Chesterfield Online Forum

General Category => Chesterfield Discussion => Topic started by: Pete on April 06, 2014, 07:07:44 PM

Title: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: Pete on April 06, 2014, 07:07:44 PM
Despite the Sheffield Half Marathon being cancelled moments before the start, thousands of runners disobeyed orders and decided to complete the race anyway.

In heart-warming and sometimes amusing scenes, the people of the Sheffield rallied behind the ‘rebel runners’ – handing out bottles of water and offering loud cheers and applause.

Organisers were ‘very reluctantly’ forced to cancel the race before its 9am start time because of ‘insufficient water’ being delivered by suppliers and a subsequent safety risk to runners.


I think the powers that be only ever want us to do three things:

1) Go to work
2) Go shopping
3) Watch tv…
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: simondjuk on April 06, 2014, 07:20:14 PM
Theres no end of people blaming SCC for it too.

Have they thought that SCC might have done their bit properly but suppliers were to blame.
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: Fly on April 06, 2014, 07:37:34 PM
Friend of mine ran it, he says he'd not psyched himself up for the run to come home without doing it.
Top lad, he's lost loads of weight since he started doing marathons and runs.
Respect Craney  ;) I'd still be there now LOL

As regards blaming SCC Simon, I don't think some people see the bigger picture.

They can't just spring, scuse the phrase, water out of thin air after being let down a couple of hours earlier by a supplier.
JR does charity work for several events and organisations, me and Pete helped out the other year with the Chesterfield Race For Life. We helped set up the finish line. What would have been the outcome if all the runners got there to find they hadn't even got the drink they thought they would have.  So no, you can't really blame the council.
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: Old Cruser on April 06, 2014, 07:38:50 PM
Such a shame when so much effort and hard work went into this event
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: Fly on April 06, 2014, 07:42:10 PM
Just got a reply from my mate on FB. I congratulated him on running it.
Quote
Steven Crane: Too right. Thing is, I ran and didn't even know it had been cancelled until end!
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: Pete on April 06, 2014, 07:51:35 PM
>> So no, you can't really blame the council.

Yes you can. They set it up and they are responsible.
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: Fly on April 06, 2014, 08:36:23 PM
If it's true, how can you blame the council if a supplier let them down in the last dying hours.
Should the council have a second supplier on call just in case the chosen one let them down ?
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: Old Cruser on April 06, 2014, 08:52:14 PM
Poor planning then chaps.
That water should have been delivered at least a week before the race to stop this happening
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: Pete on April 06, 2014, 08:59:56 PM
If a council can't get water for a marathon, they should pack it in.

Professionals take responsibility - end of, they sound like a bunch of amateurs to me.
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: emmz on April 07, 2014, 08:06:41 AM
respect to those that ran it after all, If i had been in their shoes I would have ran especially after the time and effort it takes to train.
IMO the suppliers were partly at fault for the not delevering enough, the other being the council leaving it til last minute to have the water delievered poor planning on their part, but hopefully this is a lesson learned
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: balb0wa on April 07, 2014, 09:18:50 AM
i started running a year ago, lost 3 stone , i did the queens park 5k in 21.06 on Saturday,  if i was entered in the sheff half marathon, id be livid.

never known a run to have bowsers, im sure they get a load of bottled water in, i don't buy this bowser thing one bit, like others have said, you would have a back up plan, and known days before.

these runs aren't free to enter, £24 with a club and £26 without, id want my money back, i think a lot of legal action will be taken. bottled water in bulk is cheap as chips, when they raked in the fees, its nothing.

they should offer a refund to everyone, no doubt they will say come back next year for free, nobody will want to, you dont pee off a runner, they are organised folk, to keep them waiting 30-40 min , in their running gear on the line, in the cold is terrible. The bloke who won it said, i wont be coming back,haha.


Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: balb0wa on April 07, 2014, 11:46:17 AM
no refunds, will end up in court no doubt.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-26920499 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-26920499)
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: simondjuk on April 07, 2014, 11:56:22 AM
If a council can't get water for a marathon, they should pack it in.


The organiser Margaret Lilley doesnt work for SCC.  Therefore you cant blame the Council.
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: balb0wa on April 07, 2014, 12:02:44 PM
The organiser Margaret Lilley doesnt work for SCC.  Therefore you cant blame the Council.

she seemed pretty clueless on the tv
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: Pete on April 07, 2014, 12:32:43 PM
Looks like a farce from start to finish to me. No comfort for the runners there.

Sheffield Marathon Ltd should be ashamed.
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: Big Dave on April 07, 2014, 03:36:55 PM
What would you have had them do Pete?
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: Pete on April 07, 2014, 04:12:08 PM
The organisers should have had a delivery date of a few days beforehand allowing some time to cover screw-ups, like the one that happened.

To take delivery on the day of the event was a risky strategy that failed.

Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: Big Dave on April 07, 2014, 04:19:42 PM
I agree, so if it's so obvious to us I wonder why it wasn't to the organisers - volunteers or not.
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: Pete on April 07, 2014, 04:32:13 PM
Do you fancy going into business then Dave? They might need a different company next year... ;)
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: simondjuk on April 07, 2014, 08:02:52 PM
she seemed pretty clueless on the tv

I do agree with that.  I hope whoever is responsible holds their hands up instead of blaming everyone else
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: Big Dave on April 08, 2014, 06:08:07 PM
The water supplier claims they weren't paid in advance (as their terms required) and sent several reminders which weren't acted upon.
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: balb0wa on April 08, 2014, 06:29:58 PM
The water supplier claims they weren't paid in advance (as their terms required) and sent several reminders which weren't acted upon.

A bit weird, if they weren't to blame, why would they offer free water next year?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-26938226 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-26938226)
Title: Re: The Sheffield Marathon screw up
Post by: Fly on April 08, 2014, 06:36:53 PM
It will be all the out of date water that wasn't delivered this year  ;)