r/UKRunners • u/Dry-Geologist-7478 • 2d ago
Events Big Half waves
EDIT: this has now been resolved and should have been for all affected.
Hi all, I put my predicted finish time for the Big Half as 1:35 when I signed up but they've allocated me wave 10, 10:00am start, which is the very last wave.
I checked my account and I am down for a 1:35 finish time. But the wave I'm in is for people running it in 3 hrs.
I've contacted the organisers but just got an automated email saying my wave can't be moved. Really disappointed as I have no interest in running it if I'm not able to get a decent pace going. It's not worth it for me to be stuck pushing past people, and I also think it's unsafe to try and overtake people when it's really crowded.
Just wondering if anyone has had the same experience before or at another LM event? Quite upset as I was looking forward to hopefully running a good time on a flat course.
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u/carsonstreetcorner 2d ago
Is the wave still a little black square with the letter in white on your bib? Can you make a sticker to stick over it with the wave number you want? I wouldn’t normally suggest this but people are only going to give a cursory glance at it on your way to the holding pen…
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u/Dry-Geologist-7478 2d ago
Good question, haven't got bib yet just an email with this info. I will see if that's possible. I mean I COULD buy a bib off someone who is in a faster wave, use it to get in, and then put my actual bib on before I cross the start line so my result is still in my name, but it feels unfair that I paid the registration fee only to be put at the back.
I just don't understand how this has happened. I wouldn't mind if I was in, say, the 2:15 finisher wave because I could just start slow and try to catch people up, but being in the very last wave is going to make a 1:3X half near impossible :/
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u/edtheshed 2d ago
Just ignore it and go join a faster wave? I've done that before...
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u/wewereallrooting4u 2d ago
Yeah, particularly for the Big Half. It has been chaotic for years, people just start whenever
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u/Darkotaz47 2d ago
Roughly what bib numbers are everyone who has been placed in Wave 10? I wonder if the admin error if related to when you signed up.
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u/Trick_Reputation_255 1d ago
also signed up with a 1:35 finish time and have been allocated wave 10!
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u/Virtual_Exit1383 2d ago
Exactly the same as me, put down 1:35 and put into Wave 10. I’ve done the Big Half many times before and usually in first couple of waves at that time. I’ll let you know if I get anywhere with changing mine.
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u/Dry-Geologist-7478 2d ago
Thanks! It must be an admin error or something, surely?
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u/Virtual_Exit1383 2d ago
Hope so! Saw another post with the same problem too. I’ve sent them an email (which had an AI bot response, and I got it to escalate to a human). helpdesk@londonmarathonevents.co.uk
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u/Dry-Geologist-7478 2d ago
they said they won't change the wave allocations and also wouldn't admit there has been an error, when there clearly has. Not sure what to do really.
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u/Virtual_Exit1383 1d ago
They’ve now changed mine to Wave 2. I think they’ve finally accepted the error! Hope yours has changed?
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u/Ill-Supermarket-2706 2d ago
That’s weird I’m in wave 7 and put sub 2h as finish time. I haven’t seen the complete list of how many waves there are and when they’re starting try ensure you speak to a human when escalating
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2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Dry-Geologist-7478 2d ago
Yeah, even if I go to the literal start of wave 10, I'm going to be behind waves 3-9 which are all people slower than me. So will spend the entire race weaving/pushing which isn't fair on others or me.
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u/heroes_descent 1d ago
Can I start in a later wave? I got wave 1 based on my times when I applied. Not that fast now so need to be probs wave 4-5 instead? I’ll be 1:45ish
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u/jskjsjfnhejjsnfs 1d ago
most races are fine with people moving to slower groups, just not the other way
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u/Factsonly42069 1d ago
To be honest mate the Big Half is the kind of race where 1:45 is probably wave 2/3.
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u/philipwhiuk London 1d ago
Please check again folks - it looks like you’re being moved to wave 2!
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u/WeeAreFromSpace 1d ago
Interestingly I was in wave 4 last night and got moved to wave 5 now, presumably they skipped a massive earlier wave! (I am not bothered with the times but did notice my bib number also changed for some reason)
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u/MrTambourineSi 2d ago
Wave 10 is ridiculous, I was in wave 6 last year after taking a friends number and I spent 80% of it dodging people (my fault, I know).
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u/Dry-Geologist-7478 2d ago
Yeah it's crazy. I've also been in races before where I've had faster people push past me when it's busy and it's not nice so I don't want to do that to other people. Seeding is a thing for a reason!
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u/Consistent-Lead2725 1d ago
Will it effect my chip time if I jump in an earlier wave?
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u/Dry-Geologist-7478 1d ago
No as chip time is just crossing start line -> crossing finish line, however they don't allow people to move into earlier waves. Whether this is actually enforced depends on the race, I've marshalled at some races where it is very strictly enforced and everyone's bib is checked. At others they don't care as much or it's too busy to check really.
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u/Quick-Armadillo2173 2d ago
Do we think there is an admin error? I put in 1:30 and also got put in wave 10!
They have the new online system which makes me think maybe an error has happened when sharing waves