The fast celebrity this year was Olympic medal winning cyclist Christ Newton racing his first marathon in 2:58:52. Fastest non-sporting celebrity was Tom Audenshaw, otherwise known as Bob Hope in Emmerdale, who was joined this year by a number of fellow cast members running for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.

Fastest female honour went to Nell McAndrew who  improved her best again with an impressive finish in 3:08:25, whilst Jamie Baulch was the victor in a friendly contest over former 400m rival Iwan Thomas,

Below are the finishing times of celebrities in the 2011 Virgin London Marathon. Clicking on their name takes you to the London Marathon result site where you can see the runners split times and a link to the Marathonfoto.com site to see race photos of the celebrity.

Name	2011 Time	Predicted Time	Why Famous	Charity
Chris Newton	02:58:52	03:00	Olympic medal winning cyclist	The National Autistic Society
Nell McAndrew	03:08:25	03:09	Model	Cancer Research UK
Tony Audenshaw	03:18:13	03:10	Bob Hope in Emmerdale	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Muzzy Izzet	03:22:36	04:00	ex-Footballer	Wishes 4 Kids
Shauna Macdonald	03:28:07	03:30	Actress	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Richard Harrington	03:28:41	03:30	Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Mark Lewis-Jones	03:28:42	03:40	Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Henry Holland	03:28:50	04:00	Fashion Designer	Oxfam
Dwight Yorke	03:31:56		Ex-Footballer	Vision
Chris Cogill	03:33:29	04:15	Actor/ Mr Lisa Faulkner	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Richard Moore	03:48:49	05:30	Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Luke Allen-Gale	03:48:49	04:30	Actor in Monroe	Brain Tumour UK
Jamie Baulch	03:51:40	03:45	Former 400m champion	Barnardo's
Natalie Robb	03:55:13	04:00	Actress	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Rob Deering	03:55:26	04:30	Comedian	Parkinson's Uk
Tim Delap	03:55:57	03:25	Actor	Motor Neurone Disease
Johnny Mowlem	03:57:41	03:30	Racing Driver	CLIC sargent
Michel Roux	03:59:39	03:35	Chef	VICTA and the Dispossessed Fund
Charlie Webster	04:02:09	03:35	Sports Presenter	Women's Aid
Will Young	04:02:35	03:30	Singer	Catch 22
Chris Perry	04:05:09	04:00	ex-Footballer	Motor Neurone Disease
Matthew Pinsent	04:11:36	04:00	Olympic Champion Rower	Alzheimer's society
Iain McKee	04:11:52	03:50	Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Tom Smith	04:14:28		Editors lead singer	Oxfam
Russell Leetch	04:14:29		Bassist with Editors	Oxfam
Neil Madden	04:15:23	03:45	Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Monty Halls	04:16:19	04:00	TV Presenter	WDCS
Tuuli Shipster	04:17:40	04:22	Model	Oxfam
Aneirin Hughes	04:24:41	04:00	Actor/ Singer	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Iwan Thomas	04:24:52	03:40	Former 400m champion	Macmillan Cancer Support
John Conroy	04:27:53	04:00	Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
David Gandy	04:35:53	04:20	Model	Oxfam
Sarah Anthony	04:36:06		Actress	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Gillies Peterson	04:43:09		DJ and broadcaster	Get it Organised
Derek Jelley	04:43:15	04:15	ex-rugby player	Sparks
Agyness Deyn	04:45:16	04:00	Model/Actress/Singer	Oxfam
