159 replies to this topic

[Wayne Larden]

Hi all, I've created this topic so you can all provide your specific feedback to me. Look forward to your feedback. Wayne

[MF]

Bit hot, can you fix that!?

[frankie17]

Wayne,

As a marathoner I kinda liked getting there after the HMs had cleared out.   Plenty of room to cramp up.  In the recovery area there were tumbleweeds rolling through.  

The problem this year was the above avg conditions (sadly, same as last year). So USUALLY a 7:15 start would be okay. I don't see how the half could be dropped..it's a big money spinner for not a lot of ectra effort. Also, people have recently done the 14km C2S event so a 15-16km event doesn't really add much.

I say leave it exactly as it is, unless you can easily switch FM and HM start times. But this is a perennial request so I expect the answer again is NO. Maybe Wayne can hit this one on the head b4 too many people pile in on him tonight.

[WallyGator]

Hi Wayne,

I did the marathon and finished in 4:35:19 - so 1 hour ahead of cut-off.

The things I am about to mention are not things that would turn me away from the event and some are things that I might be able to manage myself, but:

1.  I heard about urinals at the start last year but could not find them (as this was my first year).  Some signs especially near the porta loos would have been helpful.
2.  The certificates show gun time.   Other events like SMH and City to Surf show net time.  Net time for all bar the first few is really our indication of how we went.
3.  Electrolytes had run out at few of the drink stations in the middle part of the run.
4.  GU gels were only available to me at the 36km mark.  There were none left any earlier.
5.  There was no water for me at the finish - or none that I could easily see.  By the time I handed in my chip, went to baggage collection and then found the recovery area it was well over half an hour.  I was lucky that I had drunk enough during the race but I have heard and seen others who fainted due to dehydration just after chip collection.
6.  XL shirts had run out when I got there.
7.  I also missed out on the water bottle hand out.
8.  The fruit area was finished and even pulled down when I got there.

I guess I will just have to get quicker or do the 1/2 to get the goodies!!  

Cheers and thanks for a memorable first marathon.  Do not worry, I could list a heap more things than this if you started a "things I liked about the Sydney Running Festival" thread.

Edited by WallyGator, 21 September 2009 - 05:23 PM.

[UltimoJogger]

This is my fourth time to do the Sydney Running Festival and this was the most organised one I have seen. I have been doing the Half Marathon for the past four years. Well done to Wayne and his team and the volunteers. Good points this year:

1. Different Start Groups
2. Well Laid Out Start Area, Dechipping area and Recovery Village
3. Sufficient toilets and urinals
4. Integrated Transport Ticket
5. Drinks were available and gels were also distributed
6. Really nice finishers medal
7. Water packs were a great idea in the finish
8. Very good and informative website

Just some minor things for improvement:

1. Provide enough toilet paper and ensure flush is working (this was what my female friends who did the Bridge Run said).
2. Better signage on where the men's urinals are.

Overall a really great race this year.  This is an event that we can be truly proud of.  We will continue to do this event every year.

Congratulations to Wayne and his team and the volunteers.  

[Wayne Larden]

I'll attempt to answer succinctly as it is a bit tricky. Firstly, if we ran the marathon first the leaders of the marathon would hit the full pack of half marathoners and make it impossible to run on the last half. If we ran marathon in reverse direction then the road closures on east side of course would be significant longer and this is not acceptable to government. We have better alternate routed on the western side of course. Obviously we can't drop the half, nor can we start the half much earlier. So we do the half an hour or so b4 mara so the course is pretty well clear. Hope this explains it. W

frankie17, on Sep 21 2009, 01:05 AM, said:

Wayne,  As a marathoner I kinda liked getting there after the HMs had cleared out.   Plenty of room to cramp up.  In the recovery area there were tumbleweeds rolling through.    The problem this year was the above avg conditions (sadly, same as last year). So USUALLY a 7:15 start would be okay. I don't see how the half could be dropped..it's a big money spinner for not a lot of ectra effort. Also, people have recently done the 14km C2S event so a 15-16km event doesn't really add much.  I say leave it exactly as it is, unless you can easily switch FM and HM start times. But this is a perennial request so I expect the answer again is NO. Maybe Wayne can hit this one on the head b4 too many people pile in on him tonight.

[Bighats]

I have a few suggestions/gripes:

* Toilet situation needs to be sorted. At the SMH Half you have substantially more numbers yet only be waiting in line for max 5 to 10 mins...

* Why do the marathoners constantly have to battle the stifling conditions year after year? It's kind of hard to train for the temp's that we experienced yesterday when literally 3 weeks ago we were still in winter...

* I made use of the facilities to put my own drinks out on the course (which is a great addition) yet some had been sitting in the sun for so long it was almost like drinking hot tea... Although I don't know how you solve this one...

