Events

Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		100%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		80%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: Third time I've raced here, worst for weather which was a shame but I will (probably) be back next year!
Date of review: October 23, 2006

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Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		40%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Great Race, but wave start could be better organised
In full: I started at the front of the 3rd (green) wave and had a very pleasant run for the first two miles, lots of space to run. But by mile 3 or so, I had to dodge the slower runners most of which should have been in the last wave. I was still overtaking people until mile 8 or so where I'd caught up with people doing roughly the same pace. The waves should be done according to the speed of runners and not just randomly.
Date of review: October 23, 2006

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Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		100%
PB potential		100%
Atmosphere		100%
Organisation		80%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Another fantastic Great South Run (although it could have been a Great South Swim in that weather!)
In full: Very well organised event. I really enjoyed the race. The course is nice and flat and ideal for running. Despite the huge number of runners and starting in the last green wave, I still managed to weave in and out of the hordes to get a new Personal Best of 1hr 23m 15secs - Hooray!!
The rain was awful afterwards though and it was pure torture getting back to my car soaked to the bone (I had parked 3 miles away to not get caught in the traffic - like I did two years ago & this year I did get away easily - once dry!).
Also worth mentioning that on getting back I found that there was no medal in my goodie bag - but I've now emailed the Great organisers and they are arranging me for me to have one posted :)
Date of review: October 23, 2006

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Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		100%
Atmosphere		100%
Organisation		80%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: My favourite race, & well done JO PAVEY!!
In full: I love this race, it just has something special, but even I don't know what. The weather was terrible, the wave start is good in theory but means weaving in practice, & poor Roy Gale lost his sound for the aerobics.
Still, I did a huge pb and managed a word with Jo Pavey at the finish. She's a star!
I haven't stopped buzzing since & can't stop talking about it - great.
Date of review: October 23, 2006

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Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		100%
Atmosphere		100%
Organisation		80%
Value		60%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: An awesome race experience
In full: I thoroughly enjoyed the day despite the weather and picking up a stress fracture about half way. I think the waves need looking at as I was in the last wave (green) and spent the first 2 miles weaving in and out of slower runners and walkers. I would also liked to have seen the mile markers up a bit higher. Everything else first class. A t-shirt and medal to be proud of and I will definitely be back next year.
Date of review: October 23, 2006

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Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		80%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: In the elite field, good competition, tough weather only criticism was relatively poor mile markings.
Date of review: October 23, 2006

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Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		60%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Really good first race, weather was classic english weather!!
In full: First time out for me and hubby, went off with the 2nd wave and had no problems with walkers. Bands and support really good, plenty of water. Weather turned as the race started but it did not put us off and YES we would do it again...
Date of review: October 23, 2006

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Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		100%
Organisation		100%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: Once again brilliant.
Date of review: October 23, 2006

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Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		80%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: Very good despite the weather and waves
In full: This was my first GSR and if will be back next year. Personally the weather was fantastic for me, but I greatly appreciated the baggage/changing area as somewhere to change out of my soaking kit.

I was very impressed with the amount of spectators that braved the rain.

The wave system is a problem and I share the views expressed about the walkers. The first 2 miles were spent trying to work your way around walkers who insisted on walking 6 astrid in the middle of the road. Didn't really understand the classification of the waves, but it appeared to have nothing to do with predicted time.

Special thanks to the marshalls and 'Rocky' - that guy and his music kept me going - fantastic!
Date of review: October 23, 2006

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Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		100%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		100%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Will live long in the memory...
In full: 2nd year of running this and boy was the polar opposite to last year! But by reading the other comments you know this. Bracing weather made it a challenge to say the least and thank goodness for the Pyramid Centre for shelter!

Travelled down on the day with fellow runners, parked outside a friends house and walked 10 mins to the start. Easy.

I had trained for 10 weeks solid before this run, and had put a lot of time, sweat and effort into making sure I got a good time on this very flat, very fast course.
I made sure I went to the front of the 1st wave so I didn't have to do the usual dodging.

Organisation is always great, lots of tents, meeting points etc and pretty much everything is covered - lots of loos or bushes at hand. Atmosphere, as much as the spectators were damp, was high you could feel the buzz of excitement in the air.

This ended up being my greatest run ever (finishing 60th-ish runner O/A according to results minus wheelchair athletes and adding non-chipped Elite) so I didn't experience the congested race but did get to experience the crowds first hand near enough. I was either with one or two other runners, or in miles 5-6 by myself for a hundred yards either way, so ran past the fab crowds solo. They clapped and I clapped too and gave thumbs up and got a raised volume in cheers and it felt like I was someone special on the day rather than one of many.
Probably won't experience something like it for a good while again.

I hope this run doesn't become too large a monster, and I echo people's opinions that the Waves would have to have a 4th added and make sure walkers don't block runners if it does increase in entry.

Still my favourite race to get a medal from, good t-shirt and I can't stress enough how much this race meant to me for personal achievement - ideal for PB's if you get the space, even with the Uber Winds blowing you sideways on the last mile and a bit!

I'll be back next year to make it my hat-trick and in summary I can have no complaints in the race's provisions.

Awesome. Well done the organisers and all of the spectators and people of Portsmouth who help make this what it is.
Date of review: October 23, 2006

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