BUPA Great North RunHere's how RW members rated this race in the past (1517 votes). 2005 race reviewed by: greggbinding@yahoo.co.uk
 | | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Hope to go back again
In full: The second time for me and I was very glad to go back. The event is not to be missed. Organisation is great, considering the number of people. The only gripe is why do some people start at the front and walk after the first mile. I am sure these muppets wont be reading these columns and taking it on board though!! Maybe it should be mentioned more in the before event magazines.
It must be remembered and a thought spared for the four people who didn't make it this year.
Date of review: September 29, 2005
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2005 race reviewed by: JO Boy
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Too many walkers and fun runners started too near the front, hard to work up a good pace , overall an amazing event there were so many people, unbelieveable !
Date of review: September 26, 2005
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2005 race reviewed by: Liz Batten
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: great race, but some (mainly men!) won't take prisoners when they want to get past you!!
Date of review: September 24, 2005
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2005 race reviewed by: koolkim
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: 1st GNR & 1st 1/2 marathon
In full: What a day. Fantastic atmosphere. Crowd support excellent. People very friendly (giving out chocs & water). Only gripe was the toilet facilities on route were in-adequate (not enough). Apart from that a brilliant day. Will hopefully be back again next year.
Date of review: September 24, 2005
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2005 race reviewed by: Tony Hodge 6
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: A Great Day Out
In full: This was my 5th GNR and I had trained specially for it whilst undertaking a 6 month tour with the MOD in Iraq. My training had gone great and on returning home I developed a stress fracture in my left foot. Being a stubborn old git I still decided to run. Prior to the injury I would have smashed 90 minutes. Sadly the pain from 8 miles was tough so I had to grit my teeth and finished in 1 hour, 37 minutes.
I had a good start because I was in the Leukaemia Research Pacing Team thanks to Running Fitness Magazine. I was able to cross the start line under 10 seconds but I still came across walkers in my start pen! I don't know why the big races in UK can't adopt the same policy in the US where an official checks all the numbers before allowing you access to the correct pen.
Yes, a lot of the criticism from other reviewers is fair but they get the same comments every year. With 50 thousand runners it is always going to be an organisers nightmare.
Just enjoy the day being part of one amazing race.
The best bit for me was finding my wife at the finish and waching the Red Arrows at the seaside at South Shields. The massage back in the hotel was dam good too but I had better not mention that here!
Finally, I also was very sorry to hear about the deaths and from what I've read the 4 guys seemed fit and good runners. My thoughts are with their families.
Bring on the Great South Run in a fortnight.
Date of review: September 24, 2005
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2005 race reviewed by: Kevin Furey
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Could do with "tweeking" in a few areas
In full: The pasta party was expensive for what you got. The start really does need sorting out as does the amount of runners in a confined space. apart from that,back next year.
Date of review: September 24, 2005
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2005 race reviewed by: Steve Gardyne
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: 1st GNR and 1st 1/2M. The atmosphere was pretty special and it was a nice touch crossing the bridge with the red arrows overhead!
In full: Ended up standing still for 1 1/2 hours with no stretching room prior to the start - not ideal prep! The race itself was fine although I hadn't done enough longer runs and suffered from about 10 miles onwards, also definitely suffered from a blood sugar crash until a small, rotund chappie gave me a custard cream with a couple of miles to go which got me in!
The car parks and traffic at the end is probably my only real gripe as it took 2 hours to get out of SS following the race - not great with two screaming kids in the back! Hard to see what they could do different though so it's pretty much a "feature"!
Going to have to train harder next year to get a time to be proud of, my time of 2hrs 11 mins this year reflects my major struggle with the last 3-4 miles, was on for a bit under 2 hours until this point. All in all an event to remember.....was damn hot though!
Date of review: September 23, 2005
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2005 race reviewed by: philbo
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: unreal
In full: My 1st gnr what an experience, when i walked down onto the start , the amount of people wow ! took my breath away, i started at the 2 hour 10 mark took me about 10 mins to get over the start line, which i did,nt think was too bad,i thought the start was well set out, plenty of toilets , baggage buses , a long wait for the start but it was always going to be so go prepared, just one gripe like others have said if you know your going too walk it start a the back please and move too one side out on the road, the course , well i thought it was flat ( prob is too experienced runners ) but it caught me out at 9 miles , a steady climb up too 12 miles felt like someone had a rope on me pulling me back, but at the top of the bank before you drop down on to the sea front the most welcoming sight of my life a moble screen with one more mile on it , the finish is fantastic where my extra legs came from ???? who knows, quite an emotional time , at the end of the day i was disappointed with my time 2.31 but it was very warm. but when i heard the news about the four fellow runners well my tme means nothing . my thoughts go out to the families of the four runners.
Date of review: September 23, 2005
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2005 race reviewed by: donald leatt
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: My First ever run I ran for fun not to win and enjoyed it.
Date of review: September 23, 2005
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2005 race reviewed by: Al G.
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: When you have to walk at 6 miles due to a bottle neck it's not really a running race.
In full: While it was great to be part of such a large event and enjoy the day, I'll not be doing this race again. There's many many locally organised races where you can enjoy better scenery, better organisation and a better running experience.
The start area was shambolic - no signage, no stewards. The only toilets I could see were in the bushes by the side of the motorway. It took me ten minutes to get over the start line (not too bad compared to many), but I only got to run for 100m before being blocked by four walkers all walking next to each other. How difficult is it to think that if you're going to be walking then start nearer the back, and don't take up the whole road so people have to stop and start.
By about six miles I'd finally found some room and was running at my own pace. So what do they do? Close half the road so everyone has to squeeze in and walk for a bit. Thanks.
The finish area had a good atmosphere, and having parked on the road in South Shields I was amazed at how quickly we managed to get through traffic and out.
Date of review: September 23, 2005
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