The weekend programme: Sunday
Alarm calls – don’t put the responsibility on the hotels!
It’s a truism that most runners sleep badly on Saturday night* – then manage to fall into a deep sleep just at the time they should be getting up!! Hence an alarm call, or better still two, is essential.
The hotels have an efficient automated alarm call system linked to the telephone in your room. #
It’s a good idea to set a practice alarm for the early Saturday evening so that you can check in before setting it for Sunday morning.
The wiser runners will also set the alarm on their mobile and/or bring their own alarm clock. This is the one morning when you can’t have too many!
* This is one reason why, if you can, staying Friday night has many advantages. Saturday is then not
“rushed”, it‘s not now a “strange” bed ….and you are generally more relaxed
# There are insufficient staff on the front desk of the hotel to deal with guest as well as a deluge of
simultaneous requests for personal alarm calls. The automatic system is highly reliable
Check-lists in operation?
Hopefully the check-lists that WRP offer both runners and spectators proved to be useful last evening in making sure that everything was laid out ready so avoiding frantic last minute searches this morning.
Hopefully, for the runner their kit was ready just to step into - with the race number already pinned onto the running vest and timing chip firmly secured on one of their running shoes.
(Always ensure that the top pins are at least 1” below each nipple.)
We find that 99% of runners come down to breakfast all ready to run thus ensuring that they are not going to be the runner from their hotel that discovers, as the coach pulls out, that they have forgotten their race number. Yes, it does happen! Every year at least one runner will do it from one of the hotels.
Breakfast
All our hotels serve breakfast from 05.45 and WRP staff will be on duty supervising.
As mentioned elsewhere, the runner today will use up a large number of calories so further “carbo-loading” is an essential pre-requisite for during the night their stock will have been depleted naturally.
During the last month you may have been following WRP’s advice - and others, that your final 3 or 4 Sunday LSR’s (long slow runs) were timed to start around 09.30 and that 3 hrs before you were up having breakfast. In addition to experimenting with your digestion before running but finding out what suits you best – and in what quantities. Thus you arrive at the breakfast buffet on race day you know exactly what you need and will work best. Marathon morning is not the time to experiment!
The buffet provided by the hotels is both generous and designed to cater for the widest possible range of requirements with the proven “best to have” will all there – such as cereals, porridge, cooked food, toast, honey, bananas, raisins….. plus other popular options.
Later breakfast for those not going to the start
Any runners and/or non-runners who do not wish to go to the start can take breakfast later – but in the restaurant.
If you are leaving after the race on Sunday
Normally, all rooms must be cleared by 12.00 hrs.
If everyone in the party is going to the start then luggage must be taken to the designated luggage store (see "Final Details" – Your hotel) in plenty of time for you to catch the coaches out to Blackheath. Thus the room is empty when you leave for the Start.
For all runners who vacate their rooms in the morning post-race showering facilities (inc. soap, towel and shampoo) are automatically included as part of your package.
If any non-runners are not going on the early coaches then they can use their room until 12.00 hrs.
If you are leaving on Sunday – but would like a late check-out
All the hotels have agreed that some guests may prefer to relax, shower or bathe in their own room after the race – as well as not have to rush to clear the room at 07.00 hrs in the morning before departure for Blackheath. This may appeal particularly to families with young children.
If pre-booked by 13th March, the hotels will provide a late check-out facility until 18.00 hrs for an extra charge of £35 per room. However, do look carefully at the specific details for each hotel as there is often some variance both between hotels and between times on this matter. For up-to-date information on this just call the WRP office – 01934-629911.
For example, at the current time, Novotel City South will be offering free late room check-out up to 18.00 hrs on Sunday if you have booked a 2 night package with WRP for Friday + Saturday.
“Once again WRP excelled. This was our third time with WRP Tours. This time we opted to pay the extra for a late room check-out which was a huge benefit and made a massive difference.” KH “We booked our room for one night and paid the extra to keep the room on until 6pm on race day, a bonus as we didn't have to rush packing up the luggage and vacating the room first thing in the morning and I was able to take a leisurely shower afterwards.” |
Note: If there had been a medical problem during the race and the runner was in hospital and the relatives/ hospital had been in contact with WRP directly, then WRP would have liaised with the hotel about any rooms concerned.