Gloucester 20Here's how RW members rated this race in the past (137 votes). | 1 to 10 of 28 ratings | Page: 1 2 3 |
| The big picture 2009 (28 votes) | | Overall score | | 59% | | How many would do it again? | | 61% | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 71% | | PB potential | | 69% | | Atmosphere | | 47% | | Organisation | | 45% | | Value | | 62% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 52% |
|
|
2009 race reviewed by: Adrian Holborn
 | | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 40% |
In short: Not too much to say about this one!
In full: A new loud hailer needed for next year! No one heard race brief nor observed the minutes silence. Yellow cards! Whatever next Not Gloucester AC's Fault but probably some miserable local get succeeding in spoiling it for the majority. Final Winge. Finish area,race hq and car parks too far apart. Great cakes tho!
Date of review: March 30, 2009
|
2009 race reviewed by: Jonathan Weedon
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Come on Gloucester AC, you can do better than this
In full: Used this as a warm-up for FLM as I did in 2007, and as there aren't too many 20-mile races about this race serves as excellent preparation.
Weather was far from ideal but the course is fairly flat and scenic and my fellow competitors made it a memorable event. Thanks to the gentleman who kept me going in the last few miles and the nice young lady I chatted to on the walk back to race HQ!
However, there is plenty of room for improvement regarding the organisation. Receiving a race number with no indication of which event it was for was hardly an auspicious start, nor was a pre-race briefing which most of us couldn't hear.
I understand that Gloucester AC have received complaints from locals about competitors running more than two abreast, but if you need to get past a couple already running two abreast, how else are you meant to do it exactly?? I've never seen 'yellow cards' given out in a race before.
On the plus side, good value but I wouldn't mind paying a bit more and getting a nice goodie bag. And surely it might be worth investing in a better finish line? 20 miles deserves more of a celebration!
Date of review: March 25, 2009
|
2009 race reviewed by: ceri-anne davies
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: good training run
In full: First of all i would like to say a HUGE thank you to my Knight in shining armour,sorry i have forgotten your name you picked me up when i pulled out of race at 15 miles with hamstring injury,then you bought myself and my friend a cup of tea and a cake at the hall ,your kind spirit will stay with us for a long time,Gloucester AC are a lovely running club that obviously felt the weight of pressure from the locals and the police, and therefor i did nt feel welcomed to this year event NOT that it was the organisers faults i could feel the tension in the air of worry they were feeling.Good luck for the future,you are going to need it,my friend and i travelled over 80 miles to get to the race only to feel we should nt have bothered.
Date of review: March 11, 2009
|
2009 race reviewed by: malcolm carr
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: great race ruined by locals
In full: have done this race past 3 years as training for london all ways been frendly ,this year however total different was told at the beging not to run more than 2 abrest as i am blind daves running guide how we were supposed to pass people i dont know and with the threat of being dq made it as through we were treading on egg shells, if that was not enough we were then told to stop running and give way to cars that wanted to back off there drives ?. you cant blame gloucester ac for this but its a shame that a few killjoys in frampton want to put a end to whats been a enjoyable race for many yeas
Date of review: March 11, 2009
|
2009 race reviewed by: Nath Smith
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 20% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 20% |
In short: Entertaining For maybe the wrong reasons!
In full: I must stress Gloucester A.C are a lovely welcoming club and the marshals were great as per normal, unfortunately an angry man from a well known athletics body was brought in to ensure fun was kept to a minimum! To quote Carlton Palmer "it was as if the ref had a new yellow card and wanted to see if it worked" After seeing people booked for dubious three a breast misdemea'nours I took offence to the angry man's breast obsession and made this vocal at miles 3 and 6.(I must add that my language was inline with 9pm watershed standards)
Worst still was to come for me, as my protests meant I was to see Red! and was told of my "unfortunate" disqualification after the completion of the race. After informing the Angry man of who I was and my motive for doing the race I detected some backtracking and a more sympathetic angry man. I was told my result might stand after all, however I insisted on proceeding with my small act of martyrism!
The 20 was previously enjoyable and has many newbies every year, I hope that the angry man has not detered to many people.
As for me was I put off? It's something to tell the Grandkids!
Date of review: March 10, 2009
|
2009 race reviewed by: Sumoeddie
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Nice rural 20 miler.
In full: I like the way you can split this race up into manageable chunks - out to the loop, twice round the loop, back to Frampton. Friendly marshalls and great cake at the finish. I found the walk from the finish to the hall to the carpark to be a useful warm down.
But...couldn't hear a single word of the race briefing at the start, and there should've been something sent with the race number to say which event it was for (even just write something on the envelope would done the job).
Date of review: March 9, 2009
|
2009 race reviewed by: Lungz
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 40% |
In short: Miserable weather and an equally miserable race director
In full: It would have been nice to have been welcomed to the race and thanked for the support rather than craning your neck trying to hear the blunt announcements made at the start. Some info sent with the race number would have been helpful (even the baggage tag was small!). Mile markers were all over the shop and the race was most definately not 20 miles. As for the finish line - Wow! Could it have been any less dramatic?! Gloucester AC you are better than this and I can only assume that one or two local individuals had made this a headache for the organisers. The support from the runners was there and this could easily be so much better - don't let the ba**ards grind you down! The heavy police prescence was enough to make anybody sweat! Thought we had become a terrorist target! Great weather though...
Date of review: March 9, 2009
|
2009 race reviewed by: sarah odell 2
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 20% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: not like I thought it would be
In full: A very disappointing race from the start first the lecture from race director about not running three a breast or you would get a warning then disqualified. This could not be helped at times, I know it was a wet, windy day but the marshalls were not very happy not a lot of encouragment going on, quite spread out as well. Mile markers were two close for the first few miles not good for pacing then they evened up only to be two far apart for the last 5 miles or so, was over 20 miles and were was the finish sign just a twenty mile sign. Walk back to collect t-shirt from social club about a mile away which was also about 1 1/2 miles from the car park. What was the point of that. Overall quiet disappointed.
Date of review: March 9, 2009
|
2009 race reviewed by: kelly morgan
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 40% |
In short: Suprisingly disappointing.
In full: I was very much anticipating this race having run it once before and seemingly having an enjoyable experience. The weather was pretty unforgiving but realistically judging other people's experiences in other parts of the country yesterday one can't complain.
The main issue for myself has to be the fact that the race was over the twenty miles and was not a true reflection on the time acheived. From the start it felt ominous that a couple of mins into the run we appeared to be running past the old start and finishing in the same place. Hard going and extremely disappointing after 20 miles to not acheive a true PB.
Date of review: March 9, 2009
|
2009 race reviewed by: keith foley
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Some issues but good course & runners
In full: Not a great start receiving a number through the post which didn't have anything with it to say what race it was for. I had to look up a number of race websites to check the sponsor!
Weather was rubbish but the course was pretty favourable. The other runners were all friendly and many conversations were had throughout - but with the field stringing out at the end it felt a little lonely.
I made the course 20.25 miles and had issues with the mile markers all the way round (some early some late).
Strange T-shirt (are those pigs on it?) but better than a cheap medal.
Overall, I think this is better than running that distance on your own, but not really a great "event" feel. One to do for the locals.
Date of review: March 9, 2009
|
| |
denotes Subscriber-only content | 
