Sheffield Half Marathon is a shambles

[sheff71 10]

Surprised at police bullying. Would have loved to see coppers chasing runners though!

 

The police were saying they eventually allowed it to go ahead for safety reasons, but I can't help feel this is just trying to put a positive spin on it. More like "we were powerless to stop it, but we don't want to look powerless, so we'll just say we authorised it on safety grounds" ... that said, well done most police for standing along junctions and keeping the route traffic free.

 

---------- Post added 06-04-2014 at 19:15 ----------

 

 

Good points. But bullying runners?

 

I don't think what was mentioned was bullying - at that point the race was cancelled and presumably the officers having to deal with these understandably frustrated athletes were being told to stop anyone running.

 

Just seems an easy target to blame the police, when they were there to try and maintain order and keep people safe... not everyone knew what was going on at the front.

 

Having said that, if there are runners that were beaten by these supposedly brutal police, i've no doubt they'll be on the front of The Star in days to come...

[babyalex1 10]

Were 5000 of you all training on the same road at the same time? It mystifies me why you cant accept the police are involved in overseeing public events pass off safely, especially where they concern closing off numerous roads and diverting traffic.

 

Sorry officer, as I understand it the council makes the decisions as to closing roads, the police are merely supposed to enforce it, having said that I don't have the time or the inclination to carry on this ridiculous thread with you, I've just run 13.1 miles to raise funds in memory of my father in law for Weston Park Cancer Charity, when was the last time you did that?

[Andy 10]

I think you'll find that some pillock has done a risk assessment. You can't argue with one of those. You could try to insert into the sunshineless place of the person that wrote it though.

 

I've got to take issue with this post as I do risk assessments for a living (although not for sport). If a proper risk assessment had been done, this situation would not have occurred as they would have identified the risk of the water supplier letting them down, and devised a plan to deal with such an event should it happen (unless cancelling the race was the plan!).

 

Any risk assessment may miss some risks but to me, this is an obvious risk and should have been planned for. Any time you rely on another company to supply crucial services you are exposed to the risk that they'll let you down.

 

And someone should tell the organisers that April 1st was last week.

[metalman 21]

Care to link us up?

 

Event organisers Sheffield Marathon apologised for the cancellation.

 

"It is with huge disappointment and regret that we have been forced to cancel this year's race due to a problem with the delivery of water" they said on Twitter.

 

Is what I found.

 

Link you up to what? Just what I heard on the radio news, that's all.

 

In any case here's the chairman of the SHM trustees having his say (though not mentioning the council).

[sheff71 10]

Sorry officer, as I understand it the council makes the decisions as to closing roads, the police are merely supposed to enforce it, having said that I don't have the time or the inclination to carry on this ridiculous thread with you, I've just run 13.1 miles to raise funds in memory of my father in law for Weston Park Cancer Charity, when was the last time you did that?

 

Well done

[Andy 10]

I'm sure when I listened to Radio 5 Live news earlier on it said that Sheffield Council had apologised for cancelling the half marathon, so either they've got it wrong, or maybe the council does have something to do with it after all.

 

I heard this too - Radio 4 news at either 2 or 3pm. They said Sheffield City Council had apologised for the situation. It wasn't mentioned at all in the next hour's news bulletin though. I don't think these bulletins are online anywhere but if you want to try to find it, it was the one after Gardeners Question Time and before a play about Dante's journey through Hell!

[Jim Hardie 536]

Care to link us up?

 

Event organisers Sheffield Marathon apologised for the cancellation.

 

"It is with huge disappointment and regret that we have been forced to cancel this year's race due to a problem with the delivery of water" they said on Twitter.

 

Is what I found.

 

That's a politician's 'apology' if ever there was one. Where is the word 'sorry'?

[Scabbydog 10]

If you are going to say they are responsible then please back it up with some evidence. I think the overwhelming majority of people have accepted that SCC were not organising the event. This is an event that has passed off without incident for 30 years.

 

It would be interesting for you to tell the forum what bits of the council need to approve what. I suspect the plan wouldnt have been far off what was used in previous years.

 

How does pwning the final finish line area make them in any way responsible for water not turning up?

 

They tried to acquire nottled water from supermarkets, but I suspect 10,000 bottles is betond your local cash and carry. Bot sure why you are still going on about SCC paying for such. If they werent running it, then why should they?

 

the TDF ornaginsers are completely different, but do carry on talking it down.

 

I think you will find that an event that closes miles of roads in a major city needs rather a lot of council imput for it to go ahead as well as rather a lot of council employees on the ground. Do you really believe that folk simply turn up with a truck full of cones and start closing down the highways on their own, or are you wanting to give that impression in order that SCC saves face?

 

Watch the news on Monday to find out.

[pippadoll 10]

This is the organising company, not SCC.

http://companycheck.co.uk/company/02893678/THE-SHEFFIELD-MARATHON-LIMITED/directors-shareholders#people-summary

 

Although it seems the water company are at fault.

 

Not sure why they didn't.t use a local water company, as there are a few local firms. Or, as with other races, use a supermarket as a sponsor.

[Waldo 96]

Probably should not speculate but would not surprise me if they just left the water delivery to the water company without adequate check backs

 

No way would I want a refund if it affected charities

 

Agreed. Okay for runners not to get a refund, if that means charities get the money; just not sure I'd want the organisers personally profiting from the event though (in the eventuality of runners not being refunded etc).

 

Anyhow, to focus on the positive; was a great run, support from the public was awesome, and great camaraderie between runners.

 

How did you get on? I did 1:45, so around what I anticipated; fizzled a little in the last mile though...

[rabitter 10]

i went to watch and support the race,those who wanted to run ran the the race and water was handed out by the public great to see so many run the the race,stuff the police,stuff the council,well done everybody always makes me proud of sheffield.

[999tigger 10]

Sorry officer, as I understand it the council makes the decisions as to closing roads, the police are merely supposed to enforce it, having said that I don't have the time or the inclination to carry on this ridiculous thread with you, I've just run 13.1 miles to raise funds in memory of my father in law for Weston Park Cancer Charity, when was the last time you did that?

 

 

Actually I donate thousands of £s worth of my chargeable time every month to a number of charities. Would you like me to start talking about my relatives that have been hit by cancer as well>?

 

You started blaming the police, but cant accept they have a role to play in events where there are major public gatherings. Thye had a difficult choice in whether to stop people or let them run on. Damned either way. To then start drawing comparisons with Hillsborough I thought was ridiculous of you.