Dani Lawrence	04:51:38	05:00	Model	Anthony Nolan
Tom Lister	04:51:49	03:45	Carl King in Emmerdale	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Jack Tweed	04:52:35	04:00	Mr Jade Goody	Macmillan Cancer Support
Irwin Sparks	04:55:47	04:30	The Hoosiers lead vocalist	Samaritans
Emma Crosby	04:58:48	06:00	TV Presenter	Wellbeing of Women
Chris Villiers	05:00:49	04:40	Grayson Sinclair in Emmerdale	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
John Michie	05:01:14	05:10	DI Robbie Ross in Taggart	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Nicola Wheeler	05:02:14	04:45	Nicola Blackstock in Emmerdale	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Charlie Brooks	05:05:47	04:45	Janine Butcher in Eastenders	Sparks
Nadine Lewington Malarkey	05:06:51	04:45	Actress	Great Ormond Street Hospital
Elen Rivas	05:11:39	05:30	Model	Wellbeing of Women
Cheryl Baker	05:19:46	04:30	Bucks Fizz singer	Headfirst
Chriss Simmons	05:23:17	03:40	DC Mickey Webb in The Bill	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research and Rhys Daniels Trust
Johnathon Ansell	05:27:18	05:00	Singer in G4	Breakthrough Breast Cancer
Emma Pierson	05:44:22	04:30	Actress	Oxfam
Chris Chittell	05:45:34	05:10	Eric Pollard in Emmerdale	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Lyndon Ogbourne	05:45:35	03:40	Nathan Wilde in Emmerdale	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Calum Best	05:48:20		Model	The Childrens Trust
Roberto	05:57:08		Capital FM DJ	Help a Capital Child
Sophie Raworth	06:22:57	04:30	Presenter	Cancer Research UK
Jay Aston	06:25:54	05:30	Bucks Fizz singer
Jonathan Pearce	06:27:56	05:30	Football Commentator	Lily
Ricky Wilson	DNF		Kaiser Chiefs front man	Alzheimer's society
Katie Price	DNS	05:45	Businesswoman	Vision and the Pituitary Foundation
Mark Wright	Not Found	04:00	Club Promoter	Macmillan Cancer Support
Craig Gazie	Not Found	04:00	Graeme Proctor in Coronation Street	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Nadia Sawalha	Not Found	05:00	Actress/Presenter	Cystic Fibrosis Trust
Matthew Wolfeden	Not Found	04:30	David Metcalfe in Emmerdale	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Ray McCallen	Not Found		Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Mikyla Dodd	Not Found	04:50	Actress	Sparks
Jo-Emma Larvin	Not Found	04:00	Model/Actress	Breakthrough Breast Cancer
Ronni Ancona	Not Found	04:30	Actress/Impressionist/Comedienne	Trinity Hospice
Tom Aikens	Not Found	03:30	Michelin starred chef	Marine Conservation Society
Johnny Davies	Not Found		New Vinyl singer	Coram
Nick Woodman	Not Found	03:30	Jack Hollins I The Doctors	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Andrew Knott	Not Found	04:10	Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Duncan Pow	Not Found	03:30	Actor	CLIC sargent
Greg Kelly	Not Found	03:50	Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Ben Jones	Not Found	04:00	Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Cal Macaninch	Not Found	03:00	DI John Keenan in Holby Blue	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Joe Pasquale	Not Found		Comedian	Diabetes UK
Ben Thapa	Not Found	04:50	Singer in G4	Mental Health Foundation
Danny Crates	Not Found	03:30	Former 400m Paralympic Champion	Sports Aid
Gail Porter	Not Found		TV Presenter	Coram

