Runners World Timing runners

Im considering trying to run with one of these guys this years race. Anyone ever tried it? Good bad? indifferent? Ive seen them before and they always seem to have a long group.

Hiya,

I was reading about this very thing over the weekend - lots of different opinions on it but found a really interesting report from the point of view of the pace runner.  Here's the link:

www.runnersworld.co.uk/racing/virgin-london-marathon-2011-a-pacers-story/6759.html

Otherwise lots of other opinions on pacers as far as I can tell, even down to the comments on the story.

I'm deffo going to give it a go, as if nothing else I hope it'll mean I won't go off too fast too soon.

x

Just to bear in mind you have to be in the right pen for pacers - you can move backwards and not forwards

Yes i read this in the link. There are two in each time for each start.

I've never really got the desire people have to stick with pacemakers. If you've spent countless hours training you should know the pace you've got to go yourself, better than anyone else. Maybe it's just the encouragement the group gives each other I suppose. They're a pain in the arse to pass though.

I agree by the time we get to race day we should have a firm idea of our own pace but having someone who's running the same pace as you can still be used as a marker to let you know your on track.

Challenge with runing with a pacer (rather than someone who is individually pacing you) is that by definition they will run at their own set pace. It takes no account of how you are feeling at particular parts of the race and any hold ups or faster bits. They will knock out (if they are any good - not all are) consistent miles - you may get dropped when you go through a bad patch or want to surge ahead a bit when you are feeling good.

In addition I wonder how mentally someone who was planning to run with apacer would deal with not meeting up with them or losing them in the crowd?

Not for me but each to their own.

Or you could use the distance markers. If you're at a certain point by the time you've calculated you should be then you're at the right pace. If you're not then you're not. Much more accurate.

I haven't used them and found them to be a bit of a hazard previously. Nobody wants to be more than a couple of inches away from the pacer and they can get quite a large following. At the expo you can get pace wristbands that tell you what time you should be at for every mile.

All your comments are valid ones and I certainly wouldnt pin my entrie hopes on meeting a pacer or staying with them. I'll certainly know what pace and expected time I'll be able to run before the day itself. I just think that as a guide I might keep a look out for them, follow for a bit but at a distance to to show me how well im doing.

I ran a half marathon with a pacer once, I found too many people got very pushy about being no more than a couple of strides away from him and didn't share the road as they may normally do. It felt way more stressful than it should be, a bit like how when people charge for a train door that's about to close... no need for that panic. I would rather run pace with one or two other people.

That said some of the runners doing a "get me round" pace, say there's good camaradere in that group... in races sometimes I chat and sometimes I don't. 

heh heh, I love watching the streams of people pegging it down the platform to get on a train, cramming themselves into the first doorway, then the train doesn't move for another 5 mins. Losers, heh heh.

Good luck with that - I wonder if you realise how difficult that will be in London - which is why people stay so close to pacers. Its an incredibly busy race most of te way around (depending what pace you are running at) so for me its either run your own race (my choice) or stick close to the pacer (along with everybody else trying to do the same)

When I last ran the Reading Half a couple of years ago, the pacemakers had giant balloons attached to them with the time written on. I found this useful from the point of knowing where I was and the pace I was running rather than trying to stick with them.

I suspect they won't be as easy to identify in London so I wouldn't worry about trying to stick with anyone too much.

Best technique if you're after a time is to wear a stop watch and paceband which are available from the Expo.

Yes ive ran two London marathons before so I know how congested it can be. In previous years ive noticed them as they run with high board on their backs so you easily indentify them. It's not impossible to pick people out of the crowd either Ive done a fair bit of celeb spotting in my two previus races, but I wasn't going as fast as I intend to this time round so it might be harder! ha ha

whats your target time mate?

I dare sound it out loud to anyone!! just in case i dont make it! but im looking at cutting around 50 mins of my previous two times.

go on say it - there is a psychological reason why saying it and publically committing makes it more real and therefore likely   :-)

Ok, i hoping for under 4 hrs. A big ask but this years training is 1000% different from previous years. I feel really good right now too!

Good luck with that - great target. Nothing wrong in my book in setting ambitious targets.