My Event Ratings

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

In short: 2 days later and I'm still buzzing!
In full: Fantastic race. I would recommend to anyone whether you're a beginner to running or a veteran. I only entered as I missed out on the London ballot (again!) However my disappointment was short lived. Everything about this event was amazing - from the smooth organisation to the other runners. The one thing that stands out in my mind is the atmosphere and genuine excitement from the crowds of supporters who lined the streets. I have never felt so alive at the 13 mile point of any marathon. And the Brighton residents were superb, they have really taken this event to their hearts and this is only the 3rd one which has been staged! At this rate it won't be long before Brighton becomes 'bigger' than London. I know which event I'd rather spend my money on in future!
Date of review: April 17, 2012

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

In short: Local course and flat - a little bit dull though!
In full: The event was organised well enough and although the course is a little bit bland there is excellent pb potential. To be honest there is not too much they can do with the course to improve it as Gosport is such a small place. I am a Gosport resident so this is an ideal course for me. If I lived further than 20 miles away I probably wouldn't bother. The price was reasonable too.
Date of review: April 4, 2012

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Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		Maybe
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		20%
Atmosphere		40%
Organisation		60%
Value		60%
Beginner-friendliness		20%

In short: Tough race but feel like I can take on anything now!
In full: I knew this was going to be a tough marathon and my 3:55 pb was not going to be beaten. In fact I would have been over the moon with a sub 4 hour run.
I spent the weeks leading up to the race checking out forums and course profiles to prepare myself for, not only the daunting distance but the hills which lay ahead. I also knew that the organisers were having trouble with local authorities with regards to the course. It seems the dear locals of Battle don't take too kindly to having their Sunday morning drives disrupted by the inconvenience of a marathon event. As a result the course was changed and ended up being a 6 mile loop with 2 5 mile 'out and backs'
Now - the hills! My God the hills. They were so much worse than I imagined! I took the first 6 mile loop sensibly and felt good by 9 miles however when I hit that first hill it sapped all of my energy. The worse part of the hills is knowing you're going to have to cross the 16 mile mark and do it all over again. It really is soul destroying. A lot of the 'out and back' stages were completely void of any support whatsoever (it is in the middle of some rural roads) so you feel quite lonely running at some stages. At one stage I was thinking whether I was the only one in the race or if I'd taken a wrong turn!
One big organisational blunder was the water station at around mile 19 ran out of water!! Unforgivable as far as I'm concerned. But there was plenty of Cola. Because a gassy, sugary drink is exactly what you need to get through the wall... not!
In the end I somehow managed 3:58 so I was pleased. The best part of completing a tough marathon like this is you feel like you can take on anything afterwards. I'm not sure whether I would part with my hard earned cash for the privilege of participating in this event again though.
Date of review: April 4, 2012

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

In short: Was so good I decided to register for 2011
In full: This was not just my first marathon but my first ever running event. My friend persuaded me to take part so I spent 3 months training hard for the daunting distance of 26.2 miles.
The event itself was extremely well organised. Plenty of marshalls, facilities, water stops not to mention cracking support from the people of Nottingham.
The first half of the marathon involved a few steady inclines (not exactly hills) and I made the mistake of tackling this stage too fast. The second half was completely flat but by 19 miles I was so drained and managed to drag myself across the finish in a respectable debut time of 3:55.
I would recommend this course to anyone wanting to try out a marathon but can't afford/get into London. The support was fantastic and the other runners all help you along the way.
If I had a slight criticism then I would say a lot of the second half of the course is in the countryside and thus short of support. These stages are the times when you could do with some much needed encouragement from the crowd but like I said it is only a minor criticism!
Overall a great event.
Date of review: April 4, 2012

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