‘Not Known’ are celebrities listed as running in the official marathon press release but I couldn’t find their time. This could be because they didn’t run, didn’t finish or the registered under a different name than they are famous for. If you know any pseudonyms let me know and I’ll update the table.

Five years ago this news would have had me rushing to the expo, never mind collecting my race number, I would want to get my hands on the latest piece of ‘essential’ training equipment – but my excitement at the news of the latest member to the Forerunner family is rather subdued after my experience with the Forerunner 405.

My first experience of Gamin came with the Forerunner 301 and I quickly became obsessed with it. Downloading and analysing all my training and races, sharing my training routes with club mates and also using it when travelling to record where I had been exploring. I think that a clear indication of how much I loved and relied on my Forerunner was when I lost my watch during a weekend away and in spite of being a poor student, I ordered a new one with two days of exhausting all search options.

Fast forward to January 2008 and the news came out that of the launch of the Forerunner 405. Instead of the bulk and size of its predecessor, the 405 looked like a watch, so could be worn all the time without weird looks form colleagues at work and if you don’t have to take it off after running I have less chance of losing it. But for me I had to get it for the ‘HotFix satellite prediction, which means it locks onto satellites quickly so you can be out the door and on with your run in no time. It also has a high-sensitivity GPS receiver to stay locked onto satellites, even near tall buildings or under tree cover.’ As I was living in New York at the time I often lost signal running around Central Park with my 301 so was eager to get hold of the new 405. With delay after delay the 405 was finally release in May 2008 and after playing with it in a few stores I decided to part with my $349 plus tax. It was the worst $349 I have ever spent.

I don’t know where to start with my hatred of this gadget. I don’t think I have ever hated any piece of equipment so much and far from being a method of relaxation my runs with my forerunner 405 leave me frustrated and more wound up than before I left the house. The Forerunner is so unreliable that I wear both my 301 and 405 when training or racing with the 405 purely to record my heart rate.

To summarise the differences I’ll describe my experiences with both. The 305 is charged by plugging into a standard USB cable into the watch which can be attached to your computer or plugged into the wall. The screen tells you when the battery charging process is complete and you can unplug it and leave it in your training bag. One month later when you go back to the watch if you haven’t used it then you will still have 13 hours of battery life. Also if it says you have 2hours charge left then you know you actually do have 2 hours. If you get to work and remember you need to charge your 305 or are away from home for a weekend then you can use any standard USB cable to recharge it. When you go to use it if you are in a new area then it can take a while for the signal to pick up but never more than 10 minutes. The screen is large and the most important feature being the large chunky buttons that can be activated when wearing gloves, in the rain, with sticky gel covered fingers and without accidentally pressing adjacent buttons. Its major flaw is that in built up areas you can lose signal but this flaw is more than acceptable when added to the ease at programming the watch with a virtual partner and audio training alerts for distance or pace. Laps are easily recorded by pressing the large lap button with the large red stop button easy to see, no matter how hard the rain may be blowing into your eyes. Finally to download the data to your computer you simply plug it into your computer using the USB.

The Forerunner 405 requires a provided clip to charge the battery. Again this can be plugged into a wall plug or computer, but if you find you need to charge it up away from your home (believe me that is a lot of the time) and if you haven’t carried around your charger with you then you are stuck. The other aspect is you can’t just plug it into the wall to start the charging you have to press a button to activate the charging process. Sounds like a simple process but it is frustrating when you go to use the watch at a race and realise it never charged overnight. The other annoying aspect is that if you are charging you and you have a power cut or a light bulb blows you presume that when the power comes back on it will restart charging but it doesn’t. Many times I have returned to my watch after a day of charging to find it has a blank screen. Don’t assume that because you have had it charged for 16 hours that it will be fully charged when you go to use it. Often I unplug it with 100% charge to step out the door and be greeted with the low battery notification and a blank screen before I have reached the end of the road.

A further issue with the battery is how quickly it gets used up trying to find the GPS signal. 30 minutes before a race starts I switch on my 301 and try to get my 405 to pick up a signal. By the time the race starts my 405 will still be searching but helpfully telling me the accuracy of the satellites (so much for the Hotfix satellite prediction). For all this effort I find that my battery life is now 87% fine I think 100% is 8 hours so I must still have around 7 hours left, plenty of time to finish the race. But whilst the 301 picked up the signal within 5 minutes at the start line the 405 waits a further 2 miles before I get any data from it. Things then work well scrolling through my predetermined screens of heart rate, pace, virtual partner, distance.  As I approach the next mile marker I try to press the lap button, and again, and again, in the end I give up it’s not too important I can read it off my 301 or I can distract myself with some maths as I run to calculate my pace. 6 miles in everything else is fine. I have locked the bezel so I can’t accidentally catch it with my clothing, a fellow competitor or passing motorist but my screen starts randomly scrolling not with pace/heart rate/time but with the accuracy of the GPS satellite and battery life and compass directions. Great I don’t know how fast I am running but I do know that I have 10% battery life left. 10%?? How did I use 77% of my battery in less than 1 hour. Before I can check the screen again the battery life warning appears on the screen and the bleeping begins.

