Thames Meander Marathon & Half – Autumn
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Thames Meander Marathon & Half – Autumn
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About
Wind and snake round the iconic River Thames as you run a marathon or half along the Thames Path. The flat riverside trail starts and finishes at the Petersham & Ham Sea Cadets, and provides the perfect course for runners of all abilities to set a new PB and enjoy the city sights along the way.
Marathon, Half Marathon and 10k
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Sat, 21 Oct 2023
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Richmond, United Kingdom
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3.9(83 Reviews)
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Where and when
Location
Douglas House, Meadow Cl, Richmond TW10 7AH, UK
Start times
Saturday, 21 Oct 2023
Marathon:
8:30 am | Half Marathon:
9:00 am | 10k:
5:30 pm Event summary
Here are the distances available for Thames Meander Marathon & Half – Autumn
Marathon
26.2mi
£50
Half Marathon
21.1km
£42
10k
10km
£30
Route information
Both the Half Marathon and Marathon routes will start and finish at the Petersham & Ham Sea Cadets. True to it's name, the routes follow the Thames Path towards Richmond town centre, past Kew Gardens and all the way along to Barnes. At this point, runners will turn around and head back. Marathon runners will complete 2 laps of this course.
Course Markings/Signage:
Both routes will be very well marked, with both Hermes Running yellow/black chevron fixed directional signage and 'Caution Runner' yellow/black signage on the Lower Ham Road section of the course. The whole course will be well-marshalled and checkpoints will be well-stocked.
Organiser route images
What's included
- Thames Meander Finisher's Medal
- Winners’ trophies for the 1st, 2nd & 3rd Male / Female runners for each event.
- Sports Action Photography, option to purchase some lovely photo’s
- 5 Well stocked Aid Stations with Tailwind, Chia Charge bars, jelly babies, crisps, bananas, pretzels, coca-cola, fruit cordial and water
- Free on-site parking at the race HQ on a first come first served basis
- Cue Medical professional medical support through the race for all runners
How to get there
Douglas House, Meadow Cl, Richmond TW10 7AH, UK
Get full directionsParking
There will not be parking available at the event.
By Train
If you’re coming by Train the nearest stations are Twickenham Station which is 1.5 miles away or about a 30 min walk.
Event day logistics
06:45 Registration opens
08:30 Marathon starts
09:00 Half Marathon starts
Please arrive at least 45 minutes before race time to ensure plenty of time to find parking, register, store your bags, and warmup.
Race Packs
All race packs will be collected on the day from registration. Nothing will be sent out in advance.
Please get to the Burnell Avenue Open Space Area HQ area as early as is possible to register, but do not park there.
Age Requirements
All runners must be at least 18 years old to take part.
Cut-off Time
There will be cut-off times in place of 6.5 hours for the Marathon and 6 hours for the half.
Baggage
You will be provided tear off Tyvek baggage tags that correspond numerically with your colour-coded race numbers on the day, so please ensure that these are tagged onto your bag when you hand your bag to the baggage marshal.
When you collect your race bags you will need to show your race bib number for security purposes to collect your bag.
Facilities
The YMCA has adequate changing facilities for runners, but no shower facilities. There will be a number of toilets inside the YMCA, as well as portable toilets positioned outside by the start line.
Prizes
Winners’ awards will be awarded and will be handed out to the M/F 1st, 2nd & 3rd runners once the directly after the race, there will not be Vet Category awards for these race distances.
Aid Stations
There will be checkpoints along the course with a selection of food / drinks including GU Energy gels, Chia Charge bars, and water and will be situated at the following points:
- Check Point 1 – YMCA HQ Start / Finish (KLP Medical Support)
- Check Point 2 – Kew Gardens Car Park (half marathon turnaround) (KLP Medical Support)
- Check Point 3 – Barn Elms Boat Club (marathon turnaround only) (KLP Medical Support)
Event Photography
Raceday photos will be available to purchase 24hrs after the event. Entrants will be emailed after the event when the photos become available and they will be geo-tagged on facebook.
Sports Massage/Coaching
Sports massage will be available for purchase from BeckyFit Sports Massage at £10 for 10 minutes. This will be located right next to the start/finish line and will be available from 7am.
FAQs
What is the cut-off time for the Thames Meander Marathon & Half?
The cut off time is 6.5hrs for the marathon course and 6 hours for the half.
Can I listen to music during the Thames Meander?
For safety reasons, wearing headphones will be banned as there are some busy road crossing sections on all of their courses.
Will there be showers at the Thames Meander?
No, there will be adequate changing facilities, but no showers will be available.
When will I receive my race pack for the Thames Meander & Half?
All race packs will be collected on the day. Participants won't be sent anything ahead of time.
Are there toilets along the route at the Thames Meander Half and Full Marathon?
There are toilets at the Start / Finish and at Eileen’s Cafe in Petersham. There are also pubs that you can use along the route but we cannot have portable toilets along the Thames so you would need to use the pubs.
What age do I have to be to enter the Thames Meander Half and Full Marathon?
Entrants must be 18 or older to enter both the events.
Is there a race permit and can the Thames Meander Half and Full Marathon be used as a qualifying race for larger events?
