Author: darren

Full instructions are here

It’s very possible that you’ve come to this website today because you’ve seen a poster like this, and want more information.

We’ve compiled, I hope, a relatively decent set of FAQs for both the community and the local running community.

What’s this running race? It’s called the Lincoln Marabank. It’s a social endurance event, for no more than fifty people every day, using a stretch of the Foss Dyke either side of Woodcocks, Burton Waters.

When and where? Runners start any time after 9am on either or both mornings on the canalside next to Woodcocks, they then run as many times as they fancy along the canal stretch between just before Saxilby Road, and just before the Pyewipe. It’s approximately 1.9 miles, so one lap is approximately 3.8. The event finishes at 4pm, some people will do just one lap, some might do ten or eleven. The focus is on having fun, though.

Is the path closed? Not at all. Our focus at all our events, it to be able to turn up, run, and leave again while having the minimum effect on the community. You will still be able to use the paths as normal, all our runners are under strict instructions to give way to all other path users.

Do you have permission? Insurance? We seek permission every year from the Canals and Rivers Trust who own the towpath, and have a signed license for this weekend permitting us to use it subject to cleaning up after ourselves, not causing a nuisance, and letting you know about the event in advance. Hence the signs.

In exchange for this permission, we’re giving between £3 and £5 per runner to the Canals and Rivers Trust to support their work maintaining England’s oldest canal still in regular use.

The event also holds Public Liability Insurance to the value of £10 million, and a race licence from the Association of Running Clubs. It is a properly, nationally sanctioned event.

The race director holds a Level 3 award in emergency first aid and a fully equipped first aid kit which is sufficient for a small informal event of this size.

Who are you? We’re Vigilantes Maravan CIC, a tiny, volunteer-led nonprofit event organiser, with a mission to provide social endurance running events to communities all over Lincolnshire. We’ve organised Cleethorpes’s Maravan running festival for the past 12 years, and have organised the Lincoln Marabank since last year. Our events do not make a profit, all proceeds are invested back into either the event or other events, with any money over and above these costs going to good causes. Any leftover food goes to foodbanks. We try where possible to source local suppliers.

Can I join in? We’d love you to. The Marabank is open to runners of all abilities – it’s probably our most accessible event. Sadly, as it is, technically speaking, an ultra marathon, we can’t allow children to enter on their own, but anyone who can walk, jog or run 5k or thereabouts is welcome to enter. It’s a tiny event, though, only 50 people each day, so once it’s full, it’s full.

Entries are available at our commercial partner Event Entry. Entries via this route close on March 1st.

There may be a possibility of late entries or entries on the day, but that depends if there’s any space left. We recommend entering in advance.

If you fancy coming down to watch or lend a hand, that’s also fantastic as well, especially if you hold a first aid qualification or are happy to use a timing tablet or hand out medals.

What do I get if I run? You have access to a fully-stocked feeding station from beginning to end, with sweets, drinks, salty snacks, cakes, brownie and biscuits. Everyone who finishes even one lap gets a custom designed medal made of sustainable materials which is unique to this event – nobody else has them. Then, once you finish, depending on how many people enter, there’s likely to be a goody bag with things like crisps, chocolate bars and cans of pop. The more people that enter the more we can get for the goody bag, so if you’re entering, why not bring a friend along too…?

Other “facilities”? Matt, mein host at the Woodcocks, is offering us his hospitality again this year. That’ll be the only place on the course where there are toilets, and we don’t want to be an inconvenience, if you’ll pardon the pun, so we’d appreciate it if you’d stop for coffee before, or a beer or a meal after the race. No obligation, though, and we’ll be putting a decent amount of money across his bar before the weekend’s out.

Parking is at the Woodcocks, too, it’s abundant, please don’t park on streets on Burton Waters, and if you’re coming from further afield the on-site inn offers good value accommodation with a 20% discount on food if you book a room directly with them.

If you’re lucky enough to drive an electric vehicle, there’s a pair of 25kw CCS chargers on the car park, and a few Type 2s in Burton Waters itself.

Can I get more information? Contact us.

We look forward to seeing some of you next month…

Delighted to have finalised arrangements with Matt at the Woodcocks again this year.

Darren will be available on the Friday night for numbers to be given out and last minute entries, questions, drinks, whatever.

The pub will be open from 8am for breakfast and coffee and will also be providing toilet facilities throughout both days.

Of course, they’re hoping, as are we, that you’ll put some money across their bar to thank them for their hospitality.

And if you’re needing somewhere to stay, rooms are currently available for Marabank weekend for about £78 a night, with 20% off food if you book direct at https://www.woodcockspub.co.uk/ .

Are you going to make a weekend of it?

 

 

Just in case you were asking…

I’ve just had a look at the entries for Marabank, and it looks like currently 32 of you will be joining us for fun and games over the weekend. That’s a nice little crowd, but I’ve got 100 medals ordered and I don’t want to take any home.

Last year we had 78 entries, and I’m hoping to at least match that this year.

As I’ve got a bit of life between now and March 8th, I’d like to organise what I need, which means that I’ll de ordering food and drinks and stuff relatively early. It would, or course, help me to avoid wastage if I can have a decent idea of numbers before I go to the cash and carry.

And, of course, it’s payday coming up, so why not treat yourself…!

Full instructions for this weekend are here.

I will be closing entries via EventEntry later today. However, there are some last minute spaces available at our online store here:

https://vigilantes-maravan.sumupstore.com/

Just done a preliminary course inspection before next weekend. I’ve made a habit of it since I got to the park one Friday to find a gate had been removed and replaced with a fence.

 

I’ve found a new gate on the course, but it’s actually quite a welcome addition, as it’s in a location that occasionally meant people missed a turn and I had nowhere nearby to put a sign.

The course is signposted now, hoping local toughs don’t remove them between now and next week. If you’re running a recce this week be aware that there’s no signage between this point through the fitties until you get back on the Haven park, as it’s a heritage conservation area and I don’t like to put signage up there until he eve of the event.

 

I’ll put the finishing touches to event instructions and try to get them out tomorrow.

2 pieces of news today.

I’ve placed the order for medals this morning with Zerowaste and am waiting for proofs of the new design. I’m very excited to work with Zerowaste for our medals, as it does let us wait until nearer the event before we have to finalise numbers. Even so, there’s only so much risk I can take, so although I’ve ordered 120 medals, which is about 10% more than I have entries right now, I’m anticipating a bit of an uptick as event day approaches, but if you enter after all 120 spaces are gone, I can’t guarantee you any medals.

We event organisers need to accept that this is the new normal as far as us small events are concerned, and this means that we can’t necessarily come up with huge outlay (several hundred pounds for medals) 12-16 weeks before the event as is the case with the well-known local medal distributors, who have their medals manufactured in China and ship them across the world.

Next thing for me to worry about is the fun activity of finding goodies at knock-down prices…!

As regards Lincoln, all is going smoothly, although they’ve asked me to send a revised risk assessment including mitigation for towpath congestion. Those of you who ran day 2 of the Marabank will remember that I had to add such mitigation to the risk assessment anyway following what we’ll call “community consultation”, and basically I’ve just had to confirm that you won’t have right of way on the towpath, and I won’t block it with a table or signage – pretty normal stuff to be fair.

Still entries for all events, get them while they’re hot…