Events

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

In short: Great race but don't enjoy 5 hours queuing!
In full: This is the 3rd time I have done this. I cannot fault the organisation of the race. T-shirt good and plenty of loos. hoever, living only 45 miles away left at 815, loads of time before the start. NO!! Took over an hour and a half to get on the common parked. Just got to the start in time. Can't help the weather. Finish no problems apart from the 3 hour wait to get out of Portsmouth after being moved from pillar to post and hardly moving. Of course you have to expect some congestion, I accept that but 3 hours to get out I find ludicroous. Would have spent the afternoon in Portsmouth but by the time we got there most of the shops would have been shut. It definately needs some work before next year!
Date of review: October 29, 2007

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

In short: excelent race good organisation i used the ferry,then jumped straight into my car onto the motorway and home no problems
In full: really nice race
well done to all

nice and wet like last year
Date of review: October 29, 2007

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Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		80%
Value		40%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: My 3rd GSR and I absolutely love this race!
In full: The hilarious last 2 miles into the wind were incredibly tough and stopped me getting a PB. Still finished in 1 hour 11 which I was very pleased with having done the Amsterdam Marathon the week before. Great crowd support and I had no problems with the organisation. You can't blame the race organisers for the roadworks on the A3!! can't wait for next year when I will go inside 65 minutes!!!
Date of review: October 29, 2007

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

In short: Great run but horrid weather!
In full: I really enjoyed this. Very well organised, really flat and loved the music. Very motivational.
Date of review: October 29, 2007

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

In short: Still one of my favourite races!
In full: Looking at some of the other reviews proves you can't please everyone, but I thought the event was great AGAIN! I ran a PB by 8 minutes and yes it took a while to get in and out of Portsmouth but this is the country's biggest 10 mile race! What do people expect? Thanks to the people of Portsmouth for cheering everyone on in the rain!
Date of review: October 29, 2007

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Overall score		40%
Would you do it again?		Maybe
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		100%
Organisation		40%
Value		60%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: good and very very bad
In full: First time I have raced the GSR and I loved it. Lots of encouragement throughout the wet course. As other reviews have mentioned, the people who came out to support should be applauded. Loved the Irish Band at the four mile point. I even enjoyed the last 2 miles (the music really helped). I had not run a 10 mile race in 4 years and beat my PB by 6 minutes (1.27)

The race itself was well organised then………………………

It took us 2 hours to get from Kent to Portsmouth that morning and we parked fine. Yet getting out was a nightmare, ended up on a road that merged with the exit from the common, went nowhere for ages. Big thanks to the 7 policeman who stood by a roundabout near the common for 2 hours doing nothing until they all got in a van and then drove up the inside of queuing traffic. It has been said by others, yet I can only repeat that they must be better ways to manage the traffic. I have read elsewhere that only 11,000 ran, I dread to think how long we would have had to wait if everyone turned up (probably still be there). With traffic delays on the A3 it took us 7 hours to get home (with an hour pub stop for something to eat)

It is such as shame, this was probably my favourite race yet the traffic nightmare will make me consider if it is worth doing again

Date of review: October 29, 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		100%

In short: Great race, poor infrastructure
In full: From start to finish this is a great race, despite the weather and the wind. The problems are getting in and out of the town. Doesn't help when the rail service is a replacement bus, so you are stuck in the traffic either way. If that is fixed this would be so much more enjoyable. Also thought the goody bag was a bit meagre this year, although the t-shirt and medal are good quality.
Date of review: October 29, 2007

Report this rating to the moderator

Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		Maybe
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		100%
Organisation		80%
Value		40%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: great fun, but £30 + £3 parking, Got To Be Kidding
In full: second time for me and i really enjoy this race partly because of the atmosphere but also it has become a bit of a family event for us.
weather, bit of a nightmare especially the wind on the final straight but thats the UK.
Parking and traffic management, one word and you probably can't print it, To see 5 police persons at a set of traffic lights waving people on on a green light and stopping you on a red was painfully laughable, and after paying a £30 entry fee and then having to pay more for parking was insulting.
Date of review: October 29, 2007

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: The infrastructure of Portsmouth cannot cope with 18,000 people
In full: GSR is a great run and this is my second year.
We left as soon as we finished last year and waited 3 hours to get out of Portsmouth!! this year I thought it would be best to wait till most had gone, so had a hot chocolate in the Cafe nearby (we were leaving at the same time as the toilets on the back of lorries), we still took 3 hours to get home to Basingstoke (normally about an hour away). The streets of Portsmouth cannot take 18,000 people.
The £3 charge for the car park makes great business sense but I would love to know what the tens of thousands of pounds is being spent on, as it was free last year.
On the plus side a great atmosphere as usual, I will be back next year but I might borrow a camper van so I have somewhere to go to the loo while travelling back!!
Date of review: October 29, 2007

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

In short: What a FAB day!!!
In full: Even the weather couldn't dampen it! It was the best race for a long while. Good support around the route despite the rain & wind. Nice scenery along the run, that last 2 miles were HILARIOUS!! Same time next year?!
Date of review: October 29, 2007

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