Cambridge Half MarathonHere's how RW members rated this race in the past (24 votes). | 1 to 10 of 24 ratings | Page: 1 2 3 |
| The big picture (24 votes) | | Overall score | | 70% | | How many would do it again? | | 73% | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 82% | | PB potential | | 81% | | Atmosphere | | 76% | | Organisation | | 46% | | Value | | 52% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 71% |
|
|
2012 race reviewed by: sharalou
 | | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In full: Loads of loos and water stations. Nice hefty medal at the end. Could have been more signs for various areas, such as baggage - and I only saw one mile marker for mile 13 (or was that just me?). Lovely scenery around The Backs and along the river. Some great support from spectators, despite the snowfall and cold temperatures - especially in city shopping areas. Big thank you to all the wonderful marshalls and the lady singers who stood out there in the cold for the duration.
Date of review: March 10, 2013
|
2012 race reviewed by: Simon Glover 2
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Could do bettern no doubt the local council/universities stuck their oars in as usual
Date of review: March 19, 2012
|
2012 race reviewed by: Peter German
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Good race let down by poor organisation
In full: This has the potential to be a good race but let down by poor organisation. This is often the case with a race not organised by runners. Toilet facilty was vastly inadequate. Final out & back to Stourbridge Common was dangerous with two way traffic. What went wrong with the chip timing, this is usually very reliable, suggest a different company next year.
I will run again next year but it needs to improve. It pains me to say but Peterborough is so much better.
Date of review: March 18, 2012
|
2012 race reviewed by: daviemcg
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Nice run through city but too many laps
In full: Was nice to run through Cambridge centre and along the backs but other than that the route wasnt great. 2 laps of the city then an out and back for the last 2 miles was a bit demotivating. Someone almost took me out running in the opposite direction at the end, there should have been a dividing rope or something.
Toilets were hopeless as everyone said, my chip didnt work so fortunately had an accurate time from my Garmin.
The water stations were a joke with half filled plastic cups which split as soon as you squashed them - for £30 entry is it too much to supply small bottles you can carry?
All in all was nice to run in the hometown with friends cheering you on but not such a well organised event unfortunately.
Date of review: March 15, 2012
|
2012 race reviewed by: littlelaura
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Should have been better
In full: Toilet availability was a huge issue- i started queuing at 8.30, any earlier and I may have needed to go again! I finally got to the front of the queue at 8.55 only to discover there was no loo roll! This then meant I had to join the start at the post 2h15min section when I wanted to be in the sub 1h45min section, there was no way of physically moving forward.
The woman on the stage singing was very nice for an evening gig in a bar, but at 11 miles I really wanted something more upbeat and motivating- it was not.
Bike store and bag store was very good and very quick.
Goodie bag was a bit pointless, and who wants crisps after a race?!
I will only do it again because I live in Cambridge and its convenient, I would not travel to do it.
Date of review: March 14, 2012
|
2012 race reviewed by: Grant Harradence
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In full: I ran the Cambridge half marathon on Sunday - thought it was a great race with lots of atmosphere. The very fact that your race number was adorned with your name meant that spectators (friends & strangers alike) would call out your name really does spur you on. I agree with the comments regarding lack of toilets although I've yet to attend a race where the number of toilets beforehand has been adequate. The course itself (with a couple of tweaks in future) is excellent though, with real potential for P.B's as it is flat. If it's run again then possibly better segregation along the final outloop will help the contraflow system. It seems that the chip timing system went awry for some people although it didn't affect me personally, but I sympathise as that must be demoralising for those that were affected. I do hope that this is run again however and will make allowances as this was the first race in the city for 17 years. I'd suggest that the race is limited to the 3000 entry list as any more would lead to over-subscription. Oh, and a better count-in to the race would be good...
Date of review: March 14, 2012
|
2012 race reviewed by: Mark Smallwood
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Great event for first running- but room for improvment next year
In full: I thought it was a great race, but agree with other comments that a lot more toilets were needed and that the Riverside loop needs to be improved as it was far too congested.
Date of review: March 14, 2012
|
2012 race reviewed by: Sheila Shead
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 20% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Technical failure
In full: Agree with all comments regarding toilets, waste of time goody bag, but mainly MY CHIP DID NOT REGISTER so I did the time, but don't appear in the results. No feelgood factor.
Date of review: March 13, 2012
|
2012 race reviewed by: Corinna Hussey
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Beautiful Cambridge but organisers need to learn quick!
In full: Firstly the weather was fabulous which made the scenery/ atmosphere even more welcoming. Fast flat course , (albeit with a few tricky bends to negotiate) which made for many achieving a PB (myself included). Very friendly marshals, cheery bus drivers ( park and ride worked like clock work), great post race massage and advice. However as the organisers want to do again next year they need to learn from other races and quick!!
The giant long queues for the toilets were absolutely unforgiving! I admit that I had to find a spot to wee otherwise I would have missed the start otherwise (many others did). The last mile when we had to loop back on ourselves was tough on both those coming up and those turning around with not enough barrier protection for either. Also unlike in most other big races I have done there was no metre countdown to the finish...a bit disheartening for those who didn't have watches on and were unsure when to push (until the finish line come into sight).
Chip timing...hmm... Suppose that's why we paid £25 because surely it wasn't for the goody bag which was very very poor. I personally didn't have a problem with my timing but so many did so obviously an area to investigate further. As for the goody bags...the less said the better! Crisps, chocolate bar and chewing gum and the obligatory but completely pointless flyers (decent medal though). That said I do whole heartily believe that Cambridge could and should be so much better. It has the exquisite location (even better with sun!) but just needs to tweak things for next year if it wants to be regarded in the same breath as other good City halfs (Peterborough, Royal Parks, Reading to name but a few)
Date of review: March 13, 2012
|
2012 race reviewed by: Skullshrinker
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: What promised so much, delivered so so little.
In full: My home half Marathon, really looking forward to it. Drove past the start the day before and counted nine portaloos for 3000 runners. Must be more on their way i thought. Wrong. Upon arrival at 08:15hrs, massive long queues for the same small block. Atmoshere on midsummer common- None.Warm up stage, well at around 70 yards away you couln't hear it. A mass bundle climbing over fences to get to the sheep penn style start, no big loud count down to spur everyone on, just an air horn. Everyone starts trying to run, except those still queing at the toilets!. To many people for the narrow lanes, roads not even completly shut. Water, well half a plastic cup which slopped everywhere whilst running.
The final loop was dangerous ruuning towards other runners. Accross the finish i go whereby i am handed my medal, which was very nice, and a goody bag containing a packet of crisps, a packet of chewing gum, an alpan ceral bar and some leaflets. Great.
The following morning i see the results page up... minus me. Wonderful state of the art chip timing. Oh and as others pointed out where were all those huge plasma screens displaying live times??
Organisers, learn from Peterborough,which i have run twice and cannot fault.
Date of review: March 13, 2012
|
| |
denotes Subscriber-only content | 