‘What’s that telling you?’ asks a fellow competitor ‘are we going too fast?’.

‘No, my battery is low’ I reply

‘Ah, forgot to charge it did you?’

Getting back home I want to download the little data my 405 recorded but unlike the 301 the 405 needs a handy ant stick for wireless transfer. That ant stick that you have to remove when carrying your laptop and fell down behind the drawer or you left plugged in your work computer.

One of my major issues with Garmin is that they know that the Forerunner 405 is flawed and have done nothing to rectify the problem with their customers. I am on 405 watch number three. I cannot fault the friendliness of the customer service people at Garmin. After getting to my uncharged watch again as I set out for a 22 mile run I ring up the customer service line ready to rant at them yet the clear English speaking operator is so understanding I can’t shout at them anymore. Although really I should. Every time they ask me if I have the most up to date software, I say it was down loaded last week, they say there was a new update yesterday I should try that to see if it solves the problem. I hang up happy then a week later conclude it isn’t any better. Occasionally the operator tells me what I am experiencing is a known problem and will send me a replacement. The first one was a brand new 405, the second one exactly a year ago was a refurbished model. Refurbished so well that on its first wear the strap fell off and I had to rush to the London marathon expo to get a new strap fitted before the next days race.

As I said Garmin know there are many faults with the 405 that they quickly released the 410. Comparing the specifications they are identical although the improvements to the Forerunner 410 include:

• Added device shutdown feature to the System menu
• Added banner that notifies customer when the device will be entering low power mode
• Added enhanced touch bezel

There is also the option of two additional wrist straps which allow a more comfortable fit for us thin wristed females. I am not the only person who has experienced problems with the 405 as many online forum users have discussed although the 410 appears to still have issues in the wet. I wish Garmin had offered replacement upgrades to those of us who have the flawed Forerunner 405. I would love to train with the Forerunner 610 with its new touch screen and new functions such as the Training Effect which measures the impact of an activity on your aerobic fitness, but I don’t have the money to risk on a product which may have as many problems as the 405 did when its new bezel was launched. My loyalty to Garmin disappears further with every frustrating run I attempt with my Forerunner 405 and with new GPS watches coming on to the market such the Nike+ sportwatch with GPS provided by TomTom at half the price of £179. Maybe it is time for a change.

Thank you for allowing your lovely dog to join in my training run this week. I felt it very beneficial to have the extra weight, as your beloved fur ball jumped up to my hips and sunk her teeth into my jacket, biting down as I tried to force her off, whilst you just watched. She may have been only playing or being friendly but it’s not the sort of friendly game I like to play mid run. It may have also been nice for you to see how I was, instead of a quick ’sorry love’ then hurriedly rush off down a side road and leave it to a passing motorist to stop and offer me a lift home.

I don’t want to tarnish all dog walkers with the same criticism. In fact scary dog owners and owners of scary dogs in the main are always considerate to passing pedestrians and runners. The dogs wear muzzles and have leads less than half a meter long which they use to pull them to their side or they wait in a driveway as I pass by. My problem is with walkers who I feel are auditioning for a live version of Trumpton to play the part of Miss Lovelace with her uncontrollable trio of  Pekingese dogs Mitzi, Daphne and Lulu.

I was running on the kerb to the left of you, the walker, on the two meter wide pavement with your dog to your right walking on the grass verge. The fact that the dog was able to cross the pavement and jump up to my waist was because you use extendable leads and so not in control of your dog. In fact normally you have more than one furry ‘child’ with leads that span two driveways, causing pedestrians to move into the road to avoid getting tangled up. I don’t mind extendable leads at full length in the right location, such as in country parks and on the beach, but not on a suburban street.

