Bournemouth Marathon festival
A really well organised weekend of running events.Everything from the junior events and the 10km on Saturday afternoon, to the 5km on Saturday evening, with the half marathon and marathon on the Sunday morning. There’s a great atmosphere on the Saturday down by the pier, close to the finish line, with lots of supporters for all.
The Start
The marathon and half marathon both start off in Kings Park (very close to Bournemouth FC’s ground) with the half marathon setting off at 8am and the marathon at 10am. Last year there was a guy who ran both and just got back to the start line in time for the marathon! Facilities at the start aren’t bad at all, plenty of toilets and a small café if you want to buy hot drinks, toast, porridge, bacon sarnies! They open the athletics stand that you can go and sit in, but there is nowhere to protect you from the elements (no different to most other marathons).
From memory there were about 5 or 6 start waves, it’s a small marathon (only 2,000 runners or so) so each wave moved through the start pretty quickly.
The Course
Wide enough so you generally throughout the run have sufficient space and there wasn’t any bottle necks we really remember.
Mile 1 & 2 – nothing significant to report here. Out of the park and up a little hill to get over the railway line and then a left turn which takes you through the Boscombe / Southbourne area.
Mile 3 & 4 – nice downhill for a mile (not too steep) and then the route takes you on a flat out and back for half a mile (heading out towards Hengistbury Head if you know the area and then back).
Mile 5 to 7 – a gradual uphill to take you to the top of the cliffs where you run along a residential street towards Boscombe. A 180 degree turn just before mile 7.
Mile 8 & 9 – back along the road you’ve just run which is now generally downhill, just after mile 9 you’ll turn right and get onto the sea front.
Mile 10 to 12 –along the seafront promenade to Boscombe Pier.
Mile 13 & 14 – WATCH OUT!!! From Boscombe Pier you turn inland and run the first of 2 chines in the marathon. It is very short but steep and you’ll see a lot of runners walking up it. Once you get to the top there’s a little dog leg through a carpark, and then you run the cliff road into Bournemouth. Short steep hill down from the cliff road as you come towards Bournemouth Pier.
Mile 15 to 16 – Taking a left and turning away from Bournemouth Pier you run along the seafront promenade to Boscombe Pier. An out and back along the pier and then you head back along the seafront to Bournemouth Pier, where you run and out and back along this pier. From memory a little bit of a bottle neck getting on and off Bournemouth Pier but nothing that slows you too much.
Mile 17 to 20 – WATCH OUT!!!! It’s the second very steep chine to run just after you’ve come off Bournemouth Pier and being so far into the course it kills a lot of runner’s legs. More people walking than trying to run this one. Once at the top, you run West Cliff Drive in a loop to then take you downhill and back onto the seafront promenade.
Mile 20 to 23 – You’re back along the seafront promenade for only a quarter of a mile before you’ll do a right turn and run quarter of a mile inland(hill again), with a 180 degree turn to then head back to the promenade. NOTE: The organisers clearly don’t trust everyone as there is a chip mat at the top of the turn!
Back on the promenade, you’ll run a couple of miles towards Sandbanks before turning right and running the main road toward Poole for around half a mile.
Mile 23 to 26.2! – A short turn around a little green and then you’re heading back on the main road from Poole towards Sandbanks to then do a left onto the promenade. It’s then straight back along the prom to the finish which is just in front of Bournemouth Pier.
Supporters
It’s quite an easy route to get about and also with a number of double backs, supporters can easily find a few places to cheer the runners on!
The Hot Rocks pub on the seafront fight by Bournemouth Pier is a great place to watch. Dacorum and Tring Running Club took this over last year - it’s the 17 mile point and also the finish!
Other bits and pieces
We stayed at the Park Central hotel ( which is about a 2 minute walk from the finish line and only a few minutes’ walk from where the buses to the start leave from. They organised porridge for race morning which was cooked to order so if you prefer it made with water rather than milk it’s not a problem.
It is definitely worth paying for the shuttle bus (especially if you’re staying the night before near the town) which takes you to the start. There are 4 drop offs / pickup points.
Definitely book somewhere for dinner well in advance. All the Italian’s were packed and booked in advance (even the likes of Pizza Express and Prezzos)!