My Event Ratings

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

In short: Apart from the weather ...
In full: My training partner wore a long sleeved t-shirt under a t-shirt and tracksters. He still looked cold. I wore vest and shorts and wondered if I was mad. Actually, by the end I was reasonably warm. It's a great race, pretty flat and well marshalled. I don't really have any complaints except the hat was pretty hideous.
Date of review: March 2, 2010

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

In short: Sooooooooooo boring
In full: I've done this race so many times I could probably run it in my sleep. At about nine miles I could take it no more, and stopped out of sheer boredom (which isn't something I normally associate with running). If only they'd vary the route a bit - even run it in the other direction....
Date of review: October 26, 2009

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Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		No
Details:
Scenery		20%
PB potential		40%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		60%
Value		20%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: Thanks, but no thanks
In full: It's a shame that the world's largest half marathon suffers from such a terrible course. Boring hardly describes it. The atmosphere and support (in places) makes up for it, and it does have one of the best closing miles in running. But the goody bag? When you're paying £45? Purlease. At least put in a technical tee.
Date of review: September 21, 2009

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Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		100%
PB potential		20%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		80%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

In short: Very tough but great fun
In full: Although I train over large parts of the course, I wasn't expecting to enjoy this race as much as I did. The start is very fast, and then after about 2km it starts to climb and boy! does it climb! However, once you're at Belas Knap it's all down hill - so it's a bit of a shame that I'm so rubbish at descending. Still, great race, lovely atmosphere, superb setting - I'll be back.
Date of review: September 1, 2009

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

In short: Another triumph!
In full: Considering it's only in its second year, this race is established as a firm favourite in my calendar. Ok, it's not a PB course - it's too twisty, there's too much grass and chippings for that - but who cares? The scenery is terrific, the atmosphere charged and the organisation second-to-none. Top marks.
Date of review: July 13, 2009

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

In short: Worth doing
In full: Any race that starts and finishes on a pancake flat sports field has, by definition, zero ascent. So this race should be quick, but it isn't, and that's mostly down to the grinding uphill first mile. Thereafter it's mostly down hill all the way, and if you have any energy left (it was scorchingly hot) you could run a fast time. Nicely organised, and with a chocolate bar at the end: what more could you ask for?
Date of review: July 6, 2009

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

In short: Shame about the weather and the surfaces
In full: I've run this race quite a few times and it always suffers from one thing - too many corners. It should be a blistering course, but it's almost impossible to run a PB. This year the weather didn't help, and neither did the extended bits through the park, which was narrow and slippery. I still enjoyed myself, though!
Date of review: May 18, 2009

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

In short: Better than last year
In full: There were a few hiccups - for example, why not mail the chip with the race number? That would get rid of the huge queues. Why, on another hot day, weren't there any sponges? Still, at least there seemed to be enough water. The new course is much better than last year's, although the schlep up to Kemerton was a hard grind.
Date of review: May 11, 2009

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

In short: My favourite 10k
In full: Almost perfect conditions - warm but with a headwind on the return into the village.
The course has been tweaked a few times over the years, but I have to say that I liked it when it stayed in the village for three long laps.

Those who say the course is short are wrong.
Date of review: February 23, 2009

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

In short: The course, the course - it's so BORING
In full: I've been running the Stroud Half for the last twenty years, and it feels like it. I suppose I should know what I'm letting myself in for, but I would respectfully request that the organisers take another look at the course. It's fine until about nine miles, and then ... it's HORRIBLE. The tedium of the endless roundabouts on the road to Stonehouse and beyond. The industrial estate (oh kill me now). Why don't they reverse the direction? At least that would get the most boring part out of the way early on?
Date of review: November 3, 2008

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