Anyway you will be pleased to know the friendly play resulted in only superficial injury and bruises although my hamstring is still a bit sore from suddenly having to pull up during my tempo run. However, your dog’s next playmate may not be so lucky. My waist is about level with the neck of a child walking by, or playing on a scooter, which you may wish to consider next time you use such a long lead with your agile dog on the street.

Regards

Strenua

Less than 4 weeks to go now until 2011 Virgin London Marathon. It’s starting to dawn on the runners how close it is following the arrival last week of the race magazine with the final instructions. But for those not running and spectators who don’t really have any personal interest in the race the question is ‘Which celebrities are running the 2011 London Marathon?’

Last years fastest celebrity was Oliver Gavin a former British F3 Champion and F1 test driver who finished in 2:54:19. Fastest non-sporting celebrity was Tom Audenshaw, otherwise known as Bob Hope in Emmerdale. Tony also achieved the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathoner dressed in baby diapers in 3:13:30.

The fastest female honour went to TV presenter Jenni Falconer in 3:31 although she won’t be running this year, due to her recent pregnancy announcement. Fortunately we do have an elite celebrity female to watch through Nell McAndrew. Nell completed the 2005 London Marathon in just 3 hours 10 placing her in the ‘elite’ athlete category and was the first celebrity runner to cross the finish line in 2009. Nell will be running from the elite women’s start this year.

Fastest predicted times this year go to Cal Macaninch (DI John Keenan in Holby Blue) and Olympic medal winning cyclist Chris Newton who are both aiming to complete the marathon in 3 hours.

If you are competing on the 17th you can use the table below to motivate yourself over who you will not allow yourself to be beaten by (UPDATE 12 April 2011 Unfortunately Katie Price has had to pull out again this year); if you are supporting on the streets you can guesstimate when you will see these running celebs; and if you won’t be anywhere near London on the day you can use their race number to track your favourite on line on race day. You can use the search box to type in a celebs name directly, see who is predicting a time similar to yourself, or is running for your favourite charity (click on charity to be taken to donation page).  Alternatively click on the arrows on the the tables headings to arrange by predicted times or 2010 results.

The 2010 celebrity results can be found here . UPDATE 20.04.11 Check out the actual 2011 finishing times here

