BUPA Great South RunHere's how RW members rated this race (813 votes). 2008 race reviewed by: robertblock@btinternet.com
 | | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Excellent race spoilt by the chaos trying to get away.
In full: The race itself is always a pleasure to take part in, but the nightmare trying to get away afterwards was worse than ever. Surely it would be better for all concerned to get competitors to park up out of town, easing the traffic problems getting into Portsmouth, and making the get away more bearable. We were stuck on Southsea Common for the best part of an hour and did not move! For this reason I will consider carefully before entering again. That said, it would be a real shame to miss such a great race. Please, please sort this out.
Date of review: November 9, 2008
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2008 race reviewed by: Ray Collins
| | Overall score | | 20% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Not a bad race but was taken ill part way through more to follow...
In full: Pre race organisation is brilliant, plenty of information. If wanting to stay book very early. start well organised. Bad point - was taken ill part way round, needed medical assistance and transporting to medical Centre - waited over an hour for an ambulance, the medical organisation was a farce.
Date of review: November 7, 2008
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2008 race reviewed by: Neil_C
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Great race for first timers and runners looking for PBs.
Date of review: November 7, 2008
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2008 race reviewed by: rbryan
| | 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: It's a great race - one year they'll get the weather though.
In full: This is a super race, very enjoyable with crowds cheering all the way (save down the final 2 miles, as they have more sense than to brave the sea front). This is the killer stretch, a west bound run straight into the prevailing westerly wind (and for the past years rain).
I've heard complaints about parking - well Portsmouth is an island and there are only two real routes on and off by road, so with 19,000 plus runners it's going to get busy. The parking nearest the start is surrounded by the race route - but all entrants are warned about this. All entrants are encouraged to park away from the course; it's advice worth heeding.
My one gripe is that the non-elite starting waves do not seem to be based on estimated finishing times: so anyone looking for a PB does have to get round the fun runners and the costumed. Either that or many entrants have vastly inflated their abilities.
Date of review: November 6, 2008
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2008 race reviewed by: Lara21
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Racing Great, Parking abismal
In full: The race itself was fabulous. The bands really helped lift the spirits. Trying to get off the Commom was a joke. The "attendents" caused as many problems as they solved! Shame, spoilt a good race feel.
Date of review: November 6, 2008
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2008 race reviewed by: melissa Neal
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Organisation | | 40% |
In short: results were poor
In full: not worth doing this race, i was put in the wrong wave start which i managed to get sorted
then when the results were first published my name was no where to be seen. after numerous phone calls i eventually appeared in the results with a time 7 mins slower than i ran even though i had told them what time i ran.
Date of review: November 5, 2008
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2008 race reviewed by: Nat D
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: Good but some improvements needed
In full: Love the course, love the atmosphere and love Portsmouth. This year the number allocations seemed random, didn't matter too much to the likes of me but not fair on the much quicker runners to be held up. I just went and stood in the zone I thought I should be in, no-one cared and I knew I wasn't going to hold anyone up. The parking on the common is still a joke, with comments in the magazine like "we have listened to feedback from last year", they put some people in reflective jackets in the car park who didn't seem to actually do anything in terms of traffic control and just stood there smoking cigarettes and chatting each other up - ironically it took me much much longer to get off the common than it did to run the 10 miles....! ;-) Could have done with a bit more than a bag of dried apple in the goody bag to sustain me during the 3 hours it took to get out of Pompey - yes I could have parked somewhere else, for an easier getaway but this was where the official signs lead to. I love this race, but am debating if I should do a more local race on the same day next year instead.
Date of review: November 5, 2008
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2008 race reviewed by: Joe.horsley
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Great atmosphere and excellent crowds
In full: Shame that the allocation of start positions appears to be entirely random. Put down a 1hr 30 time and found myself starting from the back of white C. Spent first two miles passing thousands of slow runners/walkers so pobably added and extra half mile to the run in zig-zagging accross the road and pavements. I appreciate that lots are doing this run as a one of for charity but starting at the front and then having to walk after the first mile doesn't help the rest of us looking for a reasonable time!
Date of review: November 4, 2008
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2008 race reviewed by: gomumgo
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Fantastic race made better by supportive local people and marshalls.
In full: Haven't done the GSR since 2005 (it was sunny that year!) but definitely worth getting up early and travelling for. Everyone really friendly and excellent organisation. Bit of congestion in some places on the course but to be expected with such a popular race. Have already put next year's in the diary. Thank you Great Run!
Date of review: November 4, 2008
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2008 race reviewed by: Jules Piper
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: One for the calendar ...!
In full: Great race and excellent organisation. Surely, one year they will have good weather?! Thank you to all concerned especially the spectators!
Date of review: November 4, 2008
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