My Event Ratings

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

In short: Atmospheric, quick, well supported race
In full: A great event if a little pricey. Fast flat course allows for a good PB opportunity but with 4,000 entries you get a great buzz from taking part in a mass participation event.

Agree with the comments about the goody bag - but the haribo sweets were welcome. Nice to have a tech t-shirt too rather than a cotton effort.

I'll be back again.
Date of review: May 2, 2013

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: Superb Marathon warm-up
In full: Such a well established and well organised race. I'll be back again whether I'm running a Spring Marathon or not. The hoodie alone is worth the entrance fee. Outstanding race.
Date of review: May 2, 2013

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: Wonderful fast flat 10k in park setting
In full: A superbly organised 10k road race which is ideal for both first time/Beginner runners and 'Fasties' seeking a PB time.

The Foundation for Conductive Education being based on the edge of Cannon Hill Park put on an excellent race allowing great use of the facilities beforehand with plenty of toilets, refreshments, storage facilities and somewhere to keep warm on a cold day.

The route itself is a 2 lap fast flat course taking in the scenic Cannon Hill Park and a fairly long 'out n back' path all the way down to Kitchener Road, south of the park.

After the run, the HQ had a wide range of cakes and drinks (and the chance to warm up again :) ) as well as a nice presentation ceremony with plenty of 'spot prizes' on offer.

It's quite a low key event with around 170 runners but it has deservedly been growing in recent years and 2012 saw a record attendance. Furthermore the results were published within a few hours of the finish despite the fact there was no chip timing.

All-in-all a great event and all in aid of a great cause too. From a personal viewpoint I'll remember this race for the rest of my life as it enabled me to break the 40 minute 10k barrier for the first time and successfully achieve a target I had set myself at the start of the year.

Well done to all involved at the Foundation for Conductive Education. I look forward to running the race again.
Date of review: November 5, 2012

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: Fast, Flat, Well organised 10k - Great t-shirt
In full: My second year at this event and a new and improved course makes this a great local 10k road race.

Excellent organisation and marshalling throughout. Much of the route is free from traffic and the results are issued fairly quickly after the race despite the fact that there isn't chip timing.

An excellent technical t-shirt this year is a vast improvement from last years cotton effort and is probably worth the entry fee alone.

Good work from Shelton Striders - I look forward to signing up again next year.
Date of review: October 7, 2012

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: Proud to have ticked it off my list..
In full: Great race as has been said many times. I agree with previous comments about not enough loos and the 'dull as dishwater' route between miles 3 and 11.

Atmosphere and support was excellent but having done the BUPA Birmingham Half last year I have to say that Brum was better!

The rain was nice - it kept the runners cool and it wasn't as windy as was expected so weather was near perfect.

I'd like to come back again - but I won't rush to sign up for next year. It's an expensive weekend if you're not local.
Date of review: September 25, 2012

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: Fast, Flat, Well organised race
In full: A lovely fast 10k on quiet country lanes. The route is entirely closed to traffic making it safe for both runners and spectators.

A huge car park with ample parking space and good use of the Church Wilne sports/social club for changing rooms/showers and for post-race drinks and a BBQ.

Did this race last year and like many others gave feedback that more toilets were needed. The organisers took note and hired out some portakabin loos but I think they could have done with a few more as the queues were still quite long. I would also suggest a technical t-shirt for the future rather than a cotton souvenir shirt which has been given in both years.

In summary - a great race with clockwork organisation. One or two minor tweaks as suggested would make this one of the Midland's Premier 10k road races without doubt.
Date of review: September 3, 2012

Report this rating to the moderator

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: Undulating but Scenic Route. Friendly & Welcoming
In full: My 2nd year at this event and the first thing to say is a big thank you to the organisers who rearranged this popular Annual run following bad weather early in July.

This is a 2 lap 10k taking in the lovely village of Darley Abbey and the nearby Darley Abbey Park in Derby. The village and the park is by no means flat thereby making this a challenging course - especially on a windy day like this year's race was.

Great support and encouragement from the village locals and marshalls on route. Decent goody bag, an instant chip timing results service upon crossing the finish line, massage facilities and good use of the Haslams Rugby club bar for a well deserved portion of chips afterwards and a drink at the end.

I would suggest just one area for improvement. About half a km into the park there is a downhill pathed section where you run towards some barrier fencing/posts which you need to zig-zag through to get past. This could be dangerous as runners approach it at speed. There perhaps should be a marshall on hand to warn runners to take care.

All in all a great race and I look forward to returning.
Date of review: August 27, 2012

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: Fast flat multi-terrain race
In full: My 2nd year at this Event. It attracts a strong field of runners which gives you a clue about its long established status and reputation.

The start was delayed by half an hour owing to very bad traffic in the local area. Fair play to the organisers for making plans to delay the start - Some races wouldn't have done this.

Marshalling and support is very good all round. Yes the main road is not closed for the run but the marshalls do a great job at controlling the traffic. One driver got a bit irate with one of the marshalls as I ran past but the marshall stood his ground for the safety of the runners - that was good to see.

Slightly disappointed at the lack of a timer at the finish line. There were no massage facilities this year either but I was proud of my 'silver' medal. Last year I got a bronze so I guess I've improved :-)

Re: the previous comment about the confusion with 100 metres to go. I was there supporting some other runners and can offer a different viewpoint. The marshalls were occupied with a lady who had taken a serious fall on the bend. She was in a bad way and so they had to attend to her before St Johnn's ambulance arrived. This momentarily left that area unmarshalled for direction pointing and the '10 year old kid' was indeed pointing his hand in the wrong direction - but in fact what he was doing was holding his hand up to warn cars exiting the adjacent car park not to edge forward until the runner had passed. Very commendable that the lad stepped in I'd say.

All-in-all a very good race. I'll be back again. Good job Elmbridge Road Runners.
Date of review: July 23, 2012

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: Fun, Fast Race
In full: A lovely friendly race with tip-top organisaton, great support from the locals and all those associated with St. Michael's primary school and a decent medal for the collection.

There are a few slight inclines which were definitely felt on what was a windy day but generally the course is very flat and offers s good PB opportunity. I beat my previous best 10k time by nearly a miunte so I was happy anyway.

Well done St. Michael's school. I look forward to running this race again in the future.
Date of review: June 25, 2012

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: Brilliant organised and tricky undulating race
In full: My 2nd year at this event and firstly I'm glad to say the weather was far more appealling than last year.

Very well organised and supported and instant results from the chip timing system within seconds of crossing the line.

The route itself is undulating which provides a great challenge for the 'fasties' up front as well as the slower runners and those new to running. The route isn't traffic free but the marshalls did a great job at controlling the flow of traffic to ensure safety for the runners.

A minor gripe would be the fact that the club appear to have cut costs a bit this year - No pre-race packs/numbers were posted in advance this year which created a long queue before the race where everyone had to pick up their numbers on the day. Also last year you got a medal and a mug at the finish. This year however it was just a drawstring bag.

All in all though it's a great local race and one of my favourite 10k races and so I'll be back again.
Date of review: June 17, 2012

Report this rating to the moderator