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Hello, I am running the Reading half marathon this year (assuming I don't get injured between now and then).. So I was just working out how to get there..

The offical half marathon site says that the shuttle buses from the station to the Madjeski stadium (where the race starts) run from 7am till 9am.. The race starts at 10..

FGW offer two trains from Maidenhead.. One arriving at 7.41 which is quite early considering that would mean a 2 hour wait at the Madjeski stadium before the start of the race (and with the clocks going forward the night before).. Or the next arriving at 8.40, which would be worrying if it got delayed, and would result in missing the last shuttle bus to the stadium, and hence potentially missing the start of the race.

About 16000 people run the Half marathon.. Does this not qualify for considering extra trains running on that day.. Or at least a half hourly service at the appropriate time of day?

No worries if not, I shall just have to drive... Which kind of defeats the point of having public transport...

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/relex109/3260998234/)

best thing you can do is use the contact us link on the fgw website they may already have plans

Worth noting something it says on the website for Reading Half Marathon.

"There are several car parks in the Town Centre within a 5 - 10 minute walk of Reading Station. Reading Station will have free shuttle buses running to the stadium between 7.00am and 9.00am and then back from the stadium until 2.30pm. Please be at the station no later than 8.00am. There is no guarantee that buses leaving the station after 9.00am will leave you enough time to be ready to start at 10.00am."

Thank you.. I will do that, and I'd like to hope so, but having just also checked the Paddington to Reading times for the day.. And found no arrivals between 7.40 and 8.40 (apart from one which suggests travelling on the 7.10am from Paddington to Heathrow terminal 5 (expensive) and then getting the bus(!!?!!) to Reading arriving at 8.33)... Engineering works start to spring to mind..

Also, if timetable changes were already planned, wouldn't they be on NR website by now?

Thank you too Ollie, I have e-mailed the Reading half marathon web site to ask about the disparity in times (between saying arrive at 8am at latest but buses run till 9am).. Maybe it is because they already know about the lack of trains that day?

It is correct on the website, the train in question arriving Reading at 07:41 is the 06:44 from Paddington

I would say potentially partly down to that, but also due to how busy it will be around the general area of the Madjeski Stadium.

Well yes, but I have the choice of arriving at Reading station at 7.40 (which means I have to leave home at 7.00am), or I can leave home at 7.40 and drive there (I've done it before, I know it's not that busy).. Not a good advert for public transport that's all.. Luckily I have a choice..

Thanks Ollie, I do find the 7.10 via Heathrow T5 and then the bus a rather strange option. One I've never seen as a choice on the NR journey planner before?

Might have to disagree on that, arriving 07:40 depending on the frequency of buses you could have a decent connection at Reading with it, and also baring in mind how many other people may use these shuttle buses it's better to be there early for it.

But driving is still going to be a lot easier?  :)

NR does sometimes come up with some strange options, especially that as it would require different tickets. (Heathrow Express Ticket and then a RailAir ticket)
But it does it as sometimes it may be a quicker option than waiting for a direct train or something.

And yeah Jo if it was me I will be honest and say I would just drive.

Cool, I was gonna be good and go for the public transport option. Looks like FGW has put paid to that...  ;D

I wouldn't completely blame FGW.

OK, I won't... Who else put paid to it though?

Everyone involved in the aspects of timetable, so FGW, DfT, Network Rail etc..

Cool, hhm, not sure who I can contact to make them aware of the extra need for trains though.. It is all so complicated...  :) ;D

Customer Services who can pass it on to short term train planning, who would then have to get approval from Network Rail in terms of checking out pathing requirements and availability.

What time do you think is a good time for an additional train to run?

Also for information I found a pdf document that says 30 shuttle buses will run continuously between station and the Madjeski

OK thank you.. I imagine it wouldn't be possible at this late stage to put on extra trains though. It's not like the half marathon date has been kept secret from FGW or anyone else.. I am sure they have known about it and decided they can't or aren't able to put on extra trains.

I just think an hour gap in the train timetable from 7.40 to 8.40 (which is a whole hour out of the two hour shuttle bus timetable), is a bit strange. Maybe a train halfway between the two would be good..

I can only imagine there might be lots of empty shuttle buses between 8 and 8.45.. unless of course there are lots of trains arriving from the west at that point? Or maybe in fact everyone else running the half marathon lives in Reading, and I am an oddity.. Hmm, having seen the car parks last time, I think I might be wrong there..

I'm still unsure on it to be honest, as the site does say arrive no later than 8am for the buses in order to guarantee on time arrival.

Yeah, I'll let you know what the the Half marathon says about that.. as saying arrive at 8am, but running buses until 9am seems to suggest a bit of confusion, or mistrust of trains arriving on time, or something else..

As I said before though, it's not a problem for me. I can drive.. Just thought public transport could be better... After all we're all being told to use public transport and keep our cars off the road.. Hopefully it won't inconvenience other people who don't have the option of driving..

Thanks Jo, be interesting to hear the outcome.

You could always jog there - warm up the legs a little...  ;)

Or wait until Green Park station opens next year.

I did a reading marathon today. Started a paperback book waiting for the train from Melksham at around seven this morning, got half way through it waiting at Swindon until well after 9 for a delayed Paddington train, and then finished it while waiting at Swindon from around 4:30 this afternoon when I got back there until 6:45 when the solitary train back to Melksham finally departed.

Not the kind of "reading marathon" I'd recommend, and slightly off topic as well (OK so it's a play on words, and not a very good one at that) but sadly, I had little choice given that there's no chuffing trains from and to Melksham at anything like a reasonable hour. And I just wanted to let off steam. So, Grrr!

They said...

"Ideally we advise people to be at the station no later than 8 as after this queues tend to get rather large later in the morning but if you are there for 8.42 we will still get you to the start in good time"...

I still think I'll drive, I'd hate to get to Maidenhead station for that train and find it delayed or cancelled..

OK..well... tomorrow is the big day.. I'm mad enough to be running 13 miles tomorrow morning.. I will be driving there as I really don't want to get up as early as I would need to to get the train.. Especially with the clocks going forward an hour tonight.. Hopefully I'll finish it... :-\ ;D

Jo, good luck for tomorrow!

Best wishes, Chris  ;) :D ;D

Tell me about it, I have work at what would be 08:30 am.

Outrageous  :D

Good luck.

"Our Jo" was there - she's not actually mentioned in this very brief report from the BBC, but she did run very well!   ;) :D ;D

See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/7970582.stm

Thank you.. I did run very slowly.. But at least I made it to the end.. And raised lots of money for charity in the process, which was the main thing.. And I can still walk today!!  ;D