Swansea Bay 10K

yes it is right CD -

try this

thanks Krukers, nice pics - specially as you seemed to have missed me

I enjoyed that. I got a season best with a time of 58.12. The race was not as good as I had been led to expect from the many claims by the organisers of "best 10K in the UK" - that might have been true a few years ago, but they should now remove the claim from their website and advertising. It was at best an indifferent 10K, at worse it was one of the most poorly organised 10K races I've attended!

All the little niggles, which by themselves don't amount to much, built up to form an impression of a very badly organised event. And the culmination was the mess at the end where people were waiting for 20 minutes to get their goodie bag.

After all these years you'd think they'd be able to get the simple things right.

I noticed that some people have been leaving comments such as "well organised", and I'm wondering on what previous experience of racing they are basing such comments! Either this was their first race, or they must have been attending some disasters for them to think this was well organised!

I'm experienced enough at running to put up with some poorly organised events, and not to expect much, and I did enjoy this, but I do object at the claims of "best 10K" given what I saw and experienced. 

I assumed that the claims were to do with the actual course - which, you have to admit, is fab - I can never get bored of looking at the bay.

The scrum for the goodie bags was a bit annoying - and I found the "do it yourself" approach probably contributed to the delays, with people having to assemble some of it themselves.It was a shame, because going through the finish was smooth enough, as was getting the water bottles.

My main problem was the fact that I spent the first 3k trying to get past slower runners, and because of the dense crowd, it really slowed me down and I didn't get my expected PB. I know it's a problem in larger races, but I wish people would actually look at the time boards at the start and be realistic, rather than starting in a faster section and then slowing everyone behind them down. Grrr!

51 mins - was hoping for sub-50.

But you couldn't beat the weather yesterday, could you?  

thanks to krukers, i have downloaded a lovely picture of my son and myself. It was our first 10k, was pleased with our results.

Enjoyed the race but we have to agree with Muddy Trainers the delay at receiving our goody bag was awful. Also we knew that we would run the race in about 67 to 70 minutes so we started at the 60 min plus mark, unfortunately not many people seemed to read the time markers for starting because we spent the first 4k overtaking slower people!

We both enjoyed the race thoroughly, can anyone recommend any other good well organized 10k's preferably in south west wales.

I have to disagree with Silk Tork. Apart from the wait for the goody bags, I found nothing else wrong with the organisation and having run this race three times now, I still think it's one of the best 10ks around. Where else do you get stalls, en-route entertainment and lots of crowd support for a very reasonable entry fee?

Regarding having to overtake slower runners who refuse to start further back, there is nothing the organisers can do about this and I agree it is a pain in the arse

Did my PB and first sub 50! Race was great and weather superb.

 The goodie bags was a farce however and badly done.... 2 lanes not enough. T-shirt thing was also not impressive. Previous years have been good, race organisers please take note!!

I think I need to make clear that my objection is to the claim that this is "the best 10K in Britain". From that claim one makes assumptions. I've attended a number of race events which don't make such claims, and yet go buttery smooth and have additional touches which make the event stand out.

I've attended various events, and it's rare for everything to go well, so I don't have huge expectations. But I was impressed by the amount of things that didn't go well with this event. Adding together all the little (and big) grumbles that I heard and have read people make - together with my own observations - I do find it objectionable that the organisers are still promoting this event as one of the best in the UK.

I enjoyed the day. I had a good time. But I am aware it could have gone better, and some opportunities were missed. Music at the start of an event creates a positive atmosphere. Coming round a bend into a water station, it is ALWAYS better to have the water station on the outside bend so people can see it more clearly, and can see which tables are clearer. Don't narrow the width of the running track to half after only 500 metres, especially if you haven't made sure that people are set in their correct time bands, as that will lead to frustrating congestion. Close the entire road for the hour or so that it needs, or find another course. Arrange that everyone gets their t-shirt at an appropriate time and place.  Send out everyone's racepack to the correct address (a number went missing - including mine). Arrange funnels so that people can speedily get their goodie bag and move away.

Don't make claims that you can't live up to.

I've heard that the problems have been caused by the organisers increasing the number of entrants, and that the event was better when it was smaller. So be it. Either limit the number of entrants to a managable level or stop calling yourself the best 10K in Britain. 

I also felt that this is the worst organisational experience in my eight years of running the Swansea 10K.

 The t-shirt thing was silly - and the 15 minute wait to get through after finishing simply creased me - I was looking forward to some water at the finish and did not want the wait for the bag etc.

What's so difficult in, as per previous years, putting the shampoo in the bag and handing the bag out with a bottle of water.

That said - as many point out - the best thing about this 10K is the view..

I didn't see the water on the outside bend. I missed that!

OK, fair enough. There's always a bit of a scramble for the water. These things happen.

Having the warmup girl in front of the start line meant that some slower people were in the 30-40 mins slot. They were not going to move back after having done the warm up. I'm going to make a sweeping generaliastion, but in my experience it's the slower runners who join in this type of warmup, so move the podium to half way along the masses so that slower people don't come to the front and get in the way. Apologies to the person who got quite a shove from me on the start line, but if you will stop dead and fiddle with your mp3 player when people are just getting up to race pace.....

Could different coloured numbers and start pens be the way to go? More of an overhead for the organisors though....

Goodie bag could have been done better, agree with that. Just have them filled and hand them out.

Temperature could have been a bit cooler, or just a little bit of cloud cover, I suffered a little bit just after 8K. A PB though, so can't complain - but it could have been quicker!!!

Water station was fine for me. Seemed to be plenty of people to hand it out on both sides of the path.

 By the way, don't wear the velcro on the chip the wrong way around, you get a nasty little cut around your ankle that stings a bit in the shower afterwards!!!