The weekend programme: Sunday
1) Saturday Night
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 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”; also 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 guests as well as a deluge of
simultaneous requests for personal alarm calls. The automated system is highly reliable.
Check-lists in operation?
Hopefully the check-lists that WRP offer both runners and spectators in "Final Details" proved to be useful last evening in making sure that everything was laid out ready so avoiding frantic last minute searches this morning.
The runner should have 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.
2) Early Sunday Morning
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 glycogen stock will have been depleted naturally.
During the last month you may have been following WRP’s advice - and others, in that your final 3 or 4 Sunday LSR’s (long slow runs) were timed to start around 09.30 and that 3 hrs earlier you were up having breakfast. In addition to experimenting with your digestion before running you were also finding out what suits you best – and in what quantities. In that way you can arrive at the breakfast buffet on race day knowing 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” items 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 – 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.
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.
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
In 2010 many of the hotels that we use were able to offer (either complimentary or pre-paid) late check-out facilities until 18.00 hrs for those leaving on Sunday evening after the race.
Whilst there is a common wish to be able to offer this service, the hotels do emphasise that availability in 2011 will have to be dependent upon the state of bookings that they have for that Sunday night. #
At this time there remains uncertainty about what actually can be offered. As a consequence, WRP has agreed that when we issue our "Final Details" packs at the end of February / early March, these will include precise details of late check-out offers at your chosen hotel.
If you would like to register an interest in having a late room check-out on Sunday night on / with your initial booking form then, should we get confirmation of arrangements prior to the issue of "Final Details" then WRP will e-mail you with that information. This may offer an advantage to those booking earlier rather than later.
# For example two hotels restricted the offer to those who had booked for 2 nights - the Friday and Saturday
~ Is should be emphasised that post-race shower facilities (with soap, shampoo and towels) are automatically available to all guests as part of their package and uses rooms or facilities set aside by the hotel as agreed in our contract.
“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.