Cardiff Half MarathonHere's how RW members rated this race in the past (1108 votes). 2011 race reviewed by: Nicky Russell
 | | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Not enough tolilets at the start meant long queues and could not get to allocated pen on time. Did not achieve my race time as I had to fight thro the masses for 4 miles before i eventually could run my race pace
Date of review: October 20, 2011
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0 race reviewed by: keith long 5
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: I'll be back
In full: I was told it was a good race to do as a slow runner and they were right. The crowds popped up around the course and the end was close to the spectators and plenty of them even when I came in. Moans about the toilets, the pens, getting to the start might be valid if we didn't have websites to check, common sense to use, and maybe a little bit more forward planning. Lets face it when you have a few runners more than likely a few friends and family which = a crowd all heading for the same spot. Cardiff you did really well and the opinion of the majority is what counts. Goody bag, medal, course, etc etc were just fine and the sunshine was a bonus.
Date of review: October 20, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: Colin H
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In full: Enjoyed the day although found the race fairly difficult, more me than the actual race. Course was interesting enough, plenty of room on the road for the size of the field. I was looking forward to running the barrage at the end of the course but I was too knackered to make the most of it. Nice one Cardiff, could well be back next year.
Date of review: October 20, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: Ed D
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: Great course, great organisation
In full: After the disaster of last year's short course the organisers made up for it this time with a flawless race.
The course was fairly fast, wide and appropriate for the volume of runners. To the people who have complained about it not being "scenic" or using the parks - going through the parks (with their narrow paths) is not appropriate for a race of this size as was clearly illustrated last year. If you're looking for scenery rather than a race I recommend trying the open top bus instead.
To the people claiming the course was long due to their garmin - you need to realise that your garmin is not a precision race measuring instrument. Quite apart from the possibility that you may not have run the racing line, a garmin is likely to give you at least a 1% error, or 0.13 of a mile. The error can be amplified by things like a twisty course satellite locations on the day.
A garmin reading long is actually an indication that a course is accurate, if it had measured exactly 13.1 miles i would have suspected a short course.
Think things through before you moan on forums!
Date of review: October 20, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: Jim Holland 2
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Rubbish course
In full: I have completed this race the past 4 years. This wasn't definately the worst course I have run in Cardiff and won't be signing up in a hurry for next. Dual carriageways!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Date of review: October 20, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: ell33
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: A great place to run your first half
Date of review: October 20, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: WFB
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Drop the dual carriageway in favour of the parks
In full: I agree with other comments about congestion at the start but I liked starting and finishing in the Bay. I think they could easily choose another start point to ease the congestion.
I also hated the dual carriageway bit and would have preferred to have done loops through the parks instead.
Date of review: October 20, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: Nilima Parry-Jones
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Agree with those who say please cut out dual carriageway next year!
In full: Previous years have had more parkland which was nicer. Barrage finish was great, please keep this! Start was v cramped. Maybe more open start point eg Lloyd George Ave would be better?
Date of review: October 20, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: old father tim
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: A much better organised race
In full: 13.2m for my Garmin - spot-on bearing in mind the inevitably of not being able to stick exactly to the line with so many runners. Not as pretty or fast as previous courses as some have pointed out - but how else to handle 15,000 entries ??
Cycling thru the town centre and down to the start at about 8:20 I was horrified to see 00s still arriving and parking in central Cardiff - clearly they'd left things far too late. Also amused to overhear moans about the 'heat'/sun, inclines ('hills' to some it seems - love to see the reaction if they trying running elsewhere in Wales?) and T-shirt/goody bag. My kids stopped expecting goody bags (at parties) when they were ~10. Better to cut the cost of entry and give any surplus to Barnados
The organisers and those helping did a good job - but who'd be a race organiser these days? This is why I prefer smaller off-road events
Date of review: October 20, 2011
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2011 race reviewed by: Cherida Morgan
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: For my first half marathon I was happy with this run due to the supporters and route. I felt h that the organisation was lacking compared to other races I have done. I
In full: I was also dissapointed that I couldnt hear the starting siren or the start up atmosphere. I didnt even know where the start line was. The route was good though so I would do it again.
Date of review: October 20, 2011
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