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I am running on Sunday and my wife and girls are coming to support me. We are staying in central Newcastle the night before so my plan was to head off by myself to the start on Sunday morning and I was thinking that my family should head straight to South Shields, park there then get the Metro back to Gateshead Stadium (3 miles in) then, once they have seen me, head straight back to South Shields to cheer me at the end.
However, my expected pace is around 8.15ish (I hope) so that only gives them around 1hr 20 mins to get back and apparently there is a 20 minute walk from the SS Metro station to the finish line.
Will this be doable or should they just go straight to SS and stay there?
Cheers
If I were you, I'd look where you can park in South Shields away from the main Car Parks to make a speedy get away after the race and then leave your car there Saturday night.
I've only ever watched the start and gone straight to the end - it involves queuing in Newcastle and you are right about the walk so I think straight to the end would be the best bet.
RM.
Don't let them do what my parents did when I last ran it 12 years ago - they managed to miss me at the start and then get stuck queuing for the metro and missed me at the end too! I was dying by the end but forced myself to run through the last mile because I knew my dad would never let me live it down if he saw me walking!
I'm doing it again this Sunday - they're in Greece this time so it won't be a problem again.
We're staying at a friends on the outskirts of Newcastle. Plan is to get the metro in to Haymarket and then afterwards get the ferry back over to North Shields and metro back from there. Hopefully that'll avoid the chaos at South Shield metro.
If you decide to bring the car in South Shields, leave it overnight. The roads are absolutely rammed in the morning with people coming in, and again in the afternoon, with people leaving. There's pretty much only one road in and out of town because of the way the run routes through, expect big queues which ever mode of transport. I would offer parking outside my house, but it's permit only
Metro from Gateshead is around 20-25 minutes on a regular day, but you'd have to factor in GNR, the trains will also be pretty full before they get to Gateshead, so it will be hectic
Oooh while you're here there's a new Indian restaurant opened up on Clayton Street called My Delhi.
I've not been yet but if I end up in the town tomorrow afternoon I'm tempted to try it.
Andy5390 - would you recommend going straight to South Shields on Saturday and parking there and getting the Metro into Newcastle then? It also sounds like it will be touch and go on the Metro from Gateshead Stadium on the day too especially as it is a 20 minute walk when it gets into South Shields.
If you get to South Shields around 6:30-7:00am and pay to put the car on the official car park it will be quiet. I'll be towing a trailer to the finish and I usually arrive about that time. In fact, I've never seen anyone taking money at that time but i may be wrong.
Definitely. Give yourself plenty time to find somewhere to park, and get your bearings if you're not familiar with the area, and organise a meet point. I'd try and recommend somewhere, but there's always temporary parking restrictions near the coast on GNR day, and plenty people have the same idea. If you can find somewhere off Beach Road or Erskine Road you'll only be 10 minutes from the finish
Also, probably best for the family to go straight to SS on the day
If the map centres correctly, you want to find somewhere in the following triangle KFC - Marine City Takeaway - Westoe Cemetery .These are all regular residential areas so keep an eye open for temp parking restrictions. The finish line is at Gypsies Green on the right, new metro is now just below McD's upper left.
Good luck
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Ohh ... it will be dark by that time.
To get your energy back there are plenty of fish & chips around that area if I can recall.