Name	Race Number	Predicted Time	2010 Time	Why Famous	Charity
Tom Aikens	51234	03:30		Michelin starred chef	Marine Conservation Society
Luke Allen-Gale	28301	04:30		Actor in Monroe	Brain Tumour UK
Ronni Ancona	49072	04:30		Actress/ Impressionist/ Comedienne	Trinity Hospice
Jonathan Ansell	28308	05:00		Singer in G4	Breakthrough Breast Cancer
Sarah Anthony	TBC	TBC		Actress	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Jay Aston	28282	05:30		Bucks Fizz singer
Tony Audenshaw	28215	03:10	03:13:30	Bob Hope in Emmerdale	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Cheryl Baker	28278	04:30		Bucks Fizz singer	Headfirst
Jamie Baulch	28103	03:45		Former 400m champion	Barnardo's
Charlie Brooks	28153	04:45		Janine Butcher in Eastenders	Marie Curie Cancer Care & Sparks
Chris Chittell	28216	05:10		Eric Pollard in Emmerdale	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Chris Cogill	28235	04:15		Actor/ Mr Lisa Faulkner	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
John Conroy	28236	04:00		Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Danny Crates	28277	03:30		Former 400m Paralympic Champion	Sports Aid
Emma Crosby	49858	06:00		TV Presenter	Wellbeing of Women
Johnny Davies	28307	TBC		New Vinyl singer	Coram
Rob Deering	28289	04:30		Comedian	Parkinson's UK
Tim Delap	43180	03:25		Actor	Motor Neurone Disease Association
Agyness Deyn	28313	04:00		Model/ Actress/ Singer	Oxfam
Mikyla Dodd	48046	04:50		Actress	Sparks
David Gandy	28314	04:20		Model	Oxfam
Craig Gazie	28229	04:00		Graeme Proctor in Coronation Street	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Monty Halls	28276	04:00		TV Presenter	WDCS
Richard Harrington	28225	03:30	03:42:18	Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Henry Holland	28312	04:00		Fashion Designer	Oxfam
Aneirin Hughes	28238	04:00		Actor/ Singer	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Muzzy Izzet	50701	04:00		ex-Footballer	Wishes 4 Kids
Derek Jelley	28271	04:15		ex-rugby player	Sparks
Ben Jones	28265	04:00		Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Greg Kelly	28234	03:50		Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Andrew Knott	28224	04:10		Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Jo-Emma Larvin	28303	04:00	04:20:32	Model/ Actress	Breakthrough Breast Cancer
Dani Lawrence	34254	05:00		Model	Anthony Nolan
Russell Leetch	28317	TBC		Bassist with Editors	Oxfam
Nadine Lewington Malarkey	28296	04:45		Actress	Great Ormond Street Hospital
Mark Lewis-Jones	28226	03:40		Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Tom Lister	28217	03:45	04:28:14	Carl King in Emmerdale	Hope For Justice and Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Cal Macaninch	28228	03:00		DI John Keenan in Holby Blue	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Nell McAndrew	479	03:09		Model	Cancer Research UK
Neil Madden	28231	03:45		Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Ray McCallen	TBC	TBC		Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Shauna Macdonald	28233	03:30	03:45:20	Actress	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Iain McKee	28233	03:50		Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
John Michie	28221	05:10		DI Robbie Ross in Taggart	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Richard Moore	28200	05:30		Actor	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Johnny Mowlem	28288	03:30	04:05:42	Racing Driver	CLIC sargent
Chris Newton	28324	03:00		Olympic medal winning cyclist	The National Autistic Society
Lyndon Ogbourne	28293	03:40		Nathan Wilde in Emmerdale	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Joe Pasquale	28274	05:30		Comedian	Diabetes UK
Jonathan Pearce	28283	05:30		Football Commentator	Lily
Chris Perry	28299	04:00		ex-Footballer	Motor Neurone Disease
Gillies Peterson	28305	TBC		DJ and broadcaster	Get it Organised
Emma Pierson	28315	04:30		Actress	Oxfam
Matthew Pinsent	52169	04:00		Olympic Champion Rower	Alzheimer's society
Gail Porter	28309	TBC		TV Presenter	Coram
Duncan Pow	28286	03:30		Actor	CLIC sargent
Katie Price	28292	05:45		Businesswoman	Vision & the Pituitary Foundation
Sophie Raworth	28298	04:30		Presenter	Cancer Research UK
Elen Rivas	28309	05:30	05:23:38	Model	Wellbeing of Women
Roberto	28280	TBC		Capital FM DJ	Help a Capital Child
Natalie Robb	28237	04:00		Actress	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Michel Roux	28258	03:35		Chef	VICTA & the Dispossessed Fund
Nadia Sawalha	28156	05:00		Actress/ Presenter	Cystic Fibrosis Trust
Chris Simmons	28304	03:40	05:25:37	DC Mickey Webb in The Bill	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research & Rhys Daniels Trust
Tuuli Shipster	28311	04:22		Model	Oxfam
Tom Smith	28316	TBC		Editors lead singer	Oxfam
Irwin Sparks	46568	04:30		The Hoosiers lead vocalist	Samaritans
Ben Thapa	28290	04:50	05:14:51	Singer in G4	Mental Health Foundation
Iwan Thomas	28270	03:40	04:19:39	Former 400m champion	Macmillan Cancer Support
Jack Tweed	42061	04:00		Mr Jade Goody	Macmillan Cancer Support
Chris Villiers	28219	04:40		Grayson Sinclair in Emmerdale	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Charlie Webster	28297	03:35	03:56:55	Sports Presenter	Women's Aid
Nicola Wheeler	28223	04:45	05:09:00	Nicola Blackstock in Emmerdale	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Ricky Wilson	28319	TBC		Kaiser Chiefs front man
Matthew Wolfeden	28218	04:30		David Metcalfe in Emmerdale	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Nick Woodman	28227	03:30		Jack Hollins in The Doctors	Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research
Mark Wright	42056	04:00		Club Promoter	Macmillan Cancer Support
Dwight York	28920	TBC		Ex-Footballer	Vision
Will Young	28275	03:30		Singer	Catch 22

