My Event Ratings

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

In short: A difficult one to pull off the day after a free parkrun in the same location - and still waiting for the results!
In full: I suspect charity and club races over this distance have become less appealing over time now that you can turn up at 9am every Saturday and take part in a free parkrun and still have most of your weekend ahead of you - this race started at 11.30 on a Sunday morning and the wait in the damp, bleak weather seemed interminable. The near-constant rain did let up briefly at the start of the race but was back again before it was over. The route was slightly different from the parkrun, but with an uphill finish which scuppered any PB chances certainly where I was concerned. The marshaling and organisation I wouldn't fault, though the results are still not present on the Sport System website which has me (and no doubt a lot of the other runners who didn't wait around in the rain after the race) wondering whether I'll ever know my official finishing time and place, or who won for that matter! If I was a Tottenham Hotspur fan, the shirt and the medal (lacking any reference to the event itself) would have me delighted.
Date of review: March 5, 2012

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

In short: Well organised - plenty of marshals and water stations - but takes its toll on you
In full: No especially long, arduous hills, but quite a bit of up and down which took it out on me early on. Race seemed to go like clockwork otherwise, and a nice number of local supporters lining the way and providing encouragement on the running track at the end.
Date of review: February 26, 2012

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

In short: More hilly than expected, though the long down-hill sections make up for the climb in places
In full: I was happy with my finishing time but the course definitely made me work for it. Nice running up and down the country lanes in the sunshine, though the start/finish location on a narrow pavement was a less appealing aspect. Good placement of water station for multiple fly-bys, and a nice big medal afterwards!
Date of review: January 22, 2012

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

In short: A good start to the new year - nice atmosphere and plenty of encouragement along the way from the many marshals and bystanders
In full: The unseasonably warm weather and the rain holding out until the afternoon were both plusses where this race was concerned. It was narrow on the path at the start but the course started to spread out after the first few km. The route was not quite as flat as I'd imagined it to be - not a hard slog either, but there were a few bits early on where I felt my pace slowing, and the double-loop around Kensington Gardens was rather agonising as the lead runners sped past before I was even half-way round the 1st lap! The downhill section followed by the flat finish were a very welcome conclusion to the race.
Date of review: January 2, 2012

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

In short: Well prepared, with good marshaling & encouragement along the way, with a nice finish in the athletics ground.
Date of review: December 4, 2011

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

In short: First 3k along the side of a busyish road with some runners enthusiastically throwing themselelves in front of the traffic; improves greatly once it shifts onto the Thames footpath f
In full: A foggy morning provided added atmosphere, particularly along the Thames path section, with rowers splashing past in the fog and swans flying low overhead. The large number of entrants meant there was company every inch of the way, with the finish line almost invisible in the fog. Couldn't fault the organisation, and results were available almost immediately afterwards.
Date of review: November 20, 2011

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

In short: A well organised charity run with a mix of beginners and hard-core racers
In full: My first 10k race - I came in flanked on either side by the 1st and 2nd place finishers in the 15k! The organisation was good and the event was well-marshalled. A few bottle-necks, particularly on the first lap, with some runners keen to push through rather than accept everyone was in the same boat. Some kind of cycle event had been scheduled for the same day, which made the second lap interesting in parts. Overall an enjoyable time and no overly steep sections, so an opportunity for a good PB.
Date of review: October 16, 2011

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

In short: Nice setting though lots of dodging around Sunday heath-walkers and their dogs.
Date of review: September 25, 2011

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

In short: Nice atmosphere, a pleasant running route, great for me as a beginner.
Date of review: August 27, 2011

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