From a runners perspective, I'm a bit confused about what the whole festival is trying to achieve... what is the showcase event? Is it the Half, Full, 9km or 4km?... If it is trying to emulate what the Gold Coast is doing, then that probably works better as the event is held in winter and probably over a less gruelling course...

I am more tempted to run a marathon in the winter months after yesterday's experience and use this event to improve the half time going forward, it just wasn't much fun after the 30km... and the amount of bodies that were strewn on the road (or was I being delerious?) is probably a good indicator that it wasn't much fun for quite a few others...

This is a great event and the volunteers all did a fantastic job, but I think given how the conditions have panned out over the past two years, a re-think about how the events could be shuffled around needs to be front of mind...

[Ted]

I don't envy you, Wayne!    Esp dealing with the current crowd in Macquarie Street. My comment about reversing it was more a thought than anything else. Look, the event is pretty well organised to tell the truth, I just wish it wasn't so bloody hot! So if it ain't broke, dont fix it.

Another thing I liked this year was the T-shirt - a real runners shirt, nice and simple. Wearing it right now!

[frankie17]

Wayne Larden, on Sep 21 2009, 05:50 PM, said:

Obviously we can't drop the half, nor can we start the half much earlier. So we do the half an hour or so b4 mara so the course is pretty well clear.

That might be an area for improvement, Wayne.  There is a 50/55 minute gap between HM and FM wheelie starts.  Because the FMs peel away to the left at the Cahill, you would only need 15-20mins max (so make it 30 to be ultra-sure) for 99% of the the HMs to clear the deck.  I realise there are people in the loos and there are slow starters, but I reckon you could find a way to start the FM at 6:45am max, gaining 1/2 hour.

[Wayne Larden]

I'm not too sure our wheelchair champ, Kurt Fearnley would agree! He had a real battle yesterday at the end. We are looking at timing but there is no easy solution. W

frankie17, on Sep 21 2009, 02:09 AM, said:

That might be an area for improvement, Wayne.  There is a 50/55 minute gap between HM and FM wheelie starts.  Because the FMs peel away to the left at the Cahill, you would only need 15-20mins max (so make it 30 to be ultra-sure) for 99% of the the HMs to clear the deck.  I realise there are people in the loos and there are slow starters, but I reckon you could find a way to start the FM at 6:45am max, gaining 1/2 hour.

[Whale]

Have it a month earlier.

[Ted]

Another suggestion - 2 running mates had to be carted off to hospital and their families didn't know where they were. The families were frantic - their loved ones didn't get to the finish, they had to wait for hours expecting that they would eventually show up, then they had to call hospitals to see if they had been admitted.

The runners had both written mobiles on the back of their bibs but for some reason these weren't used. Don't know how much influence you have, but perhaps the St Johns people/ medicos - who were fantastic BTW - could be advised to immediately phone someone at race HQ with the bib number, summary details of problem and relevant hospital, so that you guys could contact the relevant family members. Also on registration get the runner to give you two contact names, emails, landlines and mobiles.

Hope this helps.

Edited by Hillman, 21 September 2009 - 07:52 PM.

[seris]

How about the female truck toilets used at Gold Coast. Why should women stand in queue to pee with men with other issues? Female toilets seperated from the mens thanks....

[Mick]

My first time doing this event and I just wanted to say it was great. People will always find things to fault, little things like all the out and back sections, the half marathon guys going first, being run at a time that has the potential for warmer weather all adds to making it a unique event.

Let's face it, if ever marathon offered a dead flat course in ideal temperatures we would get bored.

I loved the 3 start groupings in the marathon. I was in blue (and did run the sub 3:20 time) and it was really relaxed and I got to start a few rows back from the line. I was expecting something more like City2Surf.

I don't know if the guys with the drums were part of the event, they were great.

My only very minor complaint was that not everyone likes Espresso GUs, but I only relied on there being water on the course and had my own Vanilla ones as backup.

Keep up the good work, very impressed that so many road closures are possible in a major city.

[walshy2]

I agree with others that a cooler time of year would be better. Even 1 month earlier, although I accept that there is probably a bunch of reasons why this can't happen.
Wayne, you said the 1/2 can't be dropped....why not?
Sydney already has the SMH Half as the premier half and standalone event
As Colin pointed out on the race reports thread, you could extend the 9km to a 10km and get a more accepted standard distance and not sacrifice the number of starters (would probably attract more)
And then have the Marathon starting at 6:25. It is a bit confusing what the Festival is really trying to promote, it seems to be trying to be all things to all people. Clearly with the participation numbers rising people are liking what is being put on, but I don't think it is sustainable in the current format given the growth and so real thought needs to be given to balancing the commercial outcomes of the event with the needs of the runners.

