Merthyr Mawr Christmas Pudding 10k ChallengeHere's how RW members rated this race in the past (127 votes). 2005 race reviewed by: Bef
 | | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: need a big tree to wee behind
In full: Is this one of your all-time favourite races? only done one other 'race' I dont race I like to talk to anyone and look at the views :-)
Date of review: December 20, 2005
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2005 race reviewed by: Try Taffia
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: PB Who cares!
In full: After scrambling to the top of the dune the bottle neck for me was welcome! Just a great day out.
Sorry to those i splashed as I came charging thorugh to finsh!
T-shirt, pud and soup. Bargin!
Date of review: December 20, 2005
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2005 race reviewed by: B Rubble
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Perfect pre-Christmas race
In full: My first time for this race. I found its to be one of the most relaxed and friendly races I have done. Must admit I secretly enjoyed the "bottleneck breather" at the start of the course as it was more than possible to make up for it in the later stages.
Good organisation, soup, rolls, T shirt and Xmas pudding (choice of soup & pud). Probably one of the best value races around. Well done Brackla!
Date of review: December 20, 2005
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2005 race reviewed by: jojo 10
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: big sand dune, big puddles, loads of fun
In full: A fab race!!! Great atmosphere, loads of support, great marshalls and organisation. Couldn't run all the way up the sand dune and then got stuck at the top, which was frustrating!! Loved the puddles at the end (sorry to the girl who was trying to tiptoe through - I splashed her a bit!!!).
Definately back again next year.
Date of review: December 19, 2005
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2005 race reviewed by: Rooknee
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Two tough hills, three water splashes - but the rewards are worth it!
In full: Think I'll review/explain my scores for this one:
Scenery - top marks for the terrifying view from the start line!
PB Potential - is it physically possible to run all the way to the top of the dune? I got about 3/4 of the way before succumbing as my 'running' involved being passed by those sensible enough to walk!
Atmosphere - I knew Santa is magic, but quite how he got round the course so quickly to marshall the route, I'll never know! Lots of (much needed) encouragement, and even some Christmas tunes at one point.
Organisation - no real problems. Maybe the only comment could be that it was difficult to get through the crowds hanging around the finish line in order to get water (I think as the crowds grew, people started to miss the water table completely). I would suggest some attempt should be made to move finishers away from the line/water?
Value - top notch! A very decent Christmas pud, T-shirt and choice of soup. I was happy just to take home some sand in my shoes (and the blisters that caused).
Beginner-friendliness - great camaraderie on the course and good support from the sidelines. A tough race, but definitely leaves a feeling of achievement! There's even a chance to rest at the bottleneck.
Overall - top top race. My first attempt and I'll definitely be back (even if generally I hate off-road races and I had a bad race personally, fading dramatically in the last mile such that half my team mates overtook).
Date of review: December 19, 2005
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2005 race reviewed by: rhys@evans0124.freeserve.co.uk
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Very challenging - glad to finish in the end
In full: I was persuaded to enter this race by a friend, and decided to combine the race with a weekend of visiting friends to make the 200 mile trip from North Wales worthwhile.
As this was only my third ever race, I did start wondering what I'd let myself into about halfway up the Big Dipper, and my lungs were ready to burst by the time I got to the top. The bottle-neck and resulting delay at the top was a bit of a godsend, but not really enough of a rest as I didn't get settled into my running until after I'd walked up the golf course hill!
All in all, quite enjoyable once I'd got the two big inclines out of the way and the stream crossings were very cold. The first one was shallow enough for you to practically run along the river bed, but the final two were significantly deeper and seemed a lot colder - I was really looking forwards to my soup by this time!
I did ask myself why after I crossed the finish line, but I don't think it'd take too much persuasion to get me back down south again next year...
Date of review: December 19, 2005
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2005 race reviewed by: mike tate
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Fantastic!!!
In full: First time doing this race but it is already on the calendar for next year. In terms of route - quite superb! Brilliant scenery great atmosphere, excellent value for money. What can i say probably one of my favourite races of the year
Date of review: December 19, 2005
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2005 race reviewed by: Mr Phil [now a fully paid up member of the sub 20 club!]
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 100% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: you must do this race!!!!!!
In full: Ok, so not a strict pb race, but what other race do you start staring at a hill made of sand that you can't see the top of!!!
do this race once and you'll be back!!
Date of review: December 19, 2005
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2005 race reviewed by: Chris Humphreys
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Why all the dead rabbits?
In full: Great race, great organisation, great fun. Simply a must do event in a runners calendar. Quite why there were so many half eaten dead rabbits in the last kilometre is anyones guess. Hello to the blonde with "8.3.02" whom I ran with some of the way.......
Date of review: December 18, 2005
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2005 race reviewed by: James Bruce 2
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Great race well organised good t-shirts and pudding - not a PB course
In full: This is not a race for a PB, you start to go up the big dipper - the largest sand dune in europe (so i am told by other runners!).
this makes the start very slow for all but the speedy runners. It took me about 10 minutes to start running then 40 for the rest of the race (normal 10k time 40-42mins) it really depends on the start. Apart from that hill its not actually that hilly(compared to many hilly races) . so the PB comment is based on the start. You get wet in the last 1 k so be warned you run through 3 streams but the entrace form does warn you of this.
Date of review: December 18, 2005
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