Got a text on my phone when I reached back from the run - "You raced the world. You beat the clock - well run. Your official time: 00:42:38. Your pace: 04:16/KM. Check out nikeplus.com tomorrow for global race results."It looks impressive with the use of technology but I really consider this to be my worst race that I have ever run in my life! Let's try to list them down and you judge for yourself:
1. Run route was only released 2 weeks before the event; prior to that, most of the runners have no clue of the route, let alone that it will be run in the evening; we were only notified upon collection of the running T.
2. The instructions stated that all runners are required to be inside Wembley stadium by 6pm, but there was no indication that the run would only start at 7.45pm. During the hour and half, there was no notice of that actual start time, and runners were all jogging around the limited area inside the stadium and trying to warm themselves up before the start.
3. Why was there a concert performance by Pendulum (who???), Moby and other DJs for and hour and half when most of the runners just want to start running? Personally, I am a fan of Moby, but completely did not see the point of the performances especially when it was raining and cold; we just wanted to RUN!!!
4. I spoke to a few runners and we were all completely clueless about the point of the elaborate stage and the artistes performance. This was meant to raise funds for 3 global charities, wouldn't it be more fruitful to give these additional money to them?
5. The route was a the worst I have encountered; sharp turns, no lighting, few road marshals. I know the weather was out of control, but surely a better route should have been chosen for an event of such scale? I was in the first wave that started at 7.45pm and I could hardly see many sections of the road as the lighting was extremely poor as it was through a industry area. I really sympathise with the runners starting in wave 4 and hope no accidents happen along the way.
6. Again on the route: why was such a remote area of London chosen which resulted in the supporters unable to give the support like any other big races. It was that bad that I will not walk there alone at night!
My rants were not helped by the fact that I performed badly in the run, not helped by 5 diarrhea trips to the toilet in the day. Only felt better after a dosage of medicine which left my legs slightly wobbly due to the loss of water and salt. The lack of information of the start time also resulted in the runners not sure if they should go to the washroom or not especially since they have got a good place near the starting line like myself. I ended up making a pit stop to the toilet at the 5km mark and struggled to maintain the pace through the route.
In the end, all of us were cold and wet from the rain slashing down on us along the route, and the organisation definitely left a very bitter after taste to the event. The entire setup just seem to be a publicity stunt for Nike, rather than doing what they are preaching. I will not be surprise if there are no aftermath from the public tomorrow...
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Hi Skinnydiver - I ran the Nike last night as well and have to agree with you. It's about the 5th of the Nike events I've ran and was definitely the worst.
Previous events in the major parks have been really well organised, with start times published in advance. The previous night race, about four years was great - really well lit and a good route running around the city and eastend with lots of support along the route. Last night was laughable not knowing the start time was very annoying, especially as my group of friends had been given a lift to the venue and we couldn't give the driver a clue as to when we might be done.
Next year I'm going to reluctant to sign up for the race unless Nike states explicitly the location and start times.
I ran it too. The organsiation was extremely poor. I was in wave 4. We only found out in the stadium that we were due to run at 8.40pm!!! Remember all runners had to be in the stadium by 6pm. At no stage was this billed as a night race. No baggage allowed in the stadium and Nike expect runners to stay warm for 2 hours 40 minutes!! A complete joke. We negotiated to be allowed to leave the stadium and go over to Wembley Arena to the Nike Office where we swapped our tickets in wave 4 for some in wave 2. The Nike guy said to us not to tell anyone else that he'd done this for us!!!! We then had to beg someone to lend us a mobile to call our friends in the spectators section to tell them when we anticipated being finished. A complete organisational shambles.
Nike. The Human Farce.
halo, i ran the race in singapore. i tot it was badly organised in singapore too.. but i need to bring the bad organisation to before the race.
we Q for 4 hours just to collect the race pack, the organisers only had 10 booths and the turn out on that weekend were by the thousands.. the 'helpers' weren't of much help cos they went to the Q and told us we were abt 1 hour away, when it was obviously 3 more hours to go!
the next day, NIKE email blasted to apologise.. so i kinda set the expectation low for race day..
but even so, race day was quite a disapptmt too..
it was suppose to be a scenic run throught shenton way (business district), boat quay and clarke quay (by the riverside) but it ended up the HUMAN JAM (not race).. people were suddenly moved from 3 lanes to 1 lane, so naturally, if even if you wanted to run, it was NOT possible..and at the bends it was literally a space for 10 people at a time..so in the end most people just gave up and decided to take a 'stroll' down the riverside!
i was totally frustrated at the finish point.. lucky i had some gal pals who cheered me up!
Naturally when i read your london review..i was more sorry for what you had..
so my take - Nike should channel some of their publicity $ into getting some decent event organiser!
Hey. I kinda liked the rain. It made me more determined somehow. Though maybe it did slow down my time somehow. Or maybe it was trying to take photos with my mobile whilst running. Or my little legs. I had fun though.
But yes, all that 'entertainment' was frustrating. I was just keen to get running, and hated the waiting around. Also sucked that London could not really watch us as it was too late on a Sunday evening. Hyde Park's North v South was definitely better.
Hi eevilmidget, I agree with you and definitely not putting the blame of the weather on Nike. It is something beyond the control of any organisers and find it quite challenging as well. However, I am not convinced by the lighting condition of the route, which is a severe health and safety concern.
My biggest issue remains the lack of commnication of the start timings, location and question the need for the pre-run entertainment.
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