Edit - Wayne btw so many more positives about the events. I think you and the team and band of volunteers do a sensational job. I imagine it must be a logistical nightmare. Thanks for putting on such a terrific running event for this city

Edited by walshy2, 21 September 2009 - 08:51 PM.

[Action]

Wayne Larden, on Sep 21 2009, 06:57 PM, said:

I'm not too sure our wheelchair champ, Kurt Fearnley would agree! He had a real battle yesterday at the end. We are looking at timing but there is no easy solution. W

No easy solution, but as much as I admire Kurt, there were only 4 wheelies vs 3000 marathoners.  Starting the 'thon even 30 minutes (perhaps 45 mins) earlier would make a difference.

[Horrie]

Thanks for asking for feedback Wayne. There were some great improvements this year. Free public transport worked a treat. I found there were plenty of water/sports drinks out there but I finished in the top 20% so would be concerned if there wasn't. Still seems to be an issue for back of the packers. This event has improved and grown under your direction. Probably not the best time of year to be running a marathon with the start so late. Unlike others, I accept that it is not financially viable for you to drop the half so don't expect you to. But it would be good if you could start the marathon earlier to avoid being out in the heat longer.

[dlilb200]

Hi Wayne,

Firstly let me say you run an amazing event, very well co-ordinated. Its a massive logistics problem and I very much appreciate the work that goes into orgaising an event such as this.

A couple of things in particular I really liked:
- long length of drink stations - didn't have to queue up to get my hand on a cup
- clear km signs. I never missed one, some runs you have to really keep your eye out for them.

A couple of things to consider:
- long queues for toilets at the start area. More toilets required?
- if there is any way the marathon could somehow be started earlier, I know I would be very grateful.
This was my first marathon and as I said on another thread I really suffered on the last 15k due
to the heat. I had done 30k+ runs every weekend from April through to August but that was the first time
I had run it in such a temperature.

Thanks once again - I will definitely be back next year!

[flyingemu]

I agree that most things about the race were organised great, so my comments too are by exception.

1. I don't like coffee GU either, I skipped the station that only had those left.
2. If the mailout of the race pack can't happen due to wanting to get sponsor sales at the expo, consider this.... buy an item on-line up to say, $25, and you can get the mailout free. Or maybe mailout costs $5 unless you buy merchandise?
3. The walk to pickup my clothing bag was a chore, all I wanted to do was sit down! I found it too far to go!
4. You can't change the weather, and may not be able to change the start time, but maybe having showers to run under (instead of having to pour water over your head and waste cups). I got sprayed twice by a hose and LOVED it.
5. More timing mats, say at 5km intervals.

I'll still be there next year

[StellaBella]

In terms of my personal experience, as I sit here thinking about my day and digesting other people's reports I find that I really have very little to add.

I can say that this years event seemed much better organised than last year however I did the HM last year compared to the marathon this year however this may not constitute a great deal of difference in organisational terms.

I think the matter of start time will always be a bone of contention so I won't harp on but I do like the suggestion made by Frankie17 of a even 30 min difference. Edit: Thank you to Action for being brave enough to write what I was thinking.

Although I think the finisher's tshirt is great and I wore it to the pub last night, as a non tshirt wearer I doubt very much that it will see the light of day again! I would have liked the opportunity to purchase a marathon singlet (technical fabric or lycra etc) as I would happily run in one (as I do my Canberra Marathon & Perth Marathon singlets) so was disappointed to find at the expo only generic SRF merchandise which I had no interest in...anyone can buy and wear one of them!

It doesnt appear to have been bought up here (Edit: actually it was while I was writing)r but I know it has been in other threads but there are many that resent or find it plain difficult to trek in to Circular Quay to pick up their race packs. Although I am of the opinion that the entry fee is enough that postage should be included if you enter before a given date at the very least I think entrants shld be given the option of paying a fee (around $5) to have the pack posted out...hell it cost me $4 in parking just to pick up the pack!

Very minor gripe... the seeding descriptions were interesting to say the least. I think that colour coded sections A-D with an associated expected finish time range should be sufficient. If you are entering an event of the magnitude of a marathon and really have no idea what time you think you'll finish in over a range that spans at least an hour then there is something wrong!

Oh and I suspect most of the sports drink carrying stations had run out or rationed to the point of pointlessness by the time I came through... granted I dont particularly like GU water personally sports drinks are important especially if you have planned your race strategy on them being available at certain intervals and then they aren't.

