New Year Box Hill Knacker Cracker 10k  Here's how RW members rated this race (451 votes). | 1 to 10 of 69 ratings | Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 |
| The big picture 2009 (69 votes) | | Overall score | | 98% | | How many would do it again? | | 100% | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 93% | | PB potential | | 28% | | Atmosphere | | 95% | | Organisation | | 94% | | Value | | 76% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 69% |
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2009 race reviewed by: Ian Corry 2
 | | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 40% |
In short: Great race. The best start to the year i could imagine.
Date of review: February 17, 2009
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2009 race reviewed by: The Rorpedo
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Horrific but excellent
In full: Excellent organisation, great atmosphere, friendly organisers, friendly competitors. the course itself is a series of 3 or 4 hils, the last one was horrific. They say you should add 40% onto your PB and i think thats fair.
The one minor gripe i'd have is the price - but if its what you have to pay to experience this then fine!
Really great, worth going to bed early on NYE for?
Date of review: January 21, 2009
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2009 race reviewed by: Lucy Clayton
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: I'll be back
Date of review: January 11, 2009
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2009 race reviewed by: How Hard Can It Be??
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: Great Way to Start the year
In full: A great way to start the year...
My first Knacker Cracker, don't know what to say really. fantastically fun, well organised and how bloody hard... I know Box Hill would be bad but I didn't know about the steps..
I will be back for the other Trionium races later in the year... but having done some hill training first..
Date of review: January 11, 2009
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2009 race reviewed by: wickedgen
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: An excellent start to the new year
In full: An excellent start to the new year and a wonderful downhill finish to make you forget the hard slog of the preceding 9k and finish feeling fit and fast!
Date of review: January 9, 2009
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2009 race reviewed by: Ewan Laurie
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Mental
Date of review: January 7, 2009
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2009 race reviewed by: Andy "Roadrunner" Southern
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Engage legs, disengage brain! This is the Knacker Cracker!
In full: Last year's Knacker Cracker was my debut on the course and I had so much fun that when I'd finished I wanted to go backwards and do it all again! Forunantley I am not as stupid as I look (although many would disagree!) so I waited a whole year to take part in the 2009 event. The title "Toughest 10K" and with it being on New Year's Day had people phoning the funny farm to get me sectioned and when they realised I was doing it in fancy dress they just threw their hands to the sky and walked away shaking their heads in disbeleif... there really is no hope for a Knacker Cracker runner!
I was amazed to see that many more runners had made a special effort to come in fancy dress this year, myself included. It really adds to the overall attraction of the race, it is unique, no two ways about it. To think that a portion of the entrants may have been half cut from New Year's celebrations and still made the effort to show up is equally impressive!
The last time I heard a countdown to zero wast last year approaching midnight, the next one I heard was Dr Rob reminding me that this was it... my Knacker Cracker was about to start.... ARRRRGH!
Is it me or did that 1st hill go on for ever and ever? Just my imagination, as I thought. It was the 2nd hill called Juniper Bottom, it was tougher than trying to cycle up Everest backwards whilst playing a trumpet! Listen to my heavy breathing (if you like that kind of thing!) as I am videoing Andy Fay, the coalman, passing me by the PUT SOME EFFORT In sign! I enjoyed the run through the forrest and leaping over the odd stile and tree trunk but was disappointed the puddle before the Smith & Western diner had dried out, I had psyched myself up to paddle through that!
The ominus "CHUTE" lay in wait and I revelled in the madness of trying to stay upright as I trundlled downhill, ducking, diving, bobing and weaving with a silly grin on my face (not that anyone could see it as
I had a scary mask on!) I passed what I thought was an impromptu party in the CHUTE but discovered later that the Tin Man and his ensemble had an injured female in the goup with a cut knee, sorry I didn't realise or stop! Still upright I negotiated the sharp right turn at the bottom before the 3rd climb on the course, refeshingly enough to a drinks station! (It was hot in that mask!) The legandry steps appeared soon and it was a bit like rush hour on the Tube escalators, plenty of people in a hurry! It was slippery and at one point I encountered a mini pile up as someone fell over, no harm done though. The bridge over the river was exposed, unlike the prep run on the 17th so with that obstacle ticked off the hop, skip and jump of the stepping stones appeared! I safely negotiated them too and then the freeze frame, slow motion of the climb up the steps began... 1,2,3,4,5.... 126, 127, 128, 229, 230, 231... 270.... Oxegyn please Dr. Rob!
With the Krypton factor assault course conquered a short run lead to what is commonly known as THE best finish of any foot race - FACT. You are rewarded for your 9K of blood, sweat and tears with a fantastic, wide open and extremely gratifying vision of the finish line. Take it at your lesiure or, as I did, embrace the oppurtunity to hurtle into the New Year giving it all you've got! I even managed a PB in fancy dress knocking 36seconds off last years time! Simply Fantastic! I love this race and will be back for the hat-trick in 2010!
Thumbs up and a big pat on the back to everone involved in making this race possible and for reaching number 4 of ALL the races voted for in 2008.
My videos of the race are here: http://uk.youtube.com/RED1028
The name - TRIONIUM, The man - Rob Macaffrey, The outcome - Legendary.
Date of review: January 7, 2009
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2009 race reviewed by: John Melbourne
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 20% |
In short: Savage Hills especially with a hangover
Date of review: January 6, 2009
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2009 race reviewed by: Paula Hewitt
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: A gentle way to start the New Year .......
In full: Those hills and steps leave you dizzy after the night before - I'm sure I saw Dorothy, the Lion, the Witch and TinMan skipping down the hill .... As ever, great organisation and support from the marshalls who were terrific despite the cold. A great start to the New Year, finished off by warm soup and a long sleep on the sofa during the afternoon. Look forward to kicking off 2010 in the same way!
Date of review: January 5, 2009
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2009 race reviewed by: Guy Sellwood
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short:
In full: A terrific event, I felt very under-dressed in my grass skirt next to MR T, the cowboy on his inflatable horse , the masai warrior as well as Dorothy, the Witch, the Lion, the Tim man etc. Great way to start the year and because of the handicap system you're never lonely out on the glorious course. Not an event to take too seriously as a competitive challenge but one to saviour as a great spirited event, thanks Doc
Date of review: January 5, 2009
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