GoodLife Victoria Marathon Lead female cyclist
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 3:30 pm
A bit of history - the men get their own car for the marathon. This is important as the police escort makes sure that early start marathoners, half marathoners, and if you're having a really really bad day the 8K... wigglers (you'd need to go 1km/hr to get passed) get out of the way of the guys up front who are battling for prize money and racing the clock for course record bonuses.
The women on the other hand were left to fend for themselves. A few of us cyclist/runner crossovers have been making sure that the women have the same clear path as the men. There is no room for a car, but a bike is able to keep them safe and moving quickly. Deb has filled this role for the GoodLife Fitness Marathon a few times, but will be unable to do so this year as we are cheering on her Mum who is doing her first half.
So the job is to ride 42K at 3min/km, stay out of the way (not too tough), and clear a path if people are running 3-4 abreast when necessary. Runners like their iPods and often have no clue the lead female is coming through fast. You need to be comfortable looking behind you on the bike as you need to be aware of where (and who) the lead female is. As payment you get the best seat in the house to what is normally a much feistier race than the men. Last year, two locals battled for 37K before 3rd place overtook them both for the W. Plus you will probably get your picture in the paper as Deb did for the TC with the TS Kit on prominent display.
Anyone interested?
The women on the other hand were left to fend for themselves. A few of us cyclist/runner crossovers have been making sure that the women have the same clear path as the men. There is no room for a car, but a bike is able to keep them safe and moving quickly. Deb has filled this role for the GoodLife Fitness Marathon a few times, but will be unable to do so this year as we are cheering on her Mum who is doing her first half.
So the job is to ride 42K at 3min/km, stay out of the way (not too tough), and clear a path if people are running 3-4 abreast when necessary. Runners like their iPods and often have no clue the lead female is coming through fast. You need to be comfortable looking behind you on the bike as you need to be aware of where (and who) the lead female is. As payment you get the best seat in the house to what is normally a much feistier race than the men. Last year, two locals battled for 37K before 3rd place overtook them both for the W. Plus you will probably get your picture in the paper as Deb did for the TC with the TS Kit on prominent display.
Anyone interested?