Overall Wayne I'd like to say a massive thank you (to you and the army of volunteers) for a fabulous event

Ooh... just had a thought... maybe some sunscreen tables at the start would have been good (unless something like that already existed)....maybe something to get the cancer council involved with? Granted it is our own responsibility to try and protect ourselves but I'm probably not the only one that was irresponsible! It was great to see it on the aid tables but by the time I noted them it was a but of too little too late!

Apologies for the totally disjointed post!!!

Edited by StellaBella, 21 September 2009 - 09:02 PM.

[craigus]

Thanks Wayne for the opportunity.  My main gripe was concerning the bag pick up for the half marathon.  It took me 1 hour to pick up my bag.  Standing in the blazing sun for that long after running 21km can’t be healthy.  

The volunteers were doing a great job under the circumstances (and there were plenty more volunteers than last year), and the different colours were an improvement.  But the orderly queue that I had joined descended to anarchy by the time I got near the front – everyone else thought bugger lining up and surrounded the enclosure.  It needs a bigger enclosure and the bags separated into smaller groups like C2S - not 4 small signs showing groups of 3,000 each.

Also, there seemed to be less toilets at the start than last year, and as others have said, I couldn’t find the urinals either so more prominent signage required.

Apart from those two issues, I thought the event was run very well and I really enjoyed the day.

[lloydy]

Wayne,
Weather aside (!) I thought yesterday was a really well run event. If, and I am not suggesting you do, drop the half M the marathon numbers may increase, the more the better. It may get more supportes on the course, esp on the West Dist where we really need them!
As someone who can't have sports drinks or gels, then I missed the jelly beans this year, but if that is the worst I can think of then well done.

[sook54]

Was great to see so many fit people out on the course! Thanks for the opportunity for feedback.

seris, on Sep 21 2009, 08:02 PM, said:

How about the female truck toilets used at Gold Coast. Why should women stand in queue to pee with men with other issues? Female toilets seperated from the mens thanks....

What seris said. How about some women-only and men-only queues. I and many others were in a queue for the toilets before HM start for over 30 minutes (from the minute I arrived to 30 secs before race start). VERY slow-moving because of men with 'issues'. There just weren't enough toilets for the crowd! There must be a formula somewhere for the number you need per capita? And if you go this way and there are urinals please make sure that there are more female than male toilets (equality in access not equality in numbers OK!).

Also it seems there was a specific problem with the seeding for the 9km start. My daughter-in-law was in the blue group and she took 16 minutes to cross the start line, vs my husband in the yellow group who took 6. I heard lots of others complained about the same problem. I guess since this is the first time you've introduced the system there are still some teething problems...

I'm also another vote for posting out race kit.

[frankie17]

StellaBella, on Sep 21 2009, 08:59 PM, said:

I think the matter of start time will always be a bone of contention so I won't harp on but I do like the suggestion made by Frankie17 of a even 30 min difference. Edit: Thank you to Action for being brave enough to write what I was thinking.

Thinking a bit further Wayne, my experience yesterday was that the marathoners worked their way over to the left of the coat hanger, and expect it was the same with the HMs going to the right.  For a wacky idea, why not let both HM and FM fields go at the same time?  The RTA could put huge signs up covering thier own yellow/green/red directional signs with "Marathoners Go Left" and "Half Marathoners Go Right" or some such.

There's probably some camaraderie creation in the idea too...you know, teammembers/spouses split up (emotional moments, PR?). Not sure what to do aboutKurt but Hickson Road is VERY wide.  You could always have one group returning by a different Route to reduce congestion. (coming up per SMH HM route past Pancakes and the Orient) joining in only under the train line for the final 500m or so.
Just a few ideas here.

Also, my rels would have loved to log in to check progress every 5kms like I did for a friend at GCM.  Real-time results rock!

Edited by frankie17, 21 September 2009 - 09:37 PM.

[Action]

Culligan Water is a sponsor, but perhaps the experience in Canberra of water and pre mixed sports drinks in sachets are the go.  Mixing sports drinks is always a problem, and 9 times out of 10 wrongly done despite the best intentions.

Love the event, and will return - hopefully many times!

[Jane06]

Is it possible to start the Half at 6am, and then the marathon at 6.30am? While this is very early - the sun is already up by 5.45am at that time of year, and this means that the marathoners can start a half hour earlier, and the halfies won't get trampled over by the faster marathoners.  

I guess the problem with this would be public transport, getting trains to run a half hour earlier on a Sunday. But as a half hour earlier start would also allow the roads to be opened to traffic half an hour earlier - which has also got to be a plus.

Just a thought.

The only other improvement I would add is that Sports drink and gels really should be at the stations that they are advertised at.  For my first marathon I had counted on electrolytes being available where the course map said they would be.  Given the extremely hot conditions on the City West Link, I needed that sports drink, but it was not available to me (a back of the packer) till 39km station when it was too late.