Most of us long distance runners do not come with an ample bosom but we still need to wear specific sports bra to prevent damage to the breast tissue. The breast is made up of fatty tissue, not muscle and because of this, once it is damaged or stretched, exercise cannot help the breast to regain its original firmness and condition.

Sports scientist Dr Joanna Scurr from the University of Portsmouth, UK, discovered that a supporting sports bra prevents ‘bouncing’, and therefore stretching, of the sensitive breast tissue by 74%, while a normal bra only compensates by 38%.

Although Anita offers a range of sports bras I was looking for one most suitable for marathon running. Just because they fit, you wouldn’t run a marathon in a pair of tennis shoes as they wouldn’t provide the right support, and the same is with sports bras. One bra does not fit all sports. High impact sports such as running require different support to those doing yoga.

Long distance runners are especially prone to jogger’s nipple caused by friction from the repeated rubbing of the t shirt on the nipple for a long period of time. It is something that affects men more than women as we can wear sports bras designed for the breast to remain stable can help prevent the problem (men you can wear compression vests).

An additional consideration for marathon runners is that you are likely to be wearing the sports bra for 3-5 hours possibly longer. Due to increased blood flow round your active muscles your chest expands slightly (imagine how your feet expand as you run), whilst your body tries to keep you cool though perspiring and vasodilation of your blood vessels. You therefore need to choose a bra that can expand slightly whilst still providing support, but also one that is breathable and temperature regulating.

Road Test

I was given the Anita Active Extreme Control Sports Bra to try and the matching sports brief. One of the first things I noticed was the design of the padded shoulders on the straps, which were also adjustable. I tried the bra during two 20 mile races and as I expanded during the race the straps did not dig in my shoulders or rub. Also important for me was wearing a heart rate monitor and the under bust band fit perfectly over the top, moulding around the strap without causing chafing.

The breathable temperature regulating fabrics are described as guaranteeing the skin remains dry. In spite the breathable mesh back I did find that the bra was wet by the end of the races but I have yet to find any item of moisture wicking clothing that leaves me dry after a long race. However the inner cups are seamless and made of microfiber towelling which were comfortable and ensured there was no chafing.

The matching sports briefs were made of the same material with breathable mesh sides however I didn’t wear them to race in as I found they were difficult to wear under running tights. I did wear them alone to do an aerobics workout at home and they fit well so may be more suited to wearing under tracksuits or with running skirts rather than leggings.

Overall

Definitely one of the most comfortable bras I have worn for long distance races and I loved the padded adjustable straps. I felt supported throughout without my breasts feeling squashed by the end of the race with digging strap marks. It can’t guarantee you will stay dry in spite of the breathable material but I suffered no chaffing even with a heart rate monitor.

Anita Sports bras are available from many online retailers including LessBounce and Amazon. The Extreme Control Bra I tested retails for £41.00 and is available in black/white/metallic in sizes 32-46 cups B-H.

With the 2011 Virgin London Marathon soon approaching I decided to sign up for my regular spring training races. Whilst they are races in themselves I like to use them as long training runs over progressively longer distances in preparation for the marathon with a final half marathon two weeks before as a psychological boost to see how well my training has gone.

I only do one long race a month as with longer distances there are higher costs, not only through petrol costs in travelling to the race, (20mile races aren’t held as frequently and locally as 10km ones) but also through race entry fees. I expect that within reason longer races have higher costs, they have more roads that need to be closed, policed, sign posted, marshalled and equipped with toilets, water stations and first aid support. However, apart from a few races, such as Ashby 20 where you receive a hoodie style sweatshirt for your effort or races where you start and end at different locations, many of the other running costs are the same as those of a local 10k. You need the same facilities for changing and parking, the same finishing T shirt or goodie bag and the same timing system so the actual price per mile you pay is around the same. Here are examples of the costs of races I am planning to run this Spring.

