Edinburgh MarathonHere's how RW members rated this race (1467 votes). 2011 race reviewed by: Running Katy
 | | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Choas at the end, TV Screen in reunion area wasn't working, so spectors didn't have a clue if you had finished. Shame about the weather.
Date of review: May 26, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: paul tranter
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Good, flat, fast course - terrible organisation
In full: Second Edinburgh Marathon, enjoyed this year more than last. I like the course, scenery etc, but minus points:
Mile markers too small / missing? Same as last year.
Finish area v. disorganised, long way to get water.
Handed 'Festival' T-shirt not marathon one
Rubbish medal compared to last year
Ridiculous ‘pinch point’ to exit baggage area
V. expensive given facilities provided
Plus points?
Preferred finish on tarmac rather than bouncy mat in race course
Plenty of toilets at London Road start – if you looked...
More water stations than last year, or was it just less hot?
Date of review: May 26, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: Emma Penfold
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: What more can I say that hasn't already been said.....
In full: For a big city marathon I found this totally disappointing, it should be called the Musselburgh marathon.
It felt quite isolated from miles 16 to 21 with no support apart from fellow runners. The lack of water was terrible why not follow the examples of London and Brighton by having water at every mile from 18/20 to the finish. The finish area was so muddled and to make people walk for 25 minutes to get to the buses and then stand and queue (which is expected) after having run 26.2 miles......I was looking forward to completing another big city marathon but would I do it again, no way. There are lessons to be learnt.
Date of review: May 25, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: Christopher Brown 5
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Otherwise enjoyable race, marred by poor organisation at the finsh
In full: There was a great atmosphere and good organisation at the start and I enjoyed most of the route, especially running along the coast for much of it. Main gripe was that mile markers were too small and hard to spot (were there actually any at all in the last few miles?). Also, the two "about turns" later in the race were strangely dispiriting. A course needs to have a sense of travelling somewhere to be really memorable. The positive side of this race, as compared to somehwere like London, is that you can run at your own pace for most of it without too much congestion (and without the glitz and overt commercialism). The marshals and support crew were helpful and enthusiastic, though not always plentiful.
But the finish... what more can be said? Having got through the chaos of the actual finish area, I queued 30 mins for a beer, 45 mins for a burger then, after a 20 min walk, 45 mins for a bus, which then left me in a part of the city I didn't know, another 20 mins from my hotel. I got back at 6pm, having finished the race around 1.30. It left an unpleasant memory of an otherwise enjoyable day, and the atmosphere during the interminable wait for buses was, by that point, understandably very sour.
There does seem to be a problem with undercapacity of staffing, facilities and general provision at the end - almost as if the organisers were taken by surpise by the numbers. But then, really, how could they have been?
Date of review: May 25, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: spicedapple
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
Date of review: May 25, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: babciaruns
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Disappointing, poor organization, no marathon finisher shirt!
In full: There is little I can say that hasn't already been said.
I trained hard for this and was looking forward to reliving the positive experience of my first marathon at the 2006 race. Too many negatives from the lack of signage, to unclear baggage instructions, to bland medal, lack luster finish location, etc etc. I was dismayed that after doing a PB that there were NO marathon finisher shirts! Then had to walk the mile+ to the bus!
This has the potential to be an awesome race if more attention is given to the details we runners value and not just about how many events can take place on a given weekend and where corners can be cut. I sure hope lessons are learned...as the numbers may be a lot less next year by the sound of these reviews!
Date of review: May 25, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: AP58
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Another fine mess
In full: This should be a great marathon, but it's ruined by disorganisation, and with the current course should be called the East Lothian marathon. The many volunteer marshals and helpers worked very hard but those at the finish were given an impossible task. What was the risk assessment of the crush at the end? Were the local residents asked or warned about what was planned? Did anybody think that queueing for 30 minutes after the end of the marathon for two small fruit bars was ideal? One can only assume that the current funding model doesn't work - that the organisers have to place the wishes of those selling to the public above the needs of runners at the finish and cannot afford to pay for the policing needed to close more roads in Edinburgh. The options would seem to be either to charge a more appropriate entry fee (this race costs half of what any large American marathon would charge) and to ask the city and its businesses whether it wants to sell out every bed in the city, and if so contribute to the event that achieves this. And an Edinburgh marathon should finish either on Princes St or in Holyrood Park.
Date of review: May 25, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: Tranent Bullet
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In full: As a previous runner to the Edinburgh Marathon I had to make do with cheering this year.
From this point of view it was made very difficult to access different areas of the course to cheer on Friends. One part of the course from port seton to gossford house and back is totally closed to movement of traffic making it difficult even for emergency services to reach anyone in distress.I cant understand why over the last few years there has been no improvement to make this one of the top CITY MARATHONS come on Edinburgh lets get this sorted.
Date of review: May 25, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: neil alford
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: What a mess
In full: Where do i start.
Running head long into on coming cars not great! were where the marshalls why wasn't the road taped or closed off.
mile markers you where lucky if you spotted them.
very tight an narrow in places.
Then the finish Shambolic is an understatement. 10 mins before i got a drink then an hour to get though the mess and get my bag back before the hike to the bus.
They got to change the finish and who organized it. This is surposed to be a big city marathon! finishing in a small back street in the middle of nowhere is a joke!
Date of review: May 25, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: ciarakit
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Good race spoilt by shambolic (dis-)organisation at the end
In full: For non-locals wanting to do 'Edinburgh' this may be disappointing as it mostly takes place along the East Lothian coast; this makes for a lot of great scenery, though. I'd prefer if the start-finish was in Edinburgh (Holyrood Park would be ideal, they did that in previous years and it made for a great atmosphere). If Musselburgh remains as the finish, the organisation at the end needs to be severely overhauled; this year it was piss poor, as commented by many posters here, and who I totally agree with.
Date of review: May 25, 2011
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