Macclesfield Half Marathon  Here's how RW members rated this race (202 votes). | The big picture (202 votes) | | Overall score | | 86% | | How many would do it again? | | 94% | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 82% | | PB potential | | 52% | | Atmosphere | | 75% | | Organisation | | 86% | | Value | | 77% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 67% |
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2012 race reviewed by: Tom scott 6
 | | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 40% |
In short: Running in on your home turf is always a treat
In full: This was intended as a training run for Snowdon because of the hills but after the Langdale half the week before the hills around Macclesfield seemed to be a little flat. This is a course for experience runners, as they have a very quick cut off time for those who are slower. The roads remained open and with the help of the marshals this was the safest race on open roads I've run. I was holding back as it was a training run but I could have beaten my PB.
Good course, good run, even if the lack of supporters were on the low side.
I would do this again, but don't expect any gimmicks. This is a simple race, with limited organisation that is mainly filled with club and serious runners who just want to race.
Date of review: October 14, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: Em Scott
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: return to my first half marathon
In full: This was my first half this time last year and I remember being very nervous lining up at the stsrt ! This year however a year on I lined up thinking I am a runner ! Great half for beginners and pros alike, bit hilly to test your legs and great tech tshirt at the finish
Date of review: October 4, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: Katie Appleyard 2
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: A great little half marathon!
In full: A well organised and well supported half. Loads of marshals who cheer you on all the way! Its pretty hilly in places so don't expect a PB but makes it interesting and its a pretty route through quiet lanes. Well worth the trip.
Date of review: October 2, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: Mouth Breather
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Tshirt malarky and parking let it down this year
In full: Fell lucky with the weather, perfect for running. slightly cool, just a hint of rain every now and again, and the wind kept itself to itself.
I love the course, challenging and never dull. Great marshalling and good support. Nice track start and finish.
few issues though this year.
Parking: they changed it this year. All Half marathoners were directed to the rugby club 1/4 of a mile away. Ridiculous, especially when you consider there was plenty of space available at the leisure centre and the school, and the fact that they don't operate a baggage drop facility. And considering how poor the weather had been of late, it could have lead to manchaster marathon-esque issues.
PA System was poor. 1 loud hailer for a few hundred runners and supports? talking into the wind?...no wonder so many people were unable to hear the call for a minutes silence in respect for a local runner.
Tshirt. why the chuff do all of the XL and L shirts get handed out to the early finishers? 6ft, 16.5 stone runner gets handed a medium shirt at the end, only to see the quicker whippet framed men and women walking around in their outsized finisher threads!!!!!! I finish the run and the only things i can take from the goody bag is a bottle of water, a banana and some bloody shower gel. Grrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!
Date of review: October 1, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: The Silent Assassin
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Forgotten about the hills
In full: Keep coming back every year and like the title says I must have forgotten about the hills.
A couple of gripes
Only Medium t-shirts left, when I asked if i looked a medium the marshall snapped back, well don't have it then!
PA system was a joke
Loads of runners with ipods even though they are banned
Other than those a good race well oganised
Date of review: October 1, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: wolves1877
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: A very hilly half, plenty of water stations, marshalls and police.
Date of review: September 30, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: BelleVueRacerOfBeartown
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Great course, well organised, start needs tweaking
In full: Really enjoyed this, a nice hilly course in Autumnal Macc.
I'm a big fan of track starts but this race is so well attended that I think the start could be sectioned into target finish times. I know that this would be hard to enforce but most would cooperate and this it would ease congestion at the start. Lots of folk with iPods getting in the way of faster runners tarnished it a bit - volume so loud they couldn't hear a polite 'excuse me'.
I agree with the comments below about the PA system. I was further back and heard nothing about the minutes silence for Raymond Eagle, a local runner who died very recently and tragically. I'm not sure what the solution to this is and know that organisers will have done all that they could. Great to see so many Wilsmlow Running Club members out there today.
The course is excellent, never a dull moment, slme great views and lovely hills. Very well marshalled and well signed. The water stations were well manned and four stations is a good number. The track finish is always a bonus and the goody bag, banana and water distribution was well organised.
Thank you Macc Harriers, I really enjoyed the race.
Date of review: September 30, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: pato1967
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Great race
In full: Bit hilly ;-) but well organised and supported. The PA used at the start was totally inadequate although I wasn't that far from the front I could bearly hear a word - which is a shame as the little I did hear was seemed to be trying to organise a minutes silence as a mark of respect to someone that died, I suspect that the people behind me had no idea what was going on
Date of review: September 30, 2012
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2012 race reviewed by: Flimby
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In full: Great race, tough in places with a couple of good long hills. Well organised & enthusiastic marshals. Only gripe was only medium tech t shirt left when I plodded in at 2:07, not great for a 6f 4" fella.
Date of review: September 30, 2012
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2011 race reviewed by: Lee Price
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Good race, with great local support
In full: A good race, well supported locally and organised well. Great t shirt and goody bag.
Will hold a special place for me as it was my first half marathon.
Date of review: October 1, 2011
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