Edinburgh MarathonHere's how RW members rated this race (1467 votes). 2012 race reviewed by: Berger
 | | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Hot. Flat. Not in Edinburgh. A ridiculous walk to the buses after.
In full: Good start set-up, twin starts. But why start the half at 8, and the marathon at 10, esp. when heat and exhaustion is far more likely in the much longer race?!? Presume it's to do with money. Course wasn't unattractive, support good in the towns, non-existent for large parts though.
Finish area was fine, but such a pain when you're hobbling to walk over a mile to the extortionate buses to get back to the city you thought you were running in!
I was chuffed to run a big PB, but the race is run for money, not for runners unfortunately. Call it the Lothian coast marathon - would be more honest.
Date of review: May 27, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: ADuck
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: Fantastic Race- well organised, well supported, fast course with a great tshirt and medal too
Date of review: May 27, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: Kirsty Young
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Fantastic race, well organised. Flat fast course. Would come again.
Date of review: May 27, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: alan young 7
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: Organised to make money not provide a good race for runners
In full: This should be an amazing race, but it isnt
Firstly, it isnt in Edinburgh, not even close, it starts on the outskirts of town and heads east. Its a good course and this isnt necessarily a problem
The start time is a huge issue, 10 ocklock stsart in summer is a joke. It is often warm this weekend in Edinburgh ( Im local ) and as often as not the race is run in full sun and heat. To me it is indicative of the whole race, the half starts at 8:00 to get more money in at the expense of runners.
There were hardly any toilets at the start, no isotonic drinks en route and the water ( plentiful ) didnt come in sports bottles.
The relay is a total pain in the ass, as fast relay runners pick a route through the slow marathon field, again nothing but a money making exercise.
The finish is good, no signposting to the reunion area though. Good T-Shirt and a rubbish goodie bag.
This marathon is more expensive than London.
Edinburgh deserves much better.
Date of review: May 27, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: barnaby lamb
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: only ran the half mara this weekend but a pb by 16 minutes! loved it really
Date of review: May 27, 2012
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2011 race reviewed by: John Grinham
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: love it, keep coming back dispite hotel & travel costs
Date of review: May 18, 2012
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2011 race reviewed by: RedRiding
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: The race was ok but the organisation at the finish was terrible.
In full: The race is ok. It's pretty much an out and back run. On the day we were blessed with sun and rain, but most significantly a ridiculous headwind as we turned for home at 18miles. This was endured pretty much until the finish. However, that's weather and that's an uncontrollable variable. What was controllable was the finish line farce. Spectators were told not to watch the finish at the finish line, but rather watch it on a big screen in some field somewhere. Fair enough. Except that the big screen wasn't working. Nice one. As for the runners, it was about 20 minutes after the finish before I even had access to a drink as this area was a long walk from the finish line. Then we had to negotiate the long un-signposted walk to the "big screen field" where the spectators were (not watching us finish). This was probably another half mile at least. There was then a ridiculous trek (an hour at least) back up the road to locate the pre-booked buses. Despite having paid for these we didn't use them as there were queues of thousands of people trying to get on them. In the end we managed to cram onto a train back to Edinburgh. Most people weren't so lucky. Ridiculous. I would only do the race again if I was assured the finish had been sorted out. Otherwise, no chance.
Date of review: March 17, 2012
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2011 race reviewed by: Karl Todd
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: My first marathon, it was good up until the end, where it took nearly as long to get back to my car as it did to run 26 miles?
Date of review: December 13, 2011
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2010 race reviewed by: James bruce 6
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: I'd rate it highly if you turned at 1/2 day and ran back to edinburgh..
In full: I did this race in 2011,
+ Edinburgh is a good city
+ T Shirt is really good (one of the top ones i have !)
+ Numbers are posted ahead of time..(so you dont have to worred about getting tired and hastled the day before)
- walking 2 miles from the finish to the buses..(i'm not kidding!)
- waiting 20 mins for my baggage(i did 309.. dunno what it was like further down the field) but maybe that was becuase they were only just sorted from the half..
- not enough water stops
- course is right on course.. it is flat. but when is it not windy by the sea.. i'd suspect it is always windy for this race..(but maybe / maybe not)..
- there is an gravel section
+ lots of toilets at the start..(but then they said if they catch u peeing in the bushes they take your number so their better be!!!
+ quick start.. (we for the 3:30 and faster.) as their are two starts.
so.. for me.. they really need to finish this race in the city centre
- for organisation..i gave 2 is that it was very windy and a few barriers were knocked over by the wind.. they should have know this.. the weather was forcasted all week( i noted at least 2 runners knocked over)..
I think edinburgh is like cardiff... they want a marathon but dont want the city centre closed..
Date of review: November 15, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: Valerie Walton
| | Overall score | | 20% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: The race is going fromn bad to worse !
In full: Organisation was terrible - especially the ending in a small street no where near big enough for the event, and definitely no grandstand ending as advertised. From what I can see it can only have been to maximise profit as in previous years it has ended in musselburgh race course right next to the small road !
The course itself, it maybe the fastest course, but is also the most boring. It starts in central edinburgh and heads straight out into most uninteresting roads. You plod out endlessly only to turn round and plod back - not good.
For the half-marathon the only sportsd drink available was at 11.5 mile mark - a bit late in the day for that!
I have does this event a few times now but wont be doing it again, the organisation & course gets worse every year.
Date of review: August 17, 2011
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