Last year I also entered the world’s first Kilomathon running from Nottingham to Derby. Metric marathons (26.2km) are nothing new but the organisers were clever enough to coin the term ‘Kilomathon’ and so promote it as the world’s first and a perfect pre London training race. As it was the first ever event it encountered a few teething issues, getting to the start corals was a bit stressful, the course wasn’t very inspiring the T-shirt wasn’t even specific for that race, and leaving the finish area and finding public transport back to Nottingham was difficult if you hadn’t pre booked the expensive, yet sold out, official transport. But you got a quality medal at the finish and as I mentioned before long distance events aren’t that common so I like to support the local races.

But this year I won’t be entering. Last year had 4186 official finishers and organisers are aiming to have thousands of more runners for the 2011 race which will be held 4 weeks before the 2011 Virgin London Marathon, and is promoted as an ideal marathon training run.

However this year they have changed the pricing and entry system for the 2011 Kilomathons. They claim that new entry system is much more beneficial to charities and also gives runners the option to enter a fantastic road race for just £5. But to enter at that price you need to raise a credit crunching £260. I fully accept that Hope for Children and Rainbows Children’s Trust are worthy charities to fundraise for but may people who are running the London Marathon, which remember the Kilomathon promotes its self as a training race for, are already raising for their favourite charity. A lot of people are also running through Gold or Silver bonds and having to raise between £1,500 to £3,000. It seems to me that it’s a bit difficult to return to your generous friends and colleagues who are already sponsoring you for the marathon to sponsor you again for a Kilomathon 4 weeks earlier so I expect many will end up paying the £45 entry fee themselves.

In addition GSi Events apply a £2 debit card, £3 cheque or a £2.75 credit card fee to process your entry.

Looking at the entry costs through my price per mile calculations, only when you raise a whopping £220 for a Silver entry does the price/mile lower to under £1.

Some events are held for the benefits of runners, Virgin London Marathon although difficult to be accepted through the ballot, costs only £28 (£1.07/mile) and the Silverstone half marathon £13 (£1/mile). Races such as the Experian Festival of Running in Nottingham cost £33 for a full marathon or £15 for the unemployed, with options on the entry form to make a donation to a local hospice or national charity or receive a fundraising pack. Cancer Research UK’s Race For Life series cost £14.99 for 5 or 10km, but are clearly fundraising events and to encourage camaraderie between the female participants and are not trying disguise themselves as an elite sporting event. Then for just £10 you could enter a race such as the 26mile Spires and Steeples Challenge in Lincolnshire which still manages to provide a finishers T shirt, drinks stations, marshals and free post-race massage and soup for a bargain 38p/mile.

Kilomathon organiser GSi Events’ own website admits that they ‘specialise in organising events that provide a fundraising platform for charities. Creating events that uniquely promote charities and companies at the same time.’ Suggesting that rather than providing a service for runners and encouraging people to become active they aim to produce a fundraising event. I’m concerned that with the popularity of the general public participating in challenging sporting events and the reduction of people giving to charities that companies are seeing runners as a an easy target. Just 5 years ago I would enter a local 5mile or 10km race held by a local charity, running club, or village every weekend, but now the frequency of these events are reducing and I’m worried that soon the only events I’ll be able to enter will be those organised by big organisations who see runners and their races as a cash cow. Whilst I wish that Hope for Children and Rainbows Children’s Trust raise a lot of money through the Kilomathon, as a runner I do hope that fellow runners resist entering races with such a pricing structure else I fear this will become the norm and eventually price us out of participating in the sporting events we love.

What do you think is an acceptable price for a race? With the current economic climate are entry fees discouraging you from racing as much as you like? Or are you involved in a charity and think that sporting events are the best way for you to fundraise no matter what the entry fee? Leave your comments below to let us know what you think.