BUPA Great South RunHere's how RW members rated this race (813 votes). 2007 race reviewed by: Tim Day 2
 | | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Loved nearly every minute of it!
In full: Why is everyone moaning so much about the parking?!?! I thought this was supposed to be a review about the race! OK so the organisation is part of the whole experience but the website did advise parking in the town. I parked at Gunwharf Quays and got out with no bother at all(a bit of a walk to and from the race but that only serves as a good warm up and down before and after the race - despite looking a bit of a pillock walking round a shopping centre with a foil blanket!)
This was my first GSR and first ever race. Didn't manage the time we were hitting in training and would have liked to have done better (never content me!) but I enjoyed the whole experience. The rail works didn't help the volume of traffic - nice planning National Rail!!! Doh!
The organisation I thought was excellent - bit congested so question the 18,500 limit being too high. Nice course though and above all else I would really like to thank and congratulate Portsmouth on it's atmosphere and the people who made the effort to cheer perfect strangers on despite the atrocious weather - good on ya people.
The last 2 miles were hell and the finish line was bliss - will be back again next year to shave 10% off our time - or else!
Date of review: November 1, 2007
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2007 race reviewed by: Sue Jones 10
| | 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: Excellant race, great atmosphere, lousy parking arrangements
In full: This was the first time for me and it proved to be a fantastic day, despite the atrocious weather. The atmosphere was great and the route very comfortable. What spoilt it were the appalling parking arrangements. The stewards were totally disorganised both on arriving at and leaving the common. Leaving was total chaos with no signs for the exits, most people trying to leave through one exit and others being turned away from other available exits. what a shambles and we paid £3 for it!!! Get that right next year and you will have the perfect race.
Date of review: November 1, 2007
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2007 race reviewed by: Chelsea Paula
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Play up Pompey.
In full: Pompey is special to me so running here is always a treat - despite the weather!!!
Atmosphere and crowds fantastic and the bands, they really were a treat. Thank you to each and everyone of you.
Getting in and out took ages, even with local knowledge and short cuts. Parked on common but didn't have to pay £3 for some reason.
Think entry fee is very high but it was for charity so I didn't mind. Tee-shirt and medal of good quality.
Knew it would be busy so didn't set out to get a pb, really enjoyed the day for what it was.
Will most certainly run again next year.
Victory 5 early December is another race worth doing and it's in Pompey!
Date of review: November 1, 2007
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2007 race reviewed by: marathon plodder
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: Just getting too expensive
In full: While I cannot fault the volunteers who spent hours standing in the rain, and the support of the crowds, it just isn't worth £30. The previous day, I did the Beachy Head Marathon, which was almost half the price but included a cooked meal at the end, and not a box of fish oil in sight!
The £3 parking fee on the common for the marshals made absolutely no difference to last year in terms of getting off the common, so that was a waste of money.
Not going to do this again as I don't want my running to fund Brendon Foster's retirement fund.
Date of review: November 1, 2007
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2007 race reviewed by: Valley Runner
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 100% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Loved it........
In full: Loved it, the queing for the loos, logistics of getting everybody on the start line, running in the wind and rain, skating on fluid sachets, dodging flying water bottles, recieving the quirky goody bag, using a space blanket as a parachute and watching everybody trying to get out of Portsmouth while I walked past them all to the ferry.
Love it, love it. Oh yes plus I got a PB.
Date of review: October 31, 2007
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2007 race reviewed by: sam c
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: My third GSR and a PB
In full: The wind and rain at the last 2 miles were tough but made me push even harder, enjoyed it as much as the last two years and will do it again, crowds great again. Well done to the guy who ran past dressed in only a thong and devil horns! He must have suffered some chaffing!!
Date of review: October 31, 2007
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2007 race reviewed by: Andrea Dawson
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Enjoyable despite the weather
In full: Well it's all been said really. Great atmosphere and great course. Many thanks to the supporters and organisers for turning up in the atrocious weather conditions.
However, leaving the common car park at the end of the race was a nightmare. It took 1 and a half hours to get to the race and 4 and a half hours to get home. One and a half hours of that spent waiting to get out of the car park despite returning to it well within 2 hours of the race start.
Please can EXIT signs be erected in future and can the car parking attendants actually direct the traffic instead of there being a total free for all. We were almost out of the car park only to be turned back and told to go to another exit where we sat for a further hour only to look in the rear view mirror to see other cars exiting from the exit we had been turned away from.
This did mar my experience and I would question whether it was worth doing the race again. I certainly wouldn't park in the common car park again and would possibly get a hotel for the night as the roads out of portsmouth were totally congested too.
Date of review: October 31, 2007
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2007 race reviewed by: Jim Orpin
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Had a great race but once again shame about the weather. Many thanks to all the spectators and volunteers around the course and a big thanks to the Guide Dogs team for whom I was running. Great atmosphere all through the
Date of review: October 31, 2007
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2007 race reviewed by: Stephen Bussey
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: You know its bad when the waves are crashing over the top at mile 9!!!
In full: Seriously, I think the weather was worse than last year which was a shame as I was on for a pb and then it all went Pete Tong at mile 8 - even though I knew what was coming! I know some were not happy at paying £3 for car parking but having travelled some distance, I had to book a hotel at £125 per night RO, so £3 seems reasonable! The ground matting at the finish this year also made a big difference.
Date of review: October 31, 2007
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2007 race reviewed by: tarange
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Wet and Windy contest
In full: My first outing at the GSR. Pompey is a familiar town for me but this was another way of seeing it. The course is nice, pretty flat and scenic. It has PB potential and if you are lucky enough to be in the first wave, there werent too many congestion points. It was just a shame about the rain and the wind in the last 2 miles along the sea front.
Date of review: October 31, 2007
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