Frequently asked questions
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about the Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon.
They cover a range of topics including:
General information
When does the 2008 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon take place?
Is the 2008 route the same as 2007?
How do I enter the 2008 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon?
How much does it cost to take part in the 2008 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon?
How do I know if my entry has been successful?
How do I collect my race pack?
Can I collect my race pack on Bank Holiday Monday 5 May 2008?
Can you post out my race pack?
Can someone else pick up my race pack?
What time do the events start at?
How many people took part in the 2007 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon?
What prizes are available to Marathon participants?
Will I receive a medal or certificate for taking part in the Marathon?
Can I get a refund on my entry fee if I don’t take part in the Marathon?
How can I buy a souvenir fleece?
Route information
How many water stations are available?
Do you provide energy stations?
Are showers provided?
What toilet facilities are available on the route?
How far is the Marathon Walk?
How far is the Fun Run?
Where are the relay changeover points located?
How far is each part of the Team Relay?
How are relay teams divided?
Is there a bus available for the relay changeover points?
What steward arrangements are in place for the Marathon?
Is parking available in Ormeau Park?
What park and ride arrangements will be in place during the Marathon?
Official marathon charity
What is the Marathon's official charity for 2008?
I want to support the official Marathon charity. Where can I get a sponsorship form?
Can I run in support of another charity?
My organisation is interested in becoming an official Marathon charity. Is this possible?
About Belfast
Where can I find accommodation in Belfast?
Where is Belfast City Hall?
Which airports serve Belfast?
How do I find Ormeau Park?
Where can I change money?
Volunteering
Can I help out at this year’s Marathon?
How do I volunteer for the Marathon?
What are the benefits of volunteering?
General information
When does the 2008 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon take place?
The 2008 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon takes place on Bank Holiday Monday 5 May 2008.
Is the 2008 route the same as 2007?
Yes, the 2008 route is the same as 2007.
How do I enter the 2008 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon?
Entries for this year’s race are now closed.
How much does it cost to take part in the 2008 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon?
The following charges apply to entries:
- Marathon Run - £30
- Marathon Walk - £20
- Team Relay - £70 (per team)
- Wheelchair Marathon - £30
- Fun Run - £10 (adults) and £8 (seniors and children aged 18 and under).
Please note that the Belfast City Marathon Ltd Online Payment Service can only accept payments in sterling (GBP).
If you need help with currency conversion, check out www.xe.com
Online and telephone entries are subject to an administration fee of £1.50.
How do I know if my entry has been successful?
All successful entrants, including those who enter online, will receive a confirmation letter seven days after their entry has been received.
Online entrants will also receive confirmation of their payment by email (within 72 hours) or post, depending on the information you have supplied to us.
Your confirmation letter will include details of your race number, pack collection times and instructions for race day itself.
You should allow a minimum of seven days between application and receipt of confirmation letter.
Sponsorship forms will also be included in your pack.
How do I collect my race pack?
More information about arrangements for pack collection
Can I collect my race pack on Bank Holiday Monday 5 May 2008?
No - all packs must be collected on the following dates:
-
Thursday 1 May – 12pm to 8pm (for Team Relay packs only)
- Friday 2 May – 12pm to 8pm
- Saturday 3 May – 10am to 8pm
- Sunday 4 May – 12pm to 4pm.
More information about arrangements for pack collection
Can you post out my race pack?
No - packs must be collected in person, or by a representative, on the following dates:
-
Thursday 1 May – 12pm to 8pm (for Team Relay packs only)
- Friday 2 May – 12pm to 8pm
- Saturday 3 May – 10am to 8pm
- Sunday 4 May – 12pm to 4pm.
More information about arrangements for pack collection
Can someone else pick up my race pack?
If you are unable to pick up your race pack in person, a representative can sign for it on your behalf.
They must bring your confirmation letter with them.
More information about arrangements for pack collection
What time do the events start at?
The Marathon Run, Team Relay and
Marathon Walk all begin at 9am at Belfast City Hall.
The Wheelchair Marathon begins shortly before 9am at Belfast City Hall.
The Fun Run starts at 9.20am at Belfast City Hall.
How many people took part in the 2007 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon?
More than 14,300 people took part in the 2007 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon.
What prizes are available to Marathon participants?
Find out more about Marathon prize lists
Will I receive a medal or certificate for taking part in the Marathon?
All those who take part in the Marathon Run, Wheelchair Marathon and Marathon Walk receive a commemorative medal.
Those taking part in the Team Relay and the Fun Run will receive a certificate.
Can I get a refund on my entry fee if I don’t take part in the Marathon?
We operate a no-refund policy.
However, entries can be transferred to another participant or 'held over' to the following year.
To do this, you must forward a written request to the Marathon office.
Call 028 9060 5922 for more information.
