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MNHQ

MNHQ are doing the Moonwalk - please sponsor us

248 replies

RebeccaMumsnet · 03/05/2016 12:12

Hi all,

Over the years here at HQ, we have seen many of you sadly impacted by cancer, either personally or that of a loved one and we wanted to do a little something to try and raise some money for a cancer charity.

We have chosen the MoonWalk in London on the 14th May.
11 of us from MNHQ will be doing the half moon (13.1 miles officially but actually about 15 miles) around London starting at midnight Shock. If you are doing it too, please come and say hi, we'll be wearing MN t-shirts Grin

If you can spare a few quid, we'd be really very grateful. You can DONATE HERE

We promise to post here as we walk and maybe a few pictures too.

MNHQ are doing the Moonwalk - please sponsor us
OP posts:
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19
mice · 16/05/2016 22:42

Sounds like a good idea cozietoesie - all those women in one place, loads of them must have been MNetters!

cozietoesie · 17/05/2016 08:13

Well done all 134 donors, anyway, as well as the Walkers and Volunteers. Smile

PrimalLass · 17/05/2016 08:35

I tripped at about 20 miles when I did it. I fell off a high pavement.

cozietoesie · 17/05/2016 09:04

Did you manage to make it to the end or were you finished by that trip?

chameleon43 · 17/05/2016 09:31

Sad about the fallers - we were a group of 6 full mooners and lost one to a bad fall at mile 7....

Agree that some tips for future walkers is a good idea.

We spent ages discussing our bras and decorating them - only to find it was just too cold on the night. I wore the t-shirt, fleece and rain jacket the whole way - and wish I'd worn warmer leggings as maybe (!) they would have helped stop all my muscles seizing up in the last 3 miles.

cozietoesie · 17/05/2016 09:52

When is the next Walk to be held - roughly? (I'm thinking about the possible timing of a relevant thread.)

chameleon43 · 17/05/2016 10:04

next London walk will be same time next year? Think entries open later this week.

MNHQ
RebeccaMumsnet · 17/05/2016 10:43

We've hit our target!

Thank you all so much - the blisters and aches are slowly fading and we're all feeling pretty proud that we did it.

MNHQ are doing the Moonwalk - please sponsor us
OP posts:
cozietoesie · 17/05/2016 10:44

So maybe a support and advice thread at the beginning of next year? (Not wanting it to run out of steam too early.)

I'll have to defer on this one to the Walkers and Volunteers among us. When might you have found it helpful?

cozietoesie · 17/05/2016 10:47

Well done Team Mumsnet and all the other Walkers and Volunteers. Smile

There's also a hefty chunk of Gift Aid, I see. Don't you just love taking money from the Revenue? Grin

cozietoesie · 17/05/2016 10:51

PS - and well done all those donors as well. Smile141 of them to the Team Mumsnet target?

PrimalLass · 17/05/2016 12:30

I finished cozietosie. I'm used to falling over Grin

MNHQ are doing the Moonwalk - please sponsor us
cozietoesie · 17/05/2016 12:39
Grin
NationMcKinley · 17/05/2016 13:13

Mice our team was in group 1 and we had very few hold ups plus the queue for the loos was about 5 mins at most. I've done The Shine as well and our "team leader" put us in the sprinters group (hollow laugh). Again, very few delays but we really hammered it and did the half in under 3 hours. That wasn't as much fun as you couldn't chat as much Grin. I've done a few half marathons but not yet had the guts to do a full. Maybe in a few years.........

GodlessDomestic1 · 17/05/2016 22:53

I wonder how many people will embellish their expected finish time next year to get into an earlier start.. I've already seen it discussed in several places. That could prove challenging to the organisers if everyone says they are a 5 hour finisher.

cozietoesie · 17/05/2016 22:58

I'm sure that if you're already aware of an issue, then the organisers for next year will be alert to any hornswoggling though?

GodlessDomestic1 · 17/05/2016 23:29

I'd like to think so Cozie. I'm not sure I will be as honest next year in the hope I could get away earlier and not be caught up in the awful delays.

cozietoesie · 18/05/2016 00:10

There are some common themes coming through from this year's Walkers and Volunteers, if I recall?

chameleon43 · 18/05/2016 08:33

we were in wave 3 and had a few bad hold ups. queues for the toilets were horrendous - the pre walk instruction to walk to the next set of loos if there were queues just didn't work!

friends were in wave 6 - they didn't start until 12.30.

cozietoesie · 18/05/2016 08:41

So - adequate toilets are a big theme along with timing of start and the shock of meeting pavement walking.

Could they have changed things any to cater for start delays?

Kbear · 18/05/2016 13:36

Add your feedback to the Walk the Walk facebook page if you have any suggestions/complaints. I personally think it's way too big now.... and if they can afford to have brand new Moonwalk cars and manage to bus volunteers around London, (although we had to wait over an hour to be picked up after we finished) they can manage to install a billion more toilets for the Walkers. Making the finish time after the tubes start running might be a better idea too. If you finish at 5am you're stranded.

mice · 18/05/2016 13:47

If I did it again I would definitely say I was a super fast walker to get in an early slot (and that would be my advice to others) I was in Group 5 and started just before midnight. we had to be there by 9pm - it was cold, we were on our feet the whole time- something needs to be done about start times. Also the bottle necks must have been avoidable - it made our start so slow and we got cold and seized up.
The water stops were giving out 500ml bottles of water - people were having a few sips and leaving them at the next bin, wall, bridge etc. It was a huge waste and massive quantities of recycling - I am sure there must have been a better way - much smaller quantities etc
The biggest issues are toilets - the literature said there were hundreds on route - not sure I saw more than 100 after leaving the start. The queues were madness (we queued 40 minutes at St James' Park. I didn't drink for the duration, I wasn't thirtsy anyway as it was cold, but I wanted to avoid a toilet stop. I fainted within 15 minutes of finishing and think I was dehydrated without realising. Entirely my own fault I know and I was fine in a few minutes but I wasn't the only person not drinking for this reason - queues are inevitable but at some stops there were only about 10 loos max - for 15000 women.....

cozietoesie · 18/05/2016 14:44

Good thinking about getting feedback in right away. Even now, it may be too late to influence 'some' of the arrangements for next year but these things take so much organisation and forward planning that it's important to try as early as possible.

purplepaisley · 18/05/2016 18:47

I was in wave six as well. It took an hour to do the first mile, and the bottleneck under Lambeth Bridge was ridiculous. Toilet queues were terrible, we didn't bother stopping, luckily the walkabout pub on embankment let us in to use their loos whilst they were clearing up after closing time.

If I did it again, I'd want an earlier start time - less delays and at least there would be more chance of bars being open for a wee!

AnnieOnAMapleLeaf · 18/05/2016 18:53

Well done MN!

Errm...any chance those t-shirts will be available to purchase? I NEED an AIBU shirt in my life.