My Event Ratings

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

In short: Great weather, an OK race
In full: Second-and probably last-time I am doing this half marathon. Flat it is not-mildly undulating a better description (850m ascent and 839m descent in total). More drinks stations would have been nice on a warm day. Crowds OK at the start and finish but apart from marshals little support elsewhere. And walking on uneven pavements at the last 3K for "traffic safety" robbed me of a sub-3hr finish (3:00:56). Scenery good around Standish but the rest unspectacular.
Date of review: October 21, 2007

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

In short: flat, fast course, no spectators though
In full: a fast, flat course and a well organised event, but very few spectators and no crowd support around the course. Marshals friendly and helpful.
Date of review: October 9, 2007

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Overall score		40%
Would you do it again?		No
Details:
Scenery		40%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		20%
Value		40%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: The race that never was
In full: Having participated last year and enjoyed it, my wife and I drove from Bristol again this year. We got to Swansea by 12:10 and became gridlocked on the promenade, thus missing the start. No traffic marshals anywhere in sight to help the runners coming in somewhat late. With all race car parks on the promenade once the road shuts there is nowhere to go, and no one to advise you. When you have paid more than £40 entry fees (joint) and £30 petrol to drive for 4 hours (return trip) in rain and traffic to find you cannot even start despite arriving 50 minutes before the race started you get very depressed. We will not be doing it again.
Date of review: September 23, 2007

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

In short: many problems to be ironed
In full: If the organizers wish to see 20,000 runners next year, here is what needs to be done:
(1) The course needs sorting out; the out-and-back bit is fine; the twisting, turning, cobblestone city bit is not. Nor are the city centre fumes and the indifferent crowds (2)No goodie bags left at the end; if you pay so much money and just get a medal and lucozade it seems mean, compared to other events; (3)Crowded at the start; (4)most marhsls were good but some of the volunteer teenage marshals were downright rude (re: runners' physique). In all, a disappointment except for the medal.
Date of review: September 9, 2007

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

In short: Good venue, shame about the heat...
In full: Starting at 10am on a hot August day caused problems; having started at 9am might have been better, as the heat decimated the slower runners like me.
Date of review: August 18, 2007

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

In short: Great scenery,a great PB course
In full: Despite the constant rain and drizzle this was a beautiful route, with little undulation and definite PB promise. Crowd support was underwhelming but with the weather this is hardly surprising. Marshals left before all the runners completed the course and even took down the 24th mile marker as I was running by; the poor guy who finished behind me might have struggled to recall which way to go without it, and indeed both he & I took a wrong turn 2 miles into the race as there were no race officials or a sign at the road bifurcation to direct us. Finally, more water and less lucozade would have helped, as one can add dioralyte/salt to water (wider bottle mouth) but not to lucozade to prevent salt depletion for slower runners. Despite these shortcomings though this is a very good race to do and well worth considering if a PB is the target.
Date of review: April 24, 2007

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

In short: Many good things-a few big niggles
In full: The good things first: excellent goodie bag; fantastic crowd support; good weather (very lucky with this); plenty of marshals and abundant water and lucozade. The not so good bits: huge queues for the toilets (and in one occasion what was euphemistically called a "toilet" was just a square shell of a room where people spent a penny on the ground!! Very crowded pens meant no pre-race warmup. Persistent website problem with full results list means you can only see the gun time on the website. How on Earth can this be the "official" time when the only accurate time for back packers is the chip time is beyond me. My Garmin registered my start to end time as 2:36:44 (a PB by 3mins and 4 seconds) but the "official" results give me as 2:42:58 (probably gun time, as it took me 6 minutes and 15 seconds of shuffling just to get to the starting line). A big thank you goes to the warm, enthusiastic, supportive crowds: they made my day.
Date of review: March 25, 2007

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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: Silverstone is a success
In full: Very well organized race despite the crowds. Plenty of encouragement from marshals and spectators. Flat, speedy course (despite the atrocious weather I did a PB by 14 minutes and 2 seconds). Excellent goody bag and a lot of good memories to cherish. Well done to everyone involved in organising this race!
Date of review: March 19, 2007

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

In short: The best organised half marathon in the UK, bar none
In full: The organisationwas faultless; themarshalls and volunteers friendly and most supportive; the scenery is glorious and despite the hilly bits I still managed to take 10 minutes 46 second off my 1/ marathon PB, thanks to the inspiration provided by Hogweed Hilly Half Heaven. Can't wait to do it again next year!
Date of review: March 11, 2007

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

In short: challenging run; beautiful scenery
In full: Glorious weather today to showcase the glorious settings. Even a deer joined us for part of the race, darting left right and centre probably scared of the crowds! Managed to do a PB by 1 minute despite the 3 hills (and yes, the last hill was tough, coming after 7K and on legs burning from the effort!)
Date of review: February 4, 2007

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