My Event Ratings

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

In short: Smooth, fast and sea views all the way
In full: This is the second year this race has been run along the seafront and very glad to say they ironed out all the teething problems from last year. Everything very smooth and professional.

Slightly changed start and finish route which helped, but bulk of course was two out and back loops of seafront. Slightly hard work to keep motivation going but you knew what was coming.

Course was totally flat, which offers great PB potential as long a weather is kind - today was bit warm. But organisers had plenty of water stations each with both water and sponges - well done.

Reasonable levels of support - and only advantages of loops was that your supporters if positioned well could see you four times.

Only a medal at end - but at £12 what do you expect? Mostly closed roads too and great marshaling.

Well worth sticking on your running calendar.
Date of review: June 14, 2009

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

In short: Very smooth, very slick, a little too much?
In full: Second year for me too and will be back again next year as this is a very well organised, flat mass participation race. As others have said the guys who run the London Marathon organise it so it goes like clockwork

Great course that sees many of the London sights

Only issue with it is that if anything its a little too slick, too corporate to be an all time favourite. Its hard to put finger on it but its just too organised?
Date of review: May 25, 2009

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

In short: Well organised, challenging course, great value
Date of review: October 27, 2008

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

In short: Well organised pleasant race
In full: Very nice small local race that was well organised and without any major problems

Good course along seawall so very flat but fairly narrow in places and slightly uneven.

Markers in miles for some reason rather than KM's

Very good value and well worth doing
Date of review: September 7, 2008

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

In short: Good friendly run, small field, few twists to make PB hard
In full: Well organised and very good value local run for SE Essex, both a family friendly 5km and a 10km which is two laps of the 5km course.

Course is on pavements with no road closures but this didnt seem to present any real problems. First half of the circuit is gently downhill and second half uphill.

Couple of tight turns and one bike gate to negotiate (bringing you to a near stop) which makes a PB difficult (along with smaller field so less chance of being pulled along )

But a good workout and well done to the friendly marshalls.
Date of review: July 14, 2008

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Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		20%
PB potential		60%
Atmosphere		