My Event Ratings

Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		40%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		80%
Value		40%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

In short: Tough, well organised race but please do something about the mud
In full: A glance at the course profile (if one were to be published) would show very little flat and a fair selection of nasty hills in the 13.1 miles. However, completely closed roads, good marshalling and decent support make this a good race. My only complaint is the mud in the main field and the car parks. I got out early but I'll guess that lots of people needed to be pushed out of the car parks. The organisers know it's likely to be wet so need to come up with a solution.
Date of review: November 1, 2010

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Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		60%
Atmosphere		40%
Organisation		60%
Value		60%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

In short: Not bad, not spectacular, just average
In full: A nice weekday evening 10k over a pleasant, challenging route. They've put all the tough hills in the second half of the race then topped it off with a nasty final km on some undulating trails through the park. That makes for a good challenge but stuffs up your PB chances. The organisation was fine. Not the best I've ever seen but it all happened without any problems... except for a slightly chaotic start. Let us shuffle forward to the start line before firing the gun please.
Date of review: August 6, 2010

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Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		No
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		100%
Value		100%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: Flat? I don't think so!
In full: One of the best organised races I've done. Well done to Abingdon Amblers. My only complaint is that it is definatley not flat!
Date of review: October 18, 2009

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Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		100%
PB potential		40%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		100%
Value		60%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Heat, hills and wilting runners
In full: The fabulous scenery couldn't disguise a tough, undulating course on a hot day. I thought I would melt at mile 4 as we took in the views across the New Forest and frequent water stations were essential. Stampeding ponies added a little extra challenge to the race. But the organisation was superb and the support from local people was very good.
Date of review: September 17, 2006

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

In short: Well organised, fast course, made for PBs
In full: The second annual trip to Silverstone and another PB. The organisation is faultless and although the course is uninspiring, it is fast. This year the wind seemed colder and stronger, which made the last couple of miles hard work, but that's forgotten the moment you come round the final bend to see the Silverstone finish line and grandstands ahead of you.

What impressed me most this year was that my supporters, who decided that they wanted to run, were able to enter on the day and it cost the same as my entry.
Date of review: March 23, 2006

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Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		100%
PB potential		20%
Atmosphere		100%
Organisation		100%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

In short: Who got the fiver? Not me :-(
In full: And I thought the Cliveden cross country was tough! It's a walk in the park compared to this. The 1 mile hill at the start should have given me a clue. By the third nightmare hill I was walking and I was almost on my hands and knees up the final steps. But the views are glorious, the marshalls are encouraging, the final stretch to the finish is the best in any race I've ever done and you are then fed soup and cheese rolls. Well done to Dr Rob and his team :-)
Date of review: January 1, 2006

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

In short: Well organised end to the year
In full: Well done to Bedford Harriers for a well organised race. The marshals were plentiful and vocal, although the local support was a little sparse. The course is very scenic, running mostly on small roads and through villages. Although there are no really challenging hills there is enough up and down to add a bit of a challenge and the incline on the last mile really saps your energy.
Date of review: December 11, 2005

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

In short: Scenic, well organised and with a flipping steep hill !!
In full: A well organised little race over a scenic course, half on-road and half across paths and fields. Despite the unbelievably steep hill after 5k it seems to be quite a fast course and I was only 30 seconds off my PB.

The Marlow 5 is the only other 5 mile race I've done and this one beats the pants off it.
Date of review: September 19, 2005

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Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		20%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		80%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: Poor start spoilt a well organised race.
In full: Another well organised race by Handy Cross Runners was spoilt (yet again) by a poor start. This was compounded by the large number of inexperienced runners who start too near the front and get in everyone's way in the first mile. Handy Cross make no attempt to guide runners into appropriate starting positions.
If you are one of the lucky few who manage to make a good start then this is a fast course, although through the less scenic parts of Marlow.
Date of review: May 8, 2005

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Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		Maybe
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		40%
Atmosphere		100%
Organisation		100%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Great event, average race.
In full: As an event this is one of the greatest. Amazing crowds, slick organisation and a chance to run past some great London landmarks. As a race it is decidedly average. Unless you get a really good start it is crowded and difficult to run. I struggled to find space to run an even pace until halfway and even then I was still having to change speed more than I wanted to, to allow for slower runners around me. I'll be back but only when I've got a GFA time.
Date of review: April 22, 2005

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