How can I buy a souvenir fleece?
You can order a souvenir fleece with your entry form.
Payments must be made in advance with your entry fee and fleeces will be available at pack collection from 1-4 May 2008.
Route information
How many water stations are available?
We provide a series of water stations approximately every 1.5 to 2 miles around the Marathon course.
Do you provide energy stations?
We provide water stations throughout the Marathon route, as well as two energy drink stations towards the latter stages of the route.
Are showers provided?
Showers and limited changing facilities are available near the finish line at the Indoor Tennis Arena and Ozone Complex.
What toilet facilities are available on the route?
Toilets are provided at the Marathon start and finish areas.
They are also available at each relay changeover point.
How far is the Marathon Walk?
The Marathon Walk route has two distances - nine miles or 26.2 miles.
How far is the Fun Run?
The Fun Run is three miles long.
Where are the relay changeover points located?
There are four relay changeover points.
They are located at:
- Bridge End
- Hillview Road
- Gideon’s Green
- Corporation Square.
How far is each part of the Team Relay?
The Team Relay is split into five parts.
The following distances are approximate:
-
six miles
- 3.5 miles
- 7.1 miles
- 5.3 miles
- 4.3 miles.
How are relay teams divided?
Relay teams can have between two and five participants.
They can be all-male, all-female or mixed (a mixed team must have two males or two females).
Is there a bus available for the relay changeover points?
A series of buses will depart from Ormeau Embankment and transport all relay participants to and from the relay changeover points.
However, it is the first participant’s responsibility to be at the start line
at Belfast City Hall at the correct time.
What steward arrangements are in place for the Marathon?
The entire Marathon course is staffed by professional stewards, volunteers and officials from Athletics Northern Ireland.
They work together with the Police Service of Northern Ireland to make the course safe for everyone.
Is parking available in Ormeau Park?
There is no car parking for participants or spectators at Ormeau Park.
Ormeau Embankment will also be closed to the public on Monday 5 May 2008.
However, a park and ride system for spectators will be available.
What park and ride arrangements will be in place during the Marathon?
We provide park and ride facilities for spectators and participants to get to and from the Indoor Tennis Arena and Ozone Complex.
The free bus service, which operates every five minutes, departs from Belfast City Council car parks in Ormeau Avenue and Cromac Street and drops off at
the entrance to the Indoor Tennis Arena and Ozone Complex in Ormeau Park.
The first bus leaves at 10.30am and the last service departs at 6pm.
Limited parking is available in Ormeau Avenue and Cromac Street.
Official Marathon charity
What is the Marathon's official charity for 2008?
The official charity for the 2008 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon is the British Red Cross.
I want to support the official Marathon charity. Where can I get a sponsorship form?
Sponsorship forms are included in your confirmation pack, which you will receive when you enter the Marathon.
Can I run in support of another charity?
Entrants can support the charity of their choice.
However, it is important that you contact your chosen charity in advance to receive an official sponsorship form.
You must also tell us on your entry form which charity you are raising money for.
My organisation is interested in becoming an official Marathon charity. Is this possible?
If you are interested in becoming an official Marathon charity, call us on 028 9060 5922 or email us at
belfastmarathon@btconnect.com
About Belfast
Where can I find accommodation in Belfast?
Belfast offers a wide range of accommodation within the city centre.
For more information, visit the Conference Bookings website
and quote the event reference BLFBELFASTMARATHON2008.
Our official accommodation partner for the 2008 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon is the Premier Inn.
For more information, visit the Premier Inn website
Where is Belfast City Hall?
Belfast City Hall is located in Donegall Square.
It is a 15 minute walk from Central Rail Station and a five minute walk from the Europa Bus Centre.
Which airports serve Belfast?
Belfast has two airports - Belfast International Airport and George Best Belfast City Airport.
Belfast International Airport is a 30 minute drive from the city centre and George Best Belfast City Airport is around ten minutes by car.
Both airports are well served by local buses.
How do I find Ormeau Park?
Ormeau Park is located on the Ormeau Embankment.
It is around 15 minutes from Belfast city centre on foot and a ten minute drive from George Best Belfast City Airport.
Where can I change money?
Money-changing facilities are available in most banks and building societies in Belfast.
Volunteering information
Can I help out at this year’s Marathon?
Yes! We want as many people as possible to get involved in the 2008 Deep RiverRock Belfast City Marathon.
We need volunteers to work as stewards or water station staff on the day.
How do I volunteer for the Marathon?
If you are interested in volunteering, call us on 028 9060 5933 or email belfastmarathon2@btconnect.com
What are the benefits of volunteering?
All our volunteers receive event training to help them prepare for the Marathon.
During the event, they receive a free packed lunch and official rain jackets and T-shirts.
All volunteers also receive a commemorative medal.
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