EDF Energy Birmingham Half MarathonHere's how RW members rated this race in the past (191 votes). 2010 race reviewed by: ringo100
 | | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: shambolic start,too many people running at walking pace with ipods on
In full: This race has such great potential.However,until the organisers sort out the problems the numbers should be limited to a sensible 5 or 6 thousand. Getting into a start pen was a nightmare as supporters so densely lined the route it encouraged people to start from the wrong pen. Please next year stand the supporters well back from the start! Also why no speaker system to help organise things. This was my 12th marathon this year and the congestion with volume of runners and people who obviously started from the wrong pen for the first three miles was awful.Trying to achieve a PB when you have a group of ipod plodders hogging the middle of the road was so frustrating.That said, the marshalling on the course was great as was the local support and atmosphere. The course with the exception of the last two and half miles is fast. I had no problems at the finish and an excellant medal and goody bag. Please Birmingham organisers listen to the comments on here and you will have one of the best half marathons in the country. Maybe look at a full marathon as well
Date of review: October 24, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Andrew Essom
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: good race, may need an out of town start next year if more than 15,000 runners!
In full: overall, very good, i did Cardiff last week with the same amount of runners and Birmingham was a lot lot better!. ok bottleneck at the start and i would suggest 15000 entries is as much as Broad street can handle, perhaps alexandra statium on the walsall road could cope better for the amount of runners that next year would undoubtably attract.
but no i have done five marathons and a few halves the last 12 months and Birmingham was a treat......loved it ;0)
Date of review: October 24, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Lipstick Runner
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Too many people- couldn't start properly & had to queue for the finishing line-Madness!!1
In full: I have run this race each year since it started in 2008. The first year was good but the route wasn't so great but last year they changed it & it was perfect.
However, a lot more people ran it this year & i don't think the organisers had thought things through properly as the start was extremely congested. They could have got round this problem through putting runners into corrals so the slower runners are at the back, faster people at the front etc. After starting the race I had to do a slow shuffle walk for the whole of the first minute then the first 4 miles were very crowded- I found it hard to run as not mush space. The second half of the race I had to really push myself to make up time I had lost at the beginning and worked out the time i expected to finish in. However, after sprinting to the finish line I got towards it but had to stop and walk for a minute & a half which was a horrible experience. Have run a lot of races & have always run through the finish line so was shocked by this today as this is such a great race & has not happened before. I really hope the organisers can sort thins out for next year as put a really damper on my experience today -I was so looking forward to the race & could have easily got a PB if it wasn't for the messy start & finish. Will be writing to the organisers with a few suggestions.
Date of review: October 24, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: mcs
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: PB for me so happy!!!!!
In full: Thanks to Birmingham not the prettiest city but folk welcoming and a PB for me so very happy. Start not organized, no announcements, was there a sound system? Narrow at the start caused a few problems. Thanks see you next year.
Date of review: October 24, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Steve Cumley
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In full: This was a good race, and will do it again next year, however the organisers do need to listen to the comments on this forum - and make some tweaks.
The start pens didn't work because the fencing encouraged later arrivals to enter in front of the fastest pen (black).
I agree with other posts that there weren't sufficient toilets this year (shame because it was fine last year) - although the local pubs were very obliging (thank you Lloyds).
With regards to the route - the Pershore rd was a bottleneck. The out and back nature meant that the field was constrained to one side of the road for approx 2 miles. Fortunately I was ahead of the scrum but coming back down the other side I could see how bad it was for everybody.
The finish was fine for me and the goody bag was excellent. The NIA is also a great location for baggage storage etc.
Date of review: October 24, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Pete Matthews
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Really good race again...
In full: I cant fault it from my point of view... much better course that previous years and good support once again.
A few more loos at the start would have helped and more entry points to the start line, but nothing major.
A few marshalls nr the finish line keeping people moving would help, however i never experianced any of the problems mentioned below.. Top race from my perspective.
Date of review: October 24, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: phil spencer 2
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: chaos start
In full: first race that have had to walk at the start total chaos . what distance have poeple recorded i got 13.34 which is long
Date of review: October 24, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Fluffbug
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: shambles
In full: DFid this race with a mate in the hope of pacing her round in around 2 hours.
Pens at start non existent as were loos. Came to total standstill 20m after starting. Roads too narrow in poarts. But worse of all was the finish....all ready to cross the line and came to a total bottleneck styandstill. Had to walk over the line whilst watching the clock tick away. A really poor representation of my hometown. Poor poor organisation but superb support from the locals :)
Date of review: October 24, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Corky Tough Guy
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 100% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: PB potential but shocking organisation
In full: Got to the start and did not have a clue what was going on. Got into the running pen (after having to climb a barrier). Not one sign to indicate which pen was which and runners were not seperated into the predicted finishing times. Poor! Fortunately I did not hit a bottleneck as was at the front.
Despite the farce at the start, the course had PB potenital written all over it, as it was very flat. In fact the only climbs of any significance came between miles 10.5 and mile 12.
One of the better goody bags at the end and a nice shiny locally made medal was enclosed.
Will be back but hopefully the issues with the start will be sorted.
Nice to see Mo Farah starting us off!
Date of review: October 24, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Richard Varley
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: too many problems...
In full: firstly, the start was badly done, the usual people in the wrong position but lack of signs and spectators being in the way was a nightmare. Stopping for 20 seconds after only 20 metres due to congestion and then a twisty narrow start meant a PB wil be v hard! The course would be fine for approx 5,000 runners but the roads were not wide enough. After finishing, the funneling of runners to get bags etc needs improvement. If Birmingham want to rival other cities then it needs yet another new course and better organisation. FINALLY, I can't not mention the chap who kept running despite using his shorts as a toilet, the smell made me speed up and pass you, so thanks....
Date of review: October 24, 2010
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