« 1:08:50/144 | Main | 45:01/164 »
August 30, 2005
Honesty in advertising
After reading the fine print, I got around to signing up for the marathon in Grenoble this Halloween. But I hadn't read the best part, yet.
It turns out we need to send copies of our medical certificates beforehand. That's the paper your doctor signs declaring he doesn't expect you to drop dead. I'm not sure why they aren't collecting copies of those when we go in to get our numbers, which is what they did in Lyon and even in Pontcharra. Seems like extra work for the organizers to keep track of it all.
In any case I was looking around for a fax number, and landed on a page covering the atouts (advantages) of the marathon run they're organizing for us. My confidence is slightly shaken by the statement right at the top that they're holding it in, "Grenoble, la ville la plus plate de France" (Grenoble, the flattest city in France).
Let's hope the rest of organization is a little less fast and loose than the advertising. Maybe I should carry a 10 euro bill in my shorts in case I need to buy my own drinks along the way.
Posted by Mark at August 30, 2005 10:10 PM
Comments
I see what you mean. The "philosophy" page really makes it a Halloween tie-in that I personally don't think is that popular in France. I do like the idea of having chartered buses from other towns in France, until I read that the marathon starts at 7pm and the busses leave at 1am. I guess no one will run for more than 5 hours.
On the one hand they're trying to make it a serious sporting event with prizes and known runners, on the other, they make it a big party. I guess it's an attempt to get both real runners interested in a new event and make it enticing to others who have already run their annual marathon somewhere else.
I just noticed that the course goes right past my old appartment twice, and along some of the bike paths I used to jog on.
Have fun.
Posted by: Andy at August 31, 2005 10:42 PM
Thanks. I probably will have fun for at least the first half.
Some folks may finish in over five hours. In 7 1/2 hours of brisk walking, you could complete a standard marathon.
When you complete a 26.2 mile marathon in just over 5 hours, that's 12 min/mi. The thing is, if you can stand to do a whole marathon, 12 min/mi is probably a reasonably slow pace for you, unless you're over 70. I base that on recollection of Ken Cooper's 12 minute test, where people in average condition can run significantly further than a mile in 12 minutes. Cooper based the numbers on performances of a fairly large population. (The number 30,000 people comes to mind.)
Posted by: Mark at September 1, 2005 08:02 AM