Greater Manchester MarathonHere's how RW members rated this race in the past (178 votes). 2012 race reviewed by: Run Fat Boy
 | | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Cold, wet and windy
In full: Never been so cold and wet. No one could help the conditions, but the organisation of the race is another matter. Top class price paid for second rate organisation. Start was delayed needlessly, No gels by the time I got to the stations. Mud bath at Dunham was a joke, if I want to do multi terrain, I'll enter multi terrain races. Baggage problems at start and end of race well.. its all been said. Support was fantastic though, made me proud to be a mancunian.
Date of review: May 18, 2012
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0 race reviewed by: Phil Bamford
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Great Camerarderie with runners and crowd! needed in horrible conditions.
In full: The issues of the day were exacerbated by the weather. The event was well staged with the training runs prior. I really enjoyed the crowd and the course would have been much more enjoyable had the weather been better.
Great PB took 44 Mins of my previous (in a hurry to get home out of the cold)
Date of review: May 16, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: Phil Bamford
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: comaraderie
Date of review: May 15, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: Gary Newham
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Support around the course was brilliant, the course is okay just the weather on the day let it down. The baggage tent needs looking at for next year!!
In full: The support around the course was brilliant well done to the people of Manchester. The course is good and this has the potential to be a good event. The organisers let themselves down with the totally dis-organised baggage tent.
Date of review: May 11, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: lisa donnelly
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: An OK route, bit dull and xc in places but flat. Poor poor poor organisation tho. Poor!
Date of review: May 10, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: Andrew Dooley
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: The race was a lot better than the weather!
In full: If it wasn't for the weather this would have been a great marathon. The baggage area was a fiasco both before and after the race but this was made so much worse by the weather and has already been well documented. The support was great apart from some areas out in the country (to put this into perspective, there were also some areas in New York that had only one or two spectators so this was only to be expected). Even with the weather I did Manchester 16 minutes quicker than London the previous week so this is definitely a potential PB course. Most cities would have to take in some questionable scenery to make up 26 miles hence we had to run through Trafford industrial park to link back to Stretford. Overall, despite the weather, a great race and warm and friendly northern support along the route.
Date of review: May 7, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: Tony Collier 2
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Great crowd support
In full: Some of the ratings on here are really unduly negative. Yes, the baggage re-claim was a shambles and completely unacceptable but otherwise I thought the organisation was pretty good. Nothing the organisers could do about the awful weather (apart from perhaps anticipate the absolute worse) which made the race incredibly challenging. The course can no doubt be tweeked but I think the organisers deserve at least some credit:-
1. They had the nerve to bring a marathon back to Manchester.
2. They got most things right, baggage re-claim apart.
3. The course took in most of Traffords iconic sights, Old Trafford, Imperial War Museum, All the town centres and Dunham Park.
4. I understand that the route was all in Trafford rather than Manchester City due to M/cr Council not wanting to have the event in the City. Nothing the organisers can do about that!
5. The muddy wet section in Dunham Park was completely dry when I ran it 3 weeks before the race and I understand that it was the only way the National Trust would allow the organisers to run through the park.
6. Some of the comments about lack of marshalls are just ludicrous. The numbers were perfectly adequate and I felt as sorry for them as I did for my fellow runners, it wasnt half cold and wet out there!
Date of review: May 7, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: Em Scott
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: what was with the weather!
In full: has to be one of the worst races for weather Ive done ! my first marathon, the start was something to be desired. No starters hornm or anything heard from the cattle hold at the 4-5 hr holding pen. The natives however were spectacular and a BIG thanks to the residents who came out to support, cheer and hand out jelly babies. This is one girl who thoroughly appreciated them !
Date of review: May 5, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: Martznw
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: What a day
In full: One week on, just about thawed out, think I enjoyed the race. This being only my second marathon I still managed to get a PB despite the weather (four seasons in one day).
If I do not get a ballot place for London, Greater Manchester Marathon will be my second choice for next year.
Date of review: May 5, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: Helen Forrest
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: organisation awfull i came down from Glasgow spent a lot of money that weekend to run a bad run marathon ,i have ran 14 marathons that was the worst so cold at end a lady who was their with her hussband wated me to take her coat baggage came today .
Date of review: May 5, 2012
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