Forums >Racing>Sub 1:30 Half Marathon 2021 Edition
On that ChCh marathon stream I think one of the athletes mentioned Mt Cook being cancelled on the start line. I looked at the Facebook page - it looks like they delayed the start with about 10 mins to go before fully cancelling all events within 2 hours. Geez that must have been tough for the runners, a lot of whom would have had several Covid cancellations.
That would have been incredibly frustrating - particularly given that everyone would've had to spend a lot of time and money getting there as it's relatively remote. Rotorua Marathon was famously cancelled 10 minutes or so before the start due to flooding 20 years or so ago. I'd imagine the same could've happened in Christchurch back in 2019 if the rain had kept up for too much longer on the Saturday.
3,000m: 9:07.7 (Nov-21) | 5,000m: 15:39 (Dec-19) | 10,000m: 32:34 (Mar-20)
10km: 33:15 (Sep-19) | HM: 1:09:41 (May-21)* | FM: 2:41:41 (Oct-20)
* Net downhill course
Last race: Waterfront HM, 7 Apr, 1:15:48
Up next: Runway5, 4 May
"CONSISTENCY IS KING"
Why was Mt Cook cancelled? Weather? Maybe gale winds?
PRs: 5km 18:43 (Dec 2015), 10km 39:59 (Sep 2020), half 1:26:16 (Sep 2016), full 3:09:28 (Jun 2015)
40+ PRs: 5km 19:31 (Oct 2020), 10km 39:59 (Sep 2020), half 1:29:39 (Jun 2018), full 3:13:55 (Sep 2022)
2023 PRs (hope to beat in 2024): 5km 20:34, 10km 41:37, half 1:32:32, full 3:21:05
2024 PRs: 5km 20:25
Hot Weather Complainer
Yep, heavy rain and severe gale wind.
If Christchurch 2019 had been on Saturday they might have thought about it but it would have been such a soft option (I ran during the worst of it on the Saturday and it wasn’t great but I don’t think it was dangerous). I think if it’s like that, let the soft runners choose for themselves!
Listen to me rant....
5km: 18:34 11/23 │ 10km: 39:10 8/23 │ HM: 1:26:48 9/23 │ M: 3:34:49 6/23
2024 Races:
Motorway Half Marathon February 25, 2024 1:29:55
Christchurch Half-Marathon April 21, 2024
Selwyn Marathon June 2, 2024
Dunedin Half Marathon September 15, 2024
I suspect that Christchurch 2019 would have been cancelled if it had been on a Saturday.
It is all well and good stating that they should go ahead. But event organisers have legal responsibility plus insurers to deal with.
The following days was bad enough.
Also consider people at the aid stations too.
If that is bad enough to cancel then Wellington would get cancelled every second year. I see your point about organisers being responsible for the safety of runners, but it was only rain. Or am I misremembering? In 2017 a few weeks after the race there was extensive flooding across the city and a state of emergency declared. I don’t remember 2019 being half as bad as that
I suspect that Christchurch 2019 would have been cancelled if it had been on a Saturday. It is all well and good stating that they should go ahead. But event organisers have legal responsibility plus insurers to deal with. The following days was bad enough.
I'm with Steve tbh. It was a bit of rain (OK quite a lot of rain). There was no real risk to participants other than getting quite wet. I ran Devonport HM 2016 where it had rained very heavily overnight and continued during the race, there was tons of surface water around, it went ahead and I still have a good laugh with the Running Events guys about it.
On the other hand North Shore Marathon got canned in 2019 due to some very rough weather including severe thunderstorms around 5am. Unfortunately for them the weather had largely cleared by the time the event started (6:30 or so from memory). I can see why they made that decision though because asking a marshal to stand on the top of North Head with an umbrella in the middle of a thunderstorm doesn't seem like a great idea.
I remember Saturday being much worse than Sunday.
Wellington in around 2004 was incredibly bad with heavy rain and gale, I knew someone who was a half walker. I cannot think of another time it was bad weather. Often a moderate northerly, occasionally a gale.
I have been at Wellington seven to eight times between 2011 and 2019, either running or as a spectator. Every time the weather was OK, but never ideal.
Hopefully I have not jinxed myself for WU2K in July
Christchurch 2019 was easily the toughest conditions I have raced in.
The second worst was in Lower Hutt 2015 where it was mild and dry, but severe gales.
I was just using probabilities, not actual experience, haha. I did the 10km in 2007 after getting sick and pulling out of the half. It was miserable for me but absolutely perfect conditions. 2008 I did the half with gale northerlies and heavy rain.
I think thunderstorms or severe gales could lead to cancellation. Or heavy snow but not rain unless there’s flooding. Christchurch has been more dangerous in fine weather most years, with ice all over the course.
Christchurch 2015 I ran the full. Blue skies with a heavy frost of around - 5 Celsius. My feet were numb until around 24km in.
Yeah I did the half that year and took a screenshot of the MetService app before the start. -7! It was the same in 2016. Perfect but took about 10km to warm up and not have to worry about ice
Mark, Steve, Watson
You might want to start another thread
55+ PBs 5k 18:36 June 3rd TT
" If you don't use it you lose it, but if you use it, it wears out.
Somewhere in between is about right "
Just dropping this off will be back later, got a lot of chores to do today... 7 of the last 8 weeks at 25+ MPW & 6 weeks in a row. I think I'll put in another 2 weeks in at this level before I make any increases. I'm not making any progress on my weight loss ,I'm gonna have to do something different just running more miles alone is not working.
Just dropping this off will be back later, got a lot of chores to do today...
7 of the last 8 weeks at 25+ MPW & 6 weeks in a row. I think I'll put in another 2 weeks in at this level before I make any increases.
I'm not making any progress on my weight loss ,I'm gonna have to do something different just running more miles alone is not working.
That's great consistency, and honestly great patience. If you figure anything out regarding weight loss, please share!!! I've never had success losing weight by increasing miles because I just eat more. Eating is such a comfort thing for me that it takes serious focus and dedication to lose any weight. Piwi has some good advice, for me it's almost always about not snacking after dinner.
DWave - Huge workout, nice job.
Steve Good week and it sounds like you nailed the effort in the HM if you were able to train well this week!
Watson That race looks like great fun. Did you just power hike miles 4 & 5?
1600 - 5:23 (2018), 5k - 19:33 (2018), 10k - 41:20 (2021), half - 1:38:57 (2018), Marathon - 3:37:17 (2018)
RIP Milkman
Mark, Steve, Watson You might want to start another thread
I tried this 2 years ago when I was thread king. It clearly didn't work.
5K: 16:37 (11/20) | 10K: 34:49 (10/19) | HM: 1:14:57 (5/22) | FM: 2:36:31 (12/19)
JMac - I'd almost forgotten those dictatorship days