It is a great event, and I really appreciate the efforts of the race organisers and the volunteers.  It was a priviledge to participate in it.

Edited by Jane06, 21 September 2009 - 09:32 PM.

[AaronR]

I have no complaints. Thanks for a great event. Will be back again for sure.

[Colin]

Thought I'd just post this in the right spot:

Colin, on Sep 21 2009, 07:11 PM, said:

Hillman, on Sep 21 2009, 04:47 PM, said:

Lastly, the route/ time of race itself. It seems bizarre that the half goes off at 6.20am and the full mara at 7.15am, given the conditions. If you started the mara off at 6.15am and reversed the course, you could get all the half marathoners on at 7.15am.

Not sure about the 'reversal' of route...but both of you are making sound suggestions here. It is late September in Sydney and you know what you were lucky with the weather yesterday...so I can't fathom why they start so late and then have to field the same complaints every year about heat, lack of water etc etc.

You can't be all things to everybody. Drop the half, there already is a Sydney iconic half and make the bridge run 10km instead of an arbitrary silly 9km..that way you will get lots more serious runners (and lots more in total) running what is a standard road distance...for even less organisational effort.

Start the marathon at 6am or 6:30 latest and give people the best of the weather.

frankie17, on Sep 21 2009, 05:00 PM, said:

The problem this year was the above avg conditions (sadly, same as last year).

So its not really average is it?   Lucky it wasn't previous Saturady or Sunday  (and even one day in the last week too) when it was over 30 deg

btw...on the other side of the world at exactly the same latitude but a cooler climate, the Cape Town Marathon is on next weekend, starting at 6:30am, effectively a 5:40am sun time start with the 48min Cape Town has in daylight saving.

You can't have the average runner finishing at 11:30am, when you wouldn't personally have even gone for a 10km run at that time on Sunday (well I didn't).

Action, on Sep 21 2009, 09:27 PM, said:

....but perhaps the experience in Canberra of water and pre mixed sports drinks in sachets are the go.  Mixing sports drinks is always a problem, and 9 times out of 10 wrongly done despite the best intentions.

Wayne has knocked that on the head a few times before and in a PM to me too...he has his own reasons.

[timtam]

Wayne, great to see we get the opportunity to give some constructive feedback.

I ran the marathon yesterday and I was a little disapointed to discover that they had run out of electorlyte drink at the 16.5km and a number of other aid stations.  The last aid station with electrolyte drink was at the 10km mark, the next aid station to have electrolyte drink wasn't till around the 28.5km mark, 18km on just water was hard given the heat.  I'll be using the personal refreshment option next year.

I found the same with GU gels.  I took a few of my own with me so I'd have some emergency supplies as I expected they might run out towards the end but I found the total opposite happened.  The first aid station to have GU's when I came through was at the 35km mark.  So with no electolyte and GU's for so many kms I wasn't surprised to see the amount of people suffering from cramps or dehydration given the heat.  I myself being one of them, at the 36km mark the lack of electrolytes brought on some horrid leg cramps.

Perhaps an option to consider is to include a number of GU's in the race kit and advise participants that there will be limited available on the day. Just a thought.  

On a positive note, the volunteers were fantastic and the rest of the event was very well organised, definitely an event I will do again.

[Chopper]

Water goes without saying but FOOD is also a must at the marathon finish line to replace some lost sugars. It need only be a banana. The oranges were helpful but probably not enough carbo mumbo to get back up the hill which can take a while if you need to engage reverse or a wonky swing gait.

[djbleakman]

Mick, on Sep 21 2009, 08:13 PM, said:

Let's face it, if ever marathon offered a dead flat course in ideal temperatures we would get bored.

Agreed, every marathon has its unique characteristics that make it what it is:

- Don't like the Gu's on offer: Bring your own, hey try eating some real food instead of artificial rubbish that gives short term energy hits
- Bit hot for you?: Go and run Canberra instead
- Start too late?: Go and run the Deep Space Mountain marathon - 5:45am start
- Too many hills and a bit tough so you missed out on your PB?: Train harder

No excuses... talk is cheap

Edited by djbleakman, 21 September 2009 - 10:53 PM.

[Android]

G'day Wayne

Another great event and it was good to see that improvements are being made each year and competitors feedback is being welcomed.

As many other people have mentioned the warm weather for the last 2 years has made things difficult but we can hardly blame your group of dedicated workers the forces of mother nature. If you moved it a month forward it will probably be too cold next year ! (I still remember the start of the half in 2007 being the coldest I've ever felt pre-race !)

