Events

Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		No
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		60%
Value		20%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: Just getting too expensive
In full: While I cannot fault the volunteers who spent hours standing in the rain, and the support of the crowds, it just isn't worth £30. The previous day, I did the Beachy Head Marathon, which was almost half the price but included a cooked meal at the end, and not a box of fish oil in sight!
The £3 parking fee on the common for the marshals made absolutely no difference to last year in terms of getting off the common, so that was a waste of money.
Not going to do this again as I don't want my running to fund Brendon Foster's retirement fund.
Date of review: November 1, 2007

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

In short: Loved it........
In full: Loved it, the queing for the loos, logistics of getting everybody on the start line, running in the wind and rain, skating on fluid sachets, dodging flying water bottles, recieving the quirky goody bag, using a space blanket as a parachute and watching everybody trying to get out of Portsmouth while I walked past them all to the ferry.
Love it, love it. Oh yes plus I got a PB.
Date of review: October 31, 2007

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

In short: My third GSR and a PB
In full: The wind and rain at the last 2 miles were tough but made me push even harder, enjoyed it as much as the last two years and will do it again, crowds great again. Well done to the guy who ran past dressed in only a thong and devil horns! He must have suffered some chaffing!!
Date of review: October 31, 2007

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

In short: Enjoyable despite the weather
In full: Well it's all been said really. Great atmosphere and great course. Many thanks to the supporters and organisers for turning up in the atrocious weather conditions.

However, leaving the common car park at the end of the race was a nightmare. It took 1 and a half hours to get to the race and 4 and a half hours to get home. One and a half hours of that spent waiting to get out of the car park despite returning to it well within 2 hours of the race start.

Please can EXIT signs be erected in future and can the car parking attendants actually direct the traffic instead of there being a total free for all. We were almost out of the car park only to be turned back and told to go to another exit where we sat for a further hour only to look in the rear view mirror to see other cars exiting from the exit we had been turned away from.

This did mar my experience and I would question whether it was worth doing the race again. I certainly wouldn't park in the common car park again and would possibly get a hotel for the night as the roads out of portsmouth were totally congested too.
Date of review: October 31, 2007

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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		80%

In short: Had a great race but once again shame about the weather. Many thanks to all the spectators and volunteers around the course and a big thanks to the Guide Dogs team for whom I was running. Great atmosphere all through the
Date of review: October 31, 2007

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

In short: You know its bad when the waves are crashing over the top at mile 9!!!
In full: Seriously, I think the weather was worse than last year which was a shame as I was on for a pb and then it all went Pete Tong at mile 8 - even though I knew what was coming! I know some were not happy at paying £3 for car parking but having travelled some distance, I had to book a hotel at £125 per night RO, so £3 seems reasonable! The ground matting at the finish this year also made a big difference.
Date of review: October 31, 2007

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

In short: Wet and Windy contest
In full: My first outing at the GSR. Pompey is a familiar town for me but this was another way of seeing it. The course is nice, pretty flat and scenic. It has PB potential and if you are lucky enough to be in the first wave, there werent too many congestion points. It was just a shame about the rain and the wind in the last 2 miles along the sea front.
Date of review: October 31, 2007

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

In short: Weather and last two miles made this pb course somewhat disappointing...
In full: Was on for a pb up to 8miles...but the last two miles bodged that up n i only managed to run a 61. Having travelled all the way from Barnsley that was a tad gutting!!! Cant do owt bout the weather tho eh!
Apart from that it was a good race, would consider doing it agian.
Date of review: October 31, 2007

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

In short: good atmopshere but the roads need widening!
In full: all in all this was a good run with plenty of support (despite the weather). The course is fast but the last 2 miles would challenge most to go below their PB. My issues came with organisation. I took a charity place and was in the Green wave. I was on the back of the White wave within 1.5 miles and the back of the Orange within 3... i spent a lot of time behind people who should have started further back... I'd definately do the race again and would hope for a better starting position!
Date of review: October 30, 2007

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Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		No
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		80%
Value		60%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

In short: This is the 3rd year I have done this race and didn't enjoy it as much as before.
In full: The race was well organised but delayed start meant standing around for even longer in the cold.

Thank you to all the marshalls and spectators that stood out in the rain and wind to cheer us on - it was much appreciated.

Paying £3 to park was a bit much. I was lucky enough to be able to leave the car park by about 12.15 so didn't have to queue. However I feel that the race entry fee was high enough for the car parking fees to be taken from that. The "professionally managed car parking experience" didn't appear to be any better than last year or the year before.

Having said that I enjoyed the race, although the last two miles felt as if I was going backwards.

Thanks again to all the supporters.
Date of review: October 30, 2007

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