

There was a large St John’s Ambulance presence around the course. Fortunately I didn’t need their services this year, but it was somewhat of a comfort to know that they were situated all over the course brandishing tubs of Vaseline or sun-cream and would be ready to assist with any more serious problem.