The race is fully (Association of Trail Running) ARC and UKA permitted and professionally chip timed. In this respect we have all the necessary identifications in place required for this to be an officially recognised as a pre-qualification event for the Comrades Ultra Marathon (South Africa) and 2 Oceans Ultra Marathon (South Africa). This is not an officially measured course however and therefore cannot be used as a TCS London Marathon (GFA) qualification time.
What level of medical support can be expected at the Thames Meander Half and Full Marathon?
There will be qualified medics managed by Kevin Peach from KLP Medical Supplies Ltd. they will be providing professional first aid support on race day. Medics will be situated at the start/finish, and checkpoint 3.
When will the prizes for the Thames Meander Half and Full Marathon be awarded?
Winners’ awards will be awarded and will be handed out to the Male /Female 1st, 2nd & 3rd runners once the directly after the race, there will not be Vet Category awards for these race distances.
How does the chip timing work at the Thames Meander Half and Full Marathon?
The timing will be done by OneTime Chip Timing and registration will take place on the day, your race bib and will be handed out to you by our registration team and the OneTime timing tag will need to be laced into your running shoe.The provisional chip timed results will be recorded initially but please note that these will only be provisional and will be subject to final verification. These will be uploaded to our Hermes Running homepage directly after the race has taken place, the links will be embedded on my homepage too so once you have completed your race you can go directly to the homepage to search for your provisional results.
Will there be race photography at the Thames Meander Half and Full Marathon?
The photographer does really professional photo’s and this will be done by Gareth Parker Photography, the photo’s will cost £7.50 each and will be available they have been uploaded using geo-tagging and this will take place within 24hrs of the event staging. There are also be links embedded on my homepage for you to access, in order to purchase the race photographs.
What do I need to bring on race day for the Thames Meander Half and Full Marathon?
Yes it is recommended that all runners bring along a hydration pack or waist pack with at least a 500ml water carrying capacity so you can then top up your water bottles / and carry gels easily on race day and you’ll be able to re-supply at all the check point locations. The organisers are keen to promote sustainability so please bring your own water carrying bottle or hydration pack on race day. Road shoes are definitely recommended for this course as 80% of it is run along asphalt paths and the rest on very hard packed dirt trails, so you can easily run this in road shoes or hybrid trail shoes. It is also recommended that you don a cap / sunglasses and use screen block as it could be a very hot day. The organiser would also encourage you all to check the projected weather forecast.
What happens if I want to drop out of the race?
If you are feeling unwell and need to retire from the race, please contact me David Ross (Race Director) 0798 4540177. You can also inform a marshal or a medic and they will pass on the message to us. Please on no account leave the course without informing us of your whereabouts as your safety is our main priority. My contact number will be printed on the front of the race bib if needed and we would like to complete your emergency contact information too at the back of your race bibs. We would also suggest that you carry your mobile phone with you and download the What3Words app onto your phone in advance, as we can easily locate you within a 3meter radius if you have this app on your phone and can then give us your precise location.
How will the course at the Thames Meander Half and Full Marathon be marked?
We will be marking the course with fixed Hermes Running pink / black chevron signage throughout the run-route, and there will be marshals at the check points and at the turnaround point at the Isleworth Eyot. Our marshals and will be located at this turnaround point for the half marathon and marathon, so please pay special attention if you are wearing MP3’s, there will also be a Hermes Running turnaround A Frame billboard at this turnaround point.
Where do I discard my litter at the Thames Meander Half and Full Marathon?
There will be plastic pop-up bins provided at all the check points for your water bottles, GU Gel packs, High 5 Gel packs and wrappers to be discarded. We would urge you not to discard any litter on the Thames Path trail at all please, our marshals will take any litter from you so just keep it until you get to a marshal, or use the bins provided which will be at each of the 3 check point locations.
What food and drink will be available at the checkpoints for the Thames Meander Half and Full Marathon?
The 3 check points will all have a selection of food / drinks including High 5 Gels & bars, Blue Energy electrolytes, pretzels, fruit cordial and water.I would also highly recommend that you bring a hydration pack or a 500 ml water bottle so that you can carry your own electrolyte drinks in a bladder or bottle and to ensure you can carry electrolytes and any food that you’ll need for your race. You will be able to re-supply with nutrition at the all these check points and therefore be more self-sufficient.
How difficult is the course at the Thames Meander Half and Full Marathon?
The majority of the course 99% is flat / fast and is run along the Thames Path out / back. The conditions are weather dependant though it’s mainly a firm running surface, I would highly recommend road shoes for this course. The turnaround point for the half and marathon at the Isleworth Eyot will also be very well marshalled.Please ensure that move out of the way of your fellow runners if you stop to re-fuel to avoid any congestion occurring at the check points and please pay particular attention to our marshals on the route, especially at the turnaround point.
Will there be a mandatory race briefing at the Thames Meander Half and Full Marathon?
Yes, there will be a 10 minute “Health & Safety” briefing that will take place before the start of the half marathon and marathon, so please get to the start in time to attend this. We would also like to make it clear that all runners should use the UKA Approved “Aftershokz” over ear bone conducting earphones so you can hear what is going on around you at all times, and to be courteous to fellow runners and all other pedestrians / cyclists using the Thames Towpath. If you run using any form of over or in earphones as per our terms and conditions, you do so at entirely your own liability risk. Please be very mindful of the public using the trails too, if you are caught being rude to anyone you will be DQ’d from any future events and this includes all our marshalling staff too.
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