A number of friends did the 9km race and complained that the seeding arrangements couldn't handle the number of competitors in this race and a significant number of teal coloured bib wearers we stuck on the grass marshalling area as they couldn't fit onto the starting area and they weren't given priority over the yellow and red bib wearers that were coming up the road behind them. If there is some way to prevent the each group from heading off until the group infront has been given a fair chance to get onto the bitumen then this would be a huge help. (Hope this makes sense !)

Edited by Android, 21 September 2009 - 10:55 PM.

[Dave]

I tend to agree with most of the general topics already posted, overall the run is a great experience and the rest of my family ran the family fun run and had a great time.

I do also think that part of the overall events success, ie appealing to as many people as possible is also a limiting factor.

However, if the goal is to focus on or promote the marathon as a truly great city marathon, which seems to be the case, especially with the decent Japanese contingent on hand then soon it faces a watershed moment. Maybe next year the middle of September will somehow have a last blast of winter influence but the odds are that it is always going to be mid 20's by around 10:30 when only a small portion of the marathon field will have finished and most will be on the most sun exposed section of the entire route.

As I struggled home, in the last 5km I saw at least 6 instances of St Johns Ambos gathered around a runner lying on the ground and I am sure this would have only increased as the day went on.

Somehow the schedule or the routes need to be realigned so that the marathon runners are out earlier, which ultimately is also an overall positive in general as it will mean roads are opened earlier which will keep the general public (and media) happier as well!

Wayne, it seems from your comments already that this is a formidable challenge and I want to reinforce a lot of the other positive comments, but you asked how to improve the festival and I think this point is critical. Sure you can fine tune other areas likes water stations, entry kit pick up and bag collection etc etc that are within your control, but the schedule I believe is the biggest area for improvement.

Thanks again!!!

[StellaBella]

timtam, on Sep 21 2009, 10:39 PM, said:

I'll be using the personal refreshment option next year.

For the record (and correct me if I'm wrong) but this option is only open to elite athletes...

[jpol3692]

Thank you to the organisers and volunteers - it was a great day and I'll be there next year.

For the BridgeRun, it might be worthwhile forcing the different coloured bibs into different areas a la C2S. All the slower runners in the front can't have enjoyed having keen beans running over the top of them, and vice versa.

Otherwise, great day!

[virtualkerri]

Hi Wayne,
Yesterday was my first go at the Sydney marathon after doing the HM last two years. Great event, I really enjoyed it, and a BIG thanks for your interest in listening here and asking for feedback. Here are my comments, hopefully not too disjointed, just what is in my mind now.

Pluses (the list could be much longer, here is a few standouts)
- Volunteers were great all around the course, helpful and cheering. Special mention to the young woman on 'cheering' duties just after passing Harbour Bridge/before 1km to go. Had me believing I WAS "fantastic"! If you know who she is please pass on my gratitude.
- Water 'bottles' at the end, loved them great idea to re-fill them. (A pity someone commented they may have run out for the later marathoners).
- Transport ticket a winner. Also the looong water stations were great.

Improvement Opportunities
- Start line was very squeezy, the seeding sections was a good idea, unfortunately it seemed like there was not enough space for all to get into their relevant area on the road and I (in yellow) started off the side, squeezing in as we started moving. In addition, there were 4km'ers moving into the starting area (towards the back anyway) around 7:15am too, I guess confused about whether they should already be there for their 7:30am start.
Suggestion: I wonder if the start line could be moved? I know having Bradfield park available is a big plus. Alternative suggestions
(1) Move the start area further up the road past that roundabout, prepare in Bradfield then move up the road for the start.
(2) Start line smack in the middle of the Gore Hill freeway! Loads of space for everyone to start! (This is my favourite, although wildly impractical I suppose).
(3) Start area up at North Sydney Oval, with the wider Miller street to start.
(4) Not just seeding areas, but seperate gun starts too. Especially for shorter events.

- Echo toilet comments, I was another girlie stuck in the start line queue although made through with 4mins to spare unlike others.

- I'm sure you're already thinking about it, but I also agree with a few other comments about the need for long term planning for the event. I LOVE having a "Sydney Marathon". Here, it will never be flat or 12 degrees at 11am (even in the middle of winter that is not that likely), so our marathon should be unique in its own way. As it grows the number of people on course will grow, and I'm not sure the 9km course in particular can hold the volume.

- More TV publicity would be great, if no major fairfax or other sponsorship, maybe one of those Breakfast TV shows could get on board. I was surprised by the number of my non-running friends who didn't know it was on - needless to say I fully educated them until they made excuses to leave the running-obsessed conversation!

