Wycombe Half Marathon  Here's how RW members rated this race (332 votes). 2011 race reviewed by: PQGraca
 | | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 20% |
In short: The first mile is a killer
In full: If you don't like hills (or a big hill) then this is not the Half-Marathon for you. I must say I was taken by surprise with how steep the climb on mile 1, which just threw me out of my stride completely.
Other than that, the organisation was very good and the area is nice.
I might come back but not my favourite Half, surely.
Date of review: July 20, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: Shellbo
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: First time at Wycombe - I'll be back for the Goody-Bag !!
In full: First time doing this race. I was pre-warned about the first hill, but it was still tough climbing 300ft in just under a mile. Nice !!
Other than the hill, what an excellent race. Can't fault any aspect really. Great Medal, excellent Goody-Bag, great Marshalls, interesting but tough course and very good start/finish area organistation and setup.
Well done to the organisers - see you next year.
Date of review: July 20, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: Libbylaird
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Well organised, fabulous goody bag, great value for money, wonderful atmosphere.....however that hill at the start doesn't get any flatter! See you next year!
Date of review: July 19, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: WindsorAndy
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Tough hill but after that it's fine
In full: The initial hill sorts the men from the boys and if you're running the half, you get to enviously watch the 10k runners peel off for their shorter lap at the 3 mile point but those distractions aside it's a very good race around some not too bad scenery.
Can't fault the organisation, loads of water stops, started on time etc.
I don't care about goody bags but this race was good value in that regard. T-short, good medal and loads of trinkets in the bag was a good return on the entry price.
The start and finish is on the Rye and there were enough stalls and concessions to make it feel village fete-like. Had the weather held up then it would have been an even better atmosphere.
You're unlikely to get a pb unless you're on course for better times than you achieve here but it's a great hard effort for an Autumn marathon at the right point of the season.
All in all a very positive experience and well done to the organising team.
Andrew
Date of review: July 19, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: SleepyLion
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Well organised race as always
In full: This is worth turning out for - great organisation: parking, sign-posting, marshalling down to the goody bag. Local support all along the route. Tough course in the beginning and the end but that is part of the challenge. Great job again by Handy Cross Runners.
Date of review: July 19, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: woody 40
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: well organised, and great goody bag.
In full: i enjoyed this race a nice atmosphere good organisation. and a worthy goody bag, t-shirt, and medal at the end. and managed to miss the heavy rain.
Date of review: July 18, 2011
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0 race reviewed by: keorbats
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: Challenging, well-organised and uplifting!
In full: First half marathon for me, and what a great experience!
The Wycombe HM is extremely well organised. The task of starting the HM and 10K at the same time causes no problems. Nowhere on the course did we slow down because of bunching. The course was very well marshalled and sign-posted and the watering stations were excellent! Marshals and spectators alike were very enthusiastic.
I knew about the hill at the start as I'd done the 10K the year before. The course snakes up Marlow hill and so never gets too steep. This does a good job of stretching the field out. The rest of the course is fairly flat and the long road from Bourne End to Loudwater presents no issues.
It's strange being able to see the finish line with 2km to go, but the spontaneous enthusiasm of the crowd and announcers never waned and I even got a name check at the finish!
15 quid for such a well organised race, t-shirt, medal and decent goody bag is hard to beat.
Can't really fault the effort put in by everyone involved! Well done and, injuries permitting, see you next year...
Date of review: July 18, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: Dutch
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Killer hill to begin manageable afer that.
Date of review: July 18, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: MrsK8
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Great race but killer hill at the start!
In full: First things first - that hill! Very steep in places & quite winding. There were a lot of walkers were I was in the pack so had to weave in & out but that didn't really slow me down, the hill did a good enough job on it's own! Just pleased that it was at the start rather then having to tackle it when at exhausted at the end.
Plenty of parking in a field. The toilets were part of the leisure centre but judging by the queues there probably could have been a few portaloos to boost the numbers.
The organisation seemed pretty good & the medal & goody were amazing! Nice to finally get a technical t-shirt from a race. Lots of other little goodies too.
Because of the good organisation, great goody bag & value for money I would defintely like to do more of their events.
Date of review: July 18, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: Mark Sarl
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Great Race - climb high and reach the Rye
In full: My 2nd attempt at the Half marathon on a course that runs past my front door so I don't have any excuse for missing it!
As others have said, the hill start gets you nicely warmed up very early on but then it all settles down nicely. Good local support and excellent marshals make the race a pleasing experience for all. The cooler weather this year was also a bonus.
Water stations were well distributed and as for the goodie bag - well it is very generous. Nice chunky medal too!
The commentator has rightly received a lot of complimentary comments (did you see what I did there?). Anyway his comedy stylings got things going in the right mood and apparently kept spirits high throughout the morning. I'm not just saying that because he gave me a name check on the sprint for the line either!
Will be back for more for 2012 - excellent job, Handy Cross Runners!
Date of review: July 18, 2011
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