Sussex Beacon Half MarathonHere's how RW members rated this race in the past (483 votes). 2010 race reviewed by: Anthony Chapman 2
 | | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Atmosphere | | 20% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 40% |
In short: A good run ruined by poor organisation
In full: This is my 5th time of running this normally well organised event. What happened this year?
1 Queuing to finish? My time was 2 minutes longer than personal timing
2 Crossing the finish line as part of the race...what was that all about?
3 Bag collection in the opposite direction from the way the majority of runners had to go...doubling up on runner/supporter congestion
4 None or limited mileage markers
5 Random cones to seperate running direction
6 Cars parked on the narrow lanes making it more difficult to run especially in the early stages
7 No goody bag....spoilt the collection of Brighton t-shirts....
8 Usually a warm up group, but nothing this year despite the cold and wet weather...
Time for the organisers to limit the number of runners and to go back to the simple loop run of previous years (cliff/path damage allowing!) Big is not always beautiful and this year it wasn't...the weather did not help but hey 3 out of the last 5 years it has rained!
I will be back...to see if its improved...
Date of review: February 23, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Clare G
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 20% |
In short: very boring out and back flat road race on a wet day.
In full: change of route made this tedious. First road race Ive done for a while- pushy, shoving people on hard flat road in the freezing wind and rain. I hated it - but it was for charity!I'll stick to off-road, countryside trails for enjoyment in future.
Date of review: February 23, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Nick Coard
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Course bottlenecks and poor organisation at finish spoilt this race
In full: This was my second time of running this half marathon, last year was ok but this year was just chaotic. I actually came to a total standstill at two bottle necks on the course and that coupled with the delays at the finish meant my pb aim of under 2 hours was not to be by a tantalising 2 minutes 29 seconds - very frustrating!
Date of review: February 23, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Oliver Minkley
| | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: |
In short: Annoyed from Hove. My chip time wasn't recorded.
In full: I love the Sussex Beacon Half Marathon. It's a great run for a great cause. I felt proud to be part of this event again after all my hard work training for it.
On Sunday I did my 3rd one and I am disappointed. My chip and gun time wasn't recorded. I had to queue to get over the finish line which knocked vital moments off my time (whatever it ends up being). I'm not in The Argus newspaper full list of finishers today.
Has anybody else who did the run not received their time yet?
Date of review: February 23, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Jyo
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 20% |
In short: Not one for very slow runners!
In full: I started right at the back and finished in 2 hrs 46 mts being a slow runner doing my first half. After two hours, it became very difficult to run fighting through crowds of pedestrians and earlier finishers on the pavements. In addition the route barriers were removed so I went straight instead of turning left up the hill at mile 10!Was looking down to avoid falling over bottlees etc. No one was there to guide the slow runners by then. Luckily I realised my mistake and turned back after a hundred yards or so. I was freezing by the time I finished and there were no foil blankets or energy drinks left at finish. I had to go searching for the person handing out medals, to make sure I got one for my first ever half marathon!
Date of review: February 23, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Gladrags
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: great location for a sunday run - let down by abysmal planning
In full: sefront run so the teeming rain and wind really made it tough. organisation appalling - no mile markers, roads not properly closed off, cones randomly in the midddle of the path when not needed (and not there when they were needed) - icing on cake was having to queue to have chip cut off shoe - over the finish line so official time includes 1 minute of waiting...
Date of review: February 23, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Danny Norman
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 40% |
In short: Should have done Wokingham Half instead
In full: I'm glad to have finally taken part in this having known about it for a few years but I think it's probably the last time I'll do it.
It's basically an extended Brighton 10k with 4x the runners and half the organisation. The scenery shouldn't really figure if you're out for a time, but either way running up and down the promenade having already done so in November is beginning to tire me.
For £20 you get a run up and down the promenade with a quick dip into the town, chip timing, a banana and a medal at the end. Not great value.