[Nurse25]

Overall it was a great event and well done to Wayne and a big thankyou to all the volunteers who gave up their Sunday to help.
Just a couple of little niggles,

- More toilets at the start. I did the 9km and by 8am the cues for the portaloos were 10-15+ people deep and not going anywhere in a hurry. I used the loos just after I had arrived (about 7am) and found that some had already run out of toilet paper  
- As mentioned by Android and virtualkerri the start point was a bit too narrow, especially for the 9km runners. Alot of people in the green/teal and yellow groups got stuck on the grass and ended up having to dodge around walkers and prams (which ain't easy to do when there's 10,000+ people). I know it's unlikely but starting somewhere as wide as the Gore Hill freeway would be brilliant (ala William St in the C2S).
- The long walk around to the baggage collection area wasn't much fun either.

[hillclimb]

I found the race organisation of the race to be top notch yesterday. Every drink stations I stopped at had plenty of GU and sports drink so I finished the race with the same number of gels with what I started with.

The only issue I would like to raise is that there seem to be more cycling "supporters" on the marathon route this year, especially at Anzac Pde/Allison Rd part of the route which I find annoying to see them riding near me. Perhaps the organisers could brief the SES/Police to be more vigilant in pulling these cyclists off the course as the ones I saw rode for a kilometre unchallenged by anyone.

[sydneyplodder]

Hi Wayne,

Like all the previous posts, congratulations on a great day and a wonderful event.  Yo and the organising team and volunteers did a great job.  I did the bridge run in 2007, half mara in 2008 and fullmarathon this year.

A few comments, probably along the lines of some already made, so apologies if there is any duplication:

Marathon finish: As a 4 hour plus runner, I found when I got to the finish there was some water available but no fruit or food.  In addition, most of the food/beverage options in the recovery village had closed by then.  After the race water was nice but something more substantial would have been welcomed.

Timing: A few time clocks out on the course would have been useful.  I know the City to Surf has a few at various points.  I know most runners have stopwatches etc but for me it just makes it easier. Even one every 10km or so - just as a guide.

Water stops: liked the signage advising of water stops head - avoided last minute direction changes / field congestion.

Signage: Distance markers were great, as mentioned in an earlier post.

Course: Love the course design - landmarks, scener, locations, east and west...don't change it - especially not the magical finish!

I intend to return next year.  Looking forward to it already!

Thanks for a great event this year.

[Mick]

djbleakman, on Sep 21 2009, 10:43 PM, said:

- Don't like the Gu's on offer: Bring your own, hey try eating some real food instead of artificial rubbish that gives short term energy hits
- Bit hot for you?: Go and run Canberra instead
- Start too late?: Go and run the Deep Space Mountain marathon - 5:45am start
- Too many hills and a bit tough so you missed out on your PB?: Train harder

No excuses... talk is cheap

Dan, I see you are trying to make some friends  

hillclimb, on Sep 22 2009, 12:26 AM, said:

The only issue I would like to raise is that there seem to be more cycling "supporters" on the marathon route this year, especially at Anzac Pde/Allison Rd part of the route which I find annoying to see them riding near me. Perhaps the organisers could brief the SES/Police to be more vigilant in pulling these cyclists off the course as the ones I saw rode for a kilometre unchallenged by anyone.

I thought technically that any outside assistance in a marathon was against the rules and could result in a DQ. Even leaving a bottle out on the course, or having a friend pass you food or drink. I know when we watched the olympics I gather technically a runner shouldn't even share his bottle from the special drinks table, but that is probably going too far. I know we are not elite, but I like to complete the marathon using the same rules as everyone else. So perhaps if everyone knew that outside assistance was against the rules it might result in less supporters.

[brewer]

For the seeding I think that people should be asked to indicate some form in previous years or other equivalent events. There were people with green bibs in the 9K who were walking from north of the bridge. Also, don't open the gate on group b until group a has gone.

Option to have race kit posted would be a plus. City to Surf this year had the option for an additional $3.

[Timbo76]

djbleakman, on Sep 21 2009, 10:43 PM, said:

Agreed, every marathon has its unique characteristics that make it what it is:

- Don't like the Gu's on offer: Bring your own, hey try eating some real food instead of artificial rubbish that gives short term energy hits
- Bit hot for you?: Go and run Canberra instead
- Start too late?: Go and run the Deep Space Mountain marathon - 5:45am start
- Too many hills and a bit tough so you missed out on your PB?: Train harder

No excuses... talk is cheap

Great post, I agree with all your points but Wayne has asked for suggestions so........

1. As someone whose family entered on the Family Fun Run, I reckon the $35 for people who are using existing infrastructure is a bit steep, considering most people are just there to support loved ones and have a little bit of fun themselves, maybe ditch the electronic timing to save money, (but keep the  medals, the kids love them.)
2. I also think starting the family fun run after the 9km would be a better option for those saying good bye to a marathoner and then having to rush down to get in line for the walk, it might free up the crowding on the start area a little.

