BUPA Great North RunHere's how RW members rated this race in the past (1517 votes). 2010 race reviewed by: Lesley Lewis
 | | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Fab, well worth entering a great first trip up north, just about worth the 9hr car journey up and the 11hr car journey back!
In full: Loved the whole experience of the GNR , the people, the organisation the brilliant pre-and post massage service (the therapists were just fab). Only complaint was the mix of runners in the 1.45-2hr group some runners had clearly over estimated there speed potentaial! I can accept walking at 10 miles but 2miles! and there were more than a few!. Felt it slowed me down, hard to get a pace up especialy at the end. I was realistic not expecting a P.B at such a busy half but felt I was slowed down a bit!. However the whole experience was great. Never realised how stunning South Shields is.
Date of review: September 24, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Jenny Mackay 2
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: super duper!
In full: this was my third time participating in the GNR, and it remains to be my favourite road race.
Date of review: September 24, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Jacqueline Williams 3
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Loved it again :)
In full: Did the GNR in 2009 to "celebrate" my 40th birthday. Miles 10 to 12 are murder for us plodders - could have slapped myself at times for putting myself through it again. And of course, when I fell over the finish line after two and a half hours I swore blind that I'd never do it again. But the GNR is like giving birth - painful and hard but OH so worth it and I just know I'll be back again next year.
PS There are no friendlier people in the country than the ones who turn out to support that race - just makes the whole thing.
Date of review: September 24, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Range_glue
| | 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: Always a fabulous experience, but must be experienced at least once.
In full: Another great day; perfect conditions for fast times (early on)and as always a fab Geordie crowd to cheer everyone along. Zone B was crammed with 1.45-2.00 chancers, so a LOT of slower runners to run through, round etc. It certainly paid to be at the front of Zone B for a clear run. First time for me running with a team of mixed ability, so had to wait around at the finish. Did not enjoy the subsequent epic queue for Shields Metro. That said, when I finally made it onto the East Coast Train to head back south, I was able to share it with Nell McAndrew - every cloud etc!!!
Date of review: September 23, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: RunnyEgg
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: great atmosphere. a special race. well organised. wish they could do something about miles 1o-12 though
Date of review: September 23, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Richard Mcmahon 3
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: A busy course well organised
In full: This was my first half marathon and it lived upto my expectations. The crowed played a huge part in me getting around. Giving me ice pops, oranges and thanks to the man on the bus stop with the hose pipe. It's a busy course so if u r after a pb this may not be for you but being part of this run was amazing. I will b back
Date of review: September 23, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: /Alex/
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: An undulating run on moptorways and duel carridgeways.
In full: Looking at the course elevation profile gave mne the impression there were only a couple of gentle inclines, but instead I found it was up and down the whole way which meant I didn't achieve my target time (PB though).
Water bottles didn't open very well which meant I didn't get much water. Trying to drink from a half opened water bottle at 5:20 pace saps a lot of your energy.
The crowd support was ok, but not spectacular. I assume that was due to the horrible weather though.
It was a hell of a long way to the Metro station at the finish and queueing for 30 mins in rain just to get on and then taking another 40 minutes to get to central station wasn't great.
My girlfriend wanted to watch me on the route but found that the Metro stations were so far away from the route, she couldn't get there in time!
Last point is that baggage buses were ok, but why not use the same system as the London Marathon instead of random bags on random buses.
Date of review: September 23, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Early rising runner
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Done it once - never again
In full: Much talked about and promoted, but I must say I wasn't impressed.
The things that disappointed me:
1. Bag drop was timed to close at 10.10, but at 10.00 we were told that the buses had to move and that no bags could go on - rediculous.
2. The enclosures were full so we were told to move to the back behind slower runners! What's the point of registering a time then!
3. Too crowded so couldn't race. I know it's a charity do - however it's still a race, but there are so many I couldn't move on.
4. At the end waiting an hour and a half in the rain for the metro was not a great way to top it off.
5. The outragiously inflated hotel prices for the weekend.
The good things:
As always the helpers at the start, the drinks stations and the finish were brilliant, so many thanks to you all.
Date of review: September 23, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Paul Evans 8
| | 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: Worthy of the title "Great" North Run...
In full: Second time running the GNR and this year I ran in fancy dress as a Spartan Warrior. The crowd were great as usual, shouts of "I'm Spartacus", c'mon Roman(!)and c'mon Viking(!?) all the way around. Fantastic atmosphere with the fellow runners and crowd alike.
It was very well organised with not hitches with to report, but I arrived early to avoid any problems. There were runners trying to climb the barrier after the gun had gone off, where had these people been until now!?
Unfair criticism to label the course dull, it takes you over one of the Newcastle's most famous landmarks the Tyne Bridge and as you climb the brow of the last hill into South Shields you are met by the tremendous sight for the sea.
Great free massage at the end organised by BUPA just what was required after 13.1 miles.
Who models the finisher t-shirts? Brendan Foster? I plumed for the large and it was the size of a tent! Apart from that the goody bag was great and a nice medal.
On the down side I had to queue over half an hour for the bus back to Newcastle in the pouring rain and when I eventually did get on the bus I endured the journey from hell, the driver took us on a scenic tour of the north east resulting in not getting home until gone 3pm at which point I was freezing cold!
Date of review: September 23, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: JUDITH BEARD 2
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In full: This was the 2nd GNR for me, last one in 2007, and way down at the back, 3 years on and moved up to the Orange Zone. Very frustrated early on with runners who had clearly not put their correct run time down and where walking, at 2 miles - you should be at the back. Also if you are going to walk, move over to the side of the road. However overall fab atmosphere, but not sure will do it again, too busy, will stick to smaller races for a better chance of a PB.
Date of review: September 23, 2010
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