My Event Ratings

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

In short: Good town race, with very good standard at the front, and big field for race of its type
In full: This race has grown steadily since I last did it in 2006. Then the field was 1200, now it was over 1600. Key improvements such as chip timing and signs with starting times have ensured the increase of field size has gone smoothly.

Nice town race, a nice change from the 100s of races that are miles of country lanes that could be anywhere truth be known. Little bit of Marlow character, and I love the finishing 200metres with a good crowd all gathered to cheer you home.

First time for 4 years, but my 5th time at the Marlow 5 will hopefully not be my last
Date of review: May 9, 2010

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

In short: Mostly fast race bar 1k on pebbly paths through an exposed field
In full: nicely fast race a couple of ups and downs, but sheer windy exposed nature of the field at 8k, coupled with some offroad oebbly paths spoilt the pb potential a bit


However, a good race on a bank holiday;. Very good standard at the front for what isn;t that big a field. Reading the host club have a lot of fasties and they showed up...somuch so that my 36:43 probably is only top 20, when in other local 10ks this would be right up the top 10
Date of review: May 3, 2010

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

In short: Usual well polished race to start the Easter weekend off.
In full: Long established race, with good organisation from Maidenhead AC. Spot on start to the long Easter weekend.
High quality field as usual, as 10milers are fairly few and far between, so the timing and the location attract runners from far and wide.


Tried and tested route, not ideal with the first 3miles round the business park and the 2 U Turns, bu soon settles down and varies a little, finishing with the very welcome last mile down the original road.

As always a great start to the weeked with big satisfaction at along rundone for the weekend!
Date of review: April 2, 2010

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Overall score		40%
Would you do it again?		No
Details:
Scenery		40%
PB potential		60%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		40%
Value		40%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: Great facilities but terrible race
In full: can always tell races that aren't put on my running clubs!
Appreciate being London you have more problems with routes, but the 4-5 u turns were very poor. Some of the signage made you go the wrong way, and the mute marshalls, can they speak english..cos i didn't hear any say anything! Vague pointing isn't great, but I presume they aren't runners and don't know noise as well as signals is essential.
Being wet some bits of the course were hazadous, as I found slipping overbadly! The little bridge bits were a bit dangerous underfoot as well.

Positives were great medal, great facilities, freebies food, space, baggage etc.
Therefore it is truly just the route, and coming back the same way as 1000s of people coming your way and suchlike that mess this race up.

Always good to beat a bunch of suits though!
Date of review: February 28, 2010

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

In short: Ultra fast course, but amateur organisation for such a well known race
In full: Echo a lot of what is said on other reviews

Good
Ultra fast course, not 100% flat which surprised me, but very straight and not many turns to make you break. Not as dull as that sounds either.

Good reputation, seemed a hub for good club runners from all the local series I run.


Bad

An overwhelming lack of urgency I felt. Noone realised how bad the baggage would be and I think the fact it's chip timed calmed people. Also people seemed to presume it would be delayed for a bit.

Didn't hear the starting signal, was it a gun, was it just some bloke saying go?
Where was the start line?! I had to gamble on where I think it was to time myself, and then later on heard the sound of the start mats, so probably started it too early?!

That bottleneck about 100metres in! Surely the start could just be shifted out on the road!


Just another note...how non observant are runners! On these reviews people moan about no medal, no hot drink, no food tent, no proper chip timing. All these were present people...sort it out!!!
Date of review: February 21, 2010

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

In short: Cheap basic flat race
In full: Very cheap entry, £6 on the day for club members, probably even cheaper than the website advertised. However, you get nothing at the end, no medal, t shirt, food, bits of tat etc. This is what oldies would say all races used to be like...but I like my medal and good bags, so thank goodness they aren't all like this!!

Having said that was good to do a rare 5miler, on a very flat course, probably about as flat as you are realistically going to get. Funnily you do miss the downs to get some momentum on.

Having done a string of races with a field this size where I'm top 10, this felt quite odd to come probably 25th or so, yet comfortably under 30mins!
That;s what happens when a race is acounty championship race!!
Date of review: October 11, 2009

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

In short: Low key local first year number, mildly downhill first 5k,
In full: I would stay away from Frieth in October if you thought today was hard Amanda!

2nd today in about 37:56, so 38 seconds down on Wooburn 10k 2 weeks ago.
Low key nature race for the first year of this one, no local big name running faces!

First 5k seemed mostly downhill, hence my splits of 17:45 and then 20:11 for the second half! The second half had a few more climbs but nothing too major, proper undulation on road until about 6k when 3k of woodland kicked in combined with one lap of a grassy field.

Then a last 1k with a climb back up to the same place the race started, so must have involved the same amount of uphill as downhill.

A nice little low key sunday number.

No prize for 1st let alone 2nd was a downer, as surely that is standard, it doesn't have to be anything too grand, just a little trophy or 2.

Also only ordering 50 medals is pretty naive, as racing is very popular at the current time, so would hate to have been 51st to what I believe ran to 140th.
Date of review: September 27, 2009

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

In short: Downward last 3k give the chance of a quick time
In full: Got away with a non boiling hot day which was good...anda course that has a few short uphills midway and gentle slope upwards, followed by a good payback of down stretches iin the last 3 k where you can really put together a good pace.
Date of review: August 10, 2009

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

In short: Monumental screw up in 10k race spoilt day!
In full: I second what Ed Furness says but slightly different experience. was at worst 6th coming into the 7.5k part, only to see there was no marshall for the left hand turn up Keep Hill!Was racing two fellas at the time who were a couple of seconds ahead, so it could have gone either way. Proceeded with the correct route as I'd done it last year as they went the wrong way, presuming I'd gain from their misfortune. I passed through 8 and 9k apparently as only the second to actually go the right route (!), only to come out at the other end of the field and find a flood of 4 people I hadn't seen all race ahead of me having done what must have been 400-500metres less! VERY annoying, as I couldn't reign 2 of them in, let alone have the big finish against the 4th and 5th placed at the time. Therefore came 8th which was disappointing as the true story will be forgotten. However, must be even worse for those who'd done the wrong route and therefore their times are completely worthless!

Handy Cross, bad error, missing off 2 absolutely key stewards, terrible work. But fair play resolved quite quickly, so if you weren't in the front 30 in the 10k you'd have been none the wise.
Date of review: July 19, 2009

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

In short: Technically a fell race. something the organisers forgot to point out!
In full: Much tougher race than anticipated, and I'm not one of these beginner types who thinks anything more than a 10cm climb is a hill.

This apparently had 700 feet of climbs in the 2 lap course, yet the organisers hilariously described it as flat/undulating!

For me it is "very hilly" lol.

Did some tough courses last year and still broke 40mins. Am currently mid 37s which should be sub 37 ona flat course, but today was 40:53!

a tough tough course!
Date of review: June 21, 2009

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