Bristol Half MarathonHere's how RW members rated this race (888 votes). 2007 race reviewed by: DM1
 | | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Good beginning, forget providing a goodie bag I do not like soup
Date of review: September 9, 2007
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2007 race reviewed by: Fidgety Feet
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Disappointed - won't be doing it again
In full: Organisation? What organisation! No warning the park and ride is a 15 minute walk to the start, no signposting - had to ask several people where the baggage store was, people drifting over roads between runners, smaller crowd than expected with virtually no-one lining the 6 mile out and back along the Avon Gorge, and the goody bag????? A can of soup??????
On the plus side the weather was fab and running underneath the Clifton Suspension Brige and along the gorge was rather special. Can't complain too much, but won't be doing it again.
Date of review: September 9, 2007
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2007 race reviewed by: Richard Springett 2
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Poor focus/organisation of the finish area - a bag with one can of soup for some of the early finishers?
In full: The race finish area lacked focus again, what oxygen deprived minds want is a smooth journey to drinks and goodie bags - which should at least contain a medal and T shirt. I was offered a medal several times, which kind of devalued the whole thing and after almost by accident receiving a bag with only a can of chicken soup in it (I'm a vegetarian) I found my self going around creating my own ‘goodie bag’? This led to lots of runners asking me where I got my goodie bag from, I even found myself almost apologising to people when the chicken soup bags ran out. Having run many many 1/2 marathons Bristol still doesn't seem to really appreciate the huge effort that people go to either raise money for charities or to meet their own personal challenges. A finish which values the event and focuses on rewarding the people who have risen to the challenge would be appreciated!
Date of review: September 9, 2007
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2007 race reviewed by: .clare.
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: A can of soup????????????
Date of review: September 9, 2007
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2007 race reviewed by: Carolyn Ingram
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Enjoyable but not as good as I was hoping for!
In full: 2nd time doing this but not 100% fit due to injury so found the cobbles very hard, and some of the 'undulations' around Broadmead surprising and killing on my poor legs at that late stage (yes I am a whimp!!)! Start was a bit claustrophobic not helped by the confusion around numbers, colours allocated and times predicted. Initially liked the thought of getting the Portway over and done with at the beginning this time but actually running down the Portway last year and knowing you were nearly home was, for me, better. But perhaps that was more my state of mind today! The crowds were great, plenty of drinks stations but (very nit picky here!) would have preferred bottles with sports tops, mile markers not very visible, goody bag totally hopeless (to be polite!) Could have murdered a Mars bar! Not sure if I will do it again much preferred Bath.
Date of review: September 9, 2007
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2007 race reviewed by: drinker with running problem
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: PB for me, but not as fast as expected and they still can't get the organisation right.
In full: I agree with previous comment, they should concentrate on getting the organisation and value for money right, rather than keep trying to get the numbers up. These big races start to alienate club runners and end up being a big fun run - if the club runners hadn't turned out in the first place the race would never have got off the ground!
And, definitely 'no comment' re the goody bag!!
I managed a massive PB though, but that was more about my running than the course.
One plus on the organisation side was the number of toilets, not often you can say that!
Still that old whinge that slow runners get in with the fast ones. There definitely should have been better orgaisation around that.
Not sure I'll bother next year.....
Date of review: September 9, 2007
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2007 race reviewed by: WindsorAndy
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: Perfect weather, pretty flat course, well organised
In full: Great race today. The weather was perfect altho I noticed it seemed a lot hotter while walking to the hotel afterwards so I suspect slower runners may have suffered a bit.
Very strange effect running out and back under the Clifton suspension bridge. I would have bet my house that it was uphill with the wind slightly against on the way out so I was looking forward to the return leg. However on the way back, it also felt uphill with the wind against! Some kind of cruel optical illusion there!
On the whole a flat course with one or two short climbs and the odd cobble to add a bit of spice. Good crowds at the 'cheer points' and well marshalled etc.
There wasn't much in the goody bag but who on earth needs these? Why not just scrap them altogether? They just generate vast amounts of waste. The medal is a solid affair and (in theory) you get a decent T-shirt with yur entry fee.
I ran a huge PB today so obviously I'm going to write a positive review but, costs notwithstanding, this is well worth doing.
Date of review: September 9, 2007
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2007 race reviewed by: Iron Pingu
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Great race, well organsied and with a great medal!
In full: I thought the event was really well organised. Big thank you to the organisers and the marshalls. Was glad I decided to join the 1.45 to 2.00 hr group rather than head out to the pink section like my number said. Found out on the web page later that that would have put me with the power walkers! Apparently there was a mix up with the numbering.
Anyway, loved the race, did a pb for Bristol so more than happy. Oh, but one word, cobbles ! Ow !
Date of review: September 9, 2007
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2007 race reviewed by: pops
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Probably wont do this one again Bath definately has the edgeon organisation!n
In full: As thought by many before the race the start was a complete shambles there was a veritable rainbow of colours in the suposed green section.Not helped by the mix up in issuing the correct time zone to runners. As for the goody bag containing 1 can of soup is nothing less than a joke,a bananna and a energy bar would not have been to much to expect! Easily seen distance markers or lack of compounded the misery
Date of review: September 9, 2007
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2007 race reviewed by: jill Bendeaux
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Well organised but not very inspiring
In full: very well organised water stations and drinks - well organised finish -thank you everyone.
Liked the green bins to reduce amount of bottles on the road.
The long stretch along the Portway and back is easy running but not very inspiring for nearly two thirds of the race - surely a major city like Bristol could find a more interesting route.
Crowds and charity groups were fantastic but where were all the bands and musical entertainment you usually find in big cities- the only
Goody bags were a joke.
Date of review: September 9, 2007
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