Other than that personally I had a great day and thanks to you and all the volunteers for the day. The course is fantastic I reckon, the supporters along the route were great, particularly around the turnaround of the City West Link (where most of us needed it). I really liked being able to see the faster runners and keep an eye on different pace groups due the turnarounds. Love the T-Shirt. Can you have a word with Asic's and get them to have light colored hats for sale at the event expo. The running hats they had were only dark colors I ended up not bothering because the thought of adding a black heat panel to my head just to get shade seemed a bit silly.

[blkbox]

Wayne, thanks for the opportunity to comment.

With regards to the drinks stations, would it be possible to have them "stretch" a little longer so it wasn't like running into a brick wall each time we approached one.

Also, I think it would help if there were some specific comments in the race info about the layout of the drinks stations - e.g. that water will be available to the beginning of each station and the electrolytes at the far end. This would then allow runners to decide where they want to collect drinks from rather than just stopping at the front and then scrambling at one small area rather than using the whole length of the aid station.

This may seem so simple for those who run many events such as this, but there are and will continue to be many runners who will be fronting up for the first time and wont have the experience to know how to use the aid station to their advantage

[ksl]

Similar to previous comments: most importantly, thanks for a great day.

My gripe - why can't bibs and timing chips be posted out to people rather than collecting them at Circular Quay?  Not all of us work in the city, or even live in Sydney.  

If the City to Surf can post out the same stuff to 70000 entrants, surely you can too?

If there was an option to pay extra for postage I'd take it for sure (within reason - how much does posting a bib and chip cost?).

[Kazads]

Wayne, I thought the event was very well organised. My biggest gripe, and it has already been mentioned, is having to collect your event kit. As I live outside of the Sydney area, I have always had to pick it up the morning of the event, which means a very early start!! Posting out of the kits would be much better, and I am sure most participants would be happy to pay a small charge for the privilege.

The seeding worked ok, but I was in the yellow group (HM) and it still took me over 4 minutes to pass the start mat. There were people in the yellow section that should not have been there and it made for a frustrating first 4 kms or so as people were swerving and running at other people's paces. I know it is hard to control when you are looking at such large numbers, but the rules did say you would be disqualified if you started in the wrong section. As far as i know, no one was.

Otherwise, I had the most enjoyable day ever and I owe that to such a wonderful event. Thank you Wayne to you and your volunteers - I will be back next year!!  

Karen

[djbleakman]

Mick, on Sep 22 2009, 03:00 AM, said:

Dan, I see you are trying to make some friends  

I always look to share the love Mick. In all seriousness, I think it's good that the organisers open up a thread such as this to share comments and feedback. I guess I'm just uncomplicated

I always look to my own preparation first. Sure there are things that could have been improved at the race. I didnt like having to walk to recovery area becaus eI was a bit smashed having cranked up the pace in the last 3kms. I didnt know where to get a drink after the race. But really I should have put one in my bag at the end to solve that one.

I thought the course was dull (but I understand that its difficult to get every road you want closed, closed), but the finish was the best in any race I've ever run in... to have thousands of people clapping you as you come in through Circular Quay... priceless. The race is what is it...

I like the fact that it's hot... if you know it's hot, bring some electrolyte capsules with you (4-5 in a bag tucked in your pocket)... far easier than having to worrying about bloody sports drink!

Finally a big well done to all organisers and runners... it was a great day.

[NotJustFitness]

Improvements that can be made are:

1.  Look after the competitiors more in terms of what they rececive for their entry fee.
- Free Hat
- Sponsors Product Samples
- Free Fruit / Energy Bar after finishing.

Note - Melb Marathon is $50 cheaper and has all these benefits plus.

[vp102]

djbleakman, on Sep 21 2009, 10:43 PM, said:

Agreed, every marathon has its unique characteristics that make it what it is:

- Don't like the Gu's on offer: Bring your own, hey try eating some real food instead of artificial rubbish that gives short term energy hits
- Bit hot for you?: Go and run Canberra instead
- Start too late?: Go and run the Deep Space Mountain marathon - 5:45am start
- Too many hills and a bit tough so you missed out on your PB?: Train harder

No excuses... talk is cheap

Love it well said. HTFU.

[aDrain]

Call me shallow, but perhaps the sports drink be one of the coloured flavours so you can tell its the sports drink.

[Brick]

Wayne great event.
Would love it if you could have a clock at the halfway mark.
The back off the pack people can not hear the start gun so have no idea of the real race time which makes it very hard to run to gun time.
Some more toiltes at the start for everybody would be good.
More signs to point to the male urinals at the start as well, it was not very well signs posted.

Some great improvements over last year congratulations.