LondonSkaters Speed Team - Speed Skating & Rollerblading Club in London

dan_b · Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 2428

Having looked through the threads from previous years, this seems like a good early-season marathon to make my first of the year (actually, my first since 2007 ...). Anyone else booked/planning/thinking about it?

http://www.karstadt-marathon.de/en/marathon09/marathon/skater.html

Speedy Dave · Joined: 07 Jun 2008 Posts: 251 Location: Derby

I could be tempted.
Just had a quick look at flights and they range from £99 - £120 at the moment.
That's flying out on the Saturday morning/lunch & coming back Sunday evening.
Anyone else thinking of going?

tanya g · Posted: Tue Apr 07, 2009 11:14 pm Subject: Re: Karstadt, anyone? 17th May

merten · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 5:59 am Subject:

Won't be around this year, clashes with my b-day and other appointments.

Rick · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 5914

Tempted. I have unresolved issues* with this race but I am not feeling fit enough to resolve them this year. If a crowd want to go then I'm happy to do it as a social/training exercise.

Need to go under 1:40 here. It's quite a tough race when you compare it to flat ones like Berlin.

sol · Posted: Wed Apr 08, 2009 1:33 pm Subject:

I hated it last year so I'm not going again! It was hilly and wet and I fell on a wet patch right at the start and lost the front pack. Plus I lost my Cat win on the finish line Evil or Very Mad

as I was so knackered fron skating mostly by myself

Glenn · Joined: 05 Feb 2005 Posts: 1109 Location: ST Pauls

Potentially interested.

roger · Joined: 26 Feb 2004 Posts: 531

I have done it a few times, and generally enjoyed it. Its rolling rather than hilly, but it will test your fitness.

We won't be doing it this year because we have our first 'A' race of the year the following weekend - a half-Ironman triathlon in Barcelona.

I have also already committed to leading a bike ride that day - if you don't go to Karstadt, and you are up for a hard day's cycling around the beautiful, and hilly, Ashdown Forest then you are welcome to join me and Kay. Details here.

andyman · Joined: 05 Apr 2006 Posts: 1945 Location: Suffolk

I love this race.

I dont want to post here 'I might be available' when to be honest (from a work perspective) I am all over the shop BUT I am going to have a look if I can make it

Glenn · Joined: 05 Feb 2005 Posts: 1109 Location: ST Pauls

Is anyone driving there?

Rick · Joined: 25 Feb 2004 Posts: 5914

I don't have a care any more other wise I would as it's only about 3½ hours once you get off the tunnel. Would be interested in sharing a lift if anyone wants to fill a car.

How is it by public transport? Looks pretty easy by train to get from Dusseldorf Airport to Essen Sud, which is fairly close to the hotel we staying in last year.

BMI flies to Ddorf for £135 which is more than I want to pay. bRyanAir go to Weeze on but the first flight gets in about 13:40 so with the coach trip it's quite a hike to get registered and everything else. Could go on Friday (for about £60 once I have built in their extra charges) and stay 2 nights but with the extra cost of getting to Stansted and another night in Germany then I might as well go BMI.

roger · Joined: 26 Feb 2004 Posts: 531

Airberlin fly STN-DUS, and are a little cheaper. We have used this route before and it works better than the other alternatives we have tried. There is a good train service from DUS to Essen.