I started at the front so can't discuss the congestion, didn't take on water but the stations seemed aplenty, and don't need mile markers as I have a Garmin so have no real opinion on these quibbles of others. I didn't use the baggage area either.
On a calm, sunny day it'd be a great fast course, but the likelihood of this is reduced being in February and we got typical cold, very blustery, rainy conditions. Not great to run against for a few miles on the seafront.
My biggest aggravation was the impinging of the spectators, having nearly crashed into a few at busy junctions. It's near impossible to enforce, but not keeping the people off the paths is a safety risk.
I came away regretting choosing to do this and wish I'd done Wokingham instead, which isn't a good sign.
Will be back to run in Brighton, but not this race.
Thanks to the marshalls those who stood in the rain and did the best job they could.
Date of review: February 23, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Daniboy
| | Overall score | | 20% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Thinking of alternatives for 2011
In full: It's a quick course (or would be if they re-routed the stuff through the Lanes to a later part of the race), with great support from locals and pleasant scenery. So close to being perfect.
And yet...
The organisation was just so bad.
- No mile markers that I could see, other than in maybe two places
- Chaotic routing meant running at half-pace for the first three miles while quicker, uncaring runners elbowed their way to the front
- *How* many times did we have to see the finish line before we finally got there?
- It costs a lot to enter. Collecting money for charity - fine. But a plastic bag with some water, a banana, medal and a t-shirt (which would have been covered in sponsors' logos anyway, so hardly expensive) would have been appreciated; it would also have helped prevent the awful pile-up at the finish line as racers, minds dulled by fatigue, rain and the intense cold, are barked at to keep on moving by the man on the tannoy while they stumble to get some water (on the right) or maybe a sports drink (on the left) and a banana (on the right), then a medal (random), not forgetting to get their tags removed (on the right) while wondering what happened to the white plastic goodie bags you'd get at every other event
- Runners should be more carefully cordoned off from spectators for longer. A lot of reviewers have called the scenes at the finish line a "free for all" - it was
Rather unwilling to contemplate the Tunbridge Wells Half next year because of the sheer awfulness of Spring Hill, but it's looking a better bet than Brighton 2011 right now.
Date of review: February 23, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Andrew Finnerty
| | Overall score | | 20% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 20% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: In my 13 years of racing, this was the most shambolic and poorly organised race I have ever taken part in.
In full: There was so much wrong with this race it's difficult to know where to begin. I agree with all the comments made and will never enter this race again.
Date of review: February 23, 2010
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2010 race reviewed by: Sheila Strange
| | Overall score | | 20% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: What a shambles!
In full: This was only my second half marathon, but I have done other shorter races, all of which were better organised than this! I know there were some problems with the route, but surely the Lanes could have been re-routed at a later stage in the race, to avoid the crush? It was also soul-destroying to have the finish-line in my sights, only to have to turn around and head away, yet again. Not really a single lap route! It might not have been so bad if I knew how far I'd run at any point, but the only indication I had was the kind volunteers at the 9 mile water station who were calling it out. Where were the mile-markers they advertised? Why was there a cone in the middle of no-where, with someone calling out "mind the cone"? Possibly covering a hole, but then the person may as well have just stood there themselves. All I was thinking at the time was "move the cone!"
The finish was unusual. Masses of runners crossing from one side to the other to pick up bananas, water, foil blankets (degree required to open it), medals and chip removal. Just put it all in a bag and move people on!
The baggage drop was an event in itself. I couldn't even find it initially. That's not great preparation, having to run around with a bag with 3 minutes to go. Luckily, there was someone there to take it, but as everyone has already noted, it was complete carnage at the finish. My tag had come off and there were several runners clambering around trying to get changed. I just grabbed my bag and headed out of the way. Maybe it could have been situated the other side of the Start/Finish?
I was completely amazed that such an established event was so poorly run. I hope this year doesn't affect next year's entries, but I know I won't be doing it again.
What an experience!
Date of review: February 23, 2010
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