Edinburgh MarathonHere's how RW members rated this race (1467 votes). 2012 race reviewed by: Robbochef
 | | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: An excellent marathon, well organised...maybe next time they can cancel the sun ?
In full: They have certainly worked hard and ironed out the problems they had with the finish last year. Great weather to be a spectator but not the scottish weather you hope for running a marathon ! The crowds were great and the water sprays very welcome.Well recommended for the first time rumnner or seasoned pro.
Date of review: May 28, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: Peter Joddrell
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: A great race with lots of room for improvement
In full: Positives:
- An excellent route, scenic and well supported on the whole.
- Transport back to Edinburgh was plentiful and well organised.
Negatives:
- The relay, as others have commented, I was getting annoyed with relay runners doing their short section barging people who were 20 miles into their race!
- The 1.5 mile walk to the coach after running 26 miles was tough
- The finish, chaotic, had arranged to meet partner in A-Z finish area - no where to be seen, also radio station broadcasting from area was so loud people trying to use their phones couldnt hear a thing!
Date of review: May 28, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: DADDY COOL
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 100% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Good early start, that walk to the transfer bus seems to get longer every year
Date of review: May 28, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: Lesley-Ann Newman
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: A bit of a let down.
In full: This was my second marathon but first time running Edinburgh. The first ten miles and the last five miles were good with great crowd support but the middle section of the race takes you away from the crowds and it's a long time running with no support. The parking needs to be addressed, we paid for race course parking (£6) but when my partner arrived in the afternoon he was told the car park was shut even though the ticket clearly said from 1pm. More marshals needed and more first aid. The locals were great getting their hoses out to keep us cool on a very warm day. This was quite expensive to enter and I was disappointed to find I had to download the information pack and print it off, even our smaller local races manage to send everything through the post.
Date of review: May 28, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: newts
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 100% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Good race, well organised on the whole, friendly crowds, enjoyable weekend of events
In full: First time I've done this one and had begun to regret it after reading review of last years - but they have obviously listened to the feedback and sorted most of the issues. Personally I enjoyed the run along the coast - it was quite scenic - I don't think it's practical to run all around the city centre and you're well aware of the route before you enter. Also the partial out and back route 18m then back to 26m means that friends and relatives can see you pass around 9m and be there at the finish without having to move - always a bonus for large marathons! Thanks to the hose sprayers - the heat was brutal and thanks to the last hand out Capri Sun drinks outside a cafe. Things I'd do to improve it: move the start earlier - if only by an hour, move the half-marathon to the Sat - this would avoid traffic issues getting to the start of the marathon and allow marathon to start earlier, make reunion area better signposted, and ditch the relay aspect of the marathon - it was really annoying have people with fresh legs weaving and sprinting, cutting people up as they joined the race every 10k - particularly when you'd run 20m and some plonker comes darting in fresh as a daisy desperate to make his way through the field!
Date of review: May 28, 2012
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2011 race reviewed by: Ross McElhinney
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Good race, friendly area and friendly competitors.
Date of review: May 28, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: Ross McElhinney
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Good race, friendly area and friendly competitors. Just won't do it again as this is my second in a row.
Date of review: May 28, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: Keith Ainslie
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 100% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: A vast improvement on last year
In full: Following the chaos at the finishing area last year, I didn't have high hopes, but I would have to concede the organisers seem both to have taken on board the criticisms and done somethong about it.
The start was good, the baggage trucks worked well and there were plently of toilets. As for the route, well yes the marathon starts in Edinburgh, but one look at the route map before hand should tell you it's a tour of the East Lothian coast.
The support was fantastic, yes there were patches with no support, but since I always try to say thanks to supporters it gave my voice a bit of a rest. The people who'd set up garden hoses deserve particular thanks, they were my lifesavers.
The marshalls and stewards were really supportive; plenty of water stations and the free energy gels were good too.
The finish area worked really, well huge crowd support for the last 100m or so, first aid on hand immediately after the line (thankfully I didn't need it), nice open area for medals and t-shirt collection, plenty of space to sit down if required and no crush to exit the runners only area. Different medals and t-shirts for relay and full marathon runners. Baggage collection was excellent, my bag was handed to me as soon as I walked over (well done to the Scouts manning the trucks).
I even managed to find and use the showers this year, and yes even if it was a cold shower, it was heaven.
Even the queue for the beer tent moved really quickly.
Plenty of space in the re-union area, only minor gripe is that the signs could have been on taller poles as you couldn't see them when the field filled up.
Yes there is a bit of a walk to the bus area, probably about a mile (and up a hill), but I can't see any way round this other than perhaps the organisers highlighting this in their blurb.
Whilst I can understand the comments about starting at 8am, our party travelled by bus and we were up at 5am to make it to Edinburgh for the 10am start, I suspect if the start was 8, we'd give it a miss rather than fork out for accomodation, so its a difficult balance for the organisers to strike.
As to comments about this being a money making event, an event of this size has to be commercial and if you wan't a good, smooth running event of this size, you're going to have to pay for it.
So in summary, I gave this race an appalling review last year, rightly so.
This year I pretty much couldn't fault it, yes the weather made it challenging but organisationally they've pretty much got it sorted, would I do it again YES.
Date of review: May 28, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: zoe swales
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: great if not sunny
In full: 8am start would be far better as if it is hot there very little shade. thought the finish area was good, but the pre-book buses inflexible and not great value for money.
Date of review: May 28, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: Tim Cook 3
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Flat - could be quick if not run in the midday sun!
In full: 2nd time I've done Edinburgh and the 2nd time that it's been run in scorching temperatures. Obviously not the organisers' fault, but they could start 2 hours earlier and it would have been much better.
The relay runners are incredibly annoying. Having somebody with fresh legs joining the race and cutting you up on a regular basis is not ideal for getting into a rhythm.
The support in the towns and at the finish was excellent, but there were miles of solitude in between.
I'd do it again, but only if they move the start time forward
Date of review: May 28, 2012
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