Events

Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		60%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		80%
Value		100%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Really well organised, mostly off road marathon.
In full: This was a friendly event, which was great value and really well organised. It was a clockwise cicum-navigation of Bedford taking in some lovely scenery. The LDWA style instructions were outstanding and made for a very easy to follow race. The three checkpoints were well placed and well stocked.

Thanks to the organisers for such a pleasing event.
Date of review: March 21, 2010

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Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		60%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		80%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Friendly, flat, LDWA style run round the scenic side of Bedford.
In full: Small but perfectly formed race following (very clear) instructions rather than a marked route. Some country roads but mostly trails and tracks over the fields and footbridges of Bedford. Well organised even down to a lift from the station. I'd be happy to return should this become a regular event.
Date of review: March 15, 2010

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Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		40%
Atmosphere		100%
Organisation		100%
Value		100%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Excellant organistaion very friendly
In full: My first ever marathon and boy do i know about it now !! Being born in Bedford only seemed right that this race should be my first marathon .Excellant orgainsation with clear instructions . Nice scenic route for the most part and reasonably flat so i guess for others maybe pb potential . Just wish i'd trained more. Well done to the organisers excellant stuff
Date of review: March 15, 2010

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Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		100%
Organisation		100%
Value		100%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

In short: A marathon that provided a pure running experience
In full: Had a spot of trouble finding the race venue due to roadworks and not planning the route! Not a good start for an event that required you to following written instructions, but we had no problems as the instructions were so well written and clear.

Ran with two others, and absolutely loved everything about today. Great weather, firm ground (so you could have got away with road shoes), a good variety of terrain, and a reasonably flat and fast course.

Very sociable and relaxed run. Three checkpoints/feed stations manned by friendly people, and it was tempting to hang around too long and enjoy the refreshments (water/squash, cakes, biscuits and jelly babies).

Very scenic course with minimal road, and the following of road instructions took the pressure away of trying to run for a time.

Thanks to Noel and the team for their hard work in staging this great event. I will certainly be back if you do it again next year.
Date of review: March 14, 2010

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Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		60%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		80%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

In short: Well run small event that showed off the best of Bedford (mostly)
In full: Noel and the organisers have managed to put on a very nice small event with nice touches.

The route essentially takes you around Bedford from the West side clockwise and in the process manages to show most of the really nice bits to run in the area and one slightly dodgy bit (see http://www.gpsies.com/map.do?fileId=mtygquumzxeuisbl for the precise route). In the process the runner gets to run mostly off road by the side of rivers, over fields and by historic buildings (airship hangers, Bunyans birthplace). It's self guided, so if your not careful, like me, you can easily end up doing extra miles (oh the cruel fates ... I could practically see the finish line but short of swimming a bloody river ...).

This year the weather conditions were great and the going was very very good under foot. However if it gets run again, then folks should bear in mind that from personal experience in wet conditions there are bits of the course that are fairly unpleasant (think very heavy shoes caked in the stickiest claggiest Bedford clay). However, not this year so that was a welcome relief ;-)

Organisation was first class and very friendly. The drinks stations were where they said they would be with plenty of water, squashes and cakes/biscuits if you were partial to a mid race top up ;-).

Overall I really enjoyed the race, I don't even mind screwing up the the time by getting lost, if Noel and his crew decide to run it again then I'll be there.

Well done, would recommend.
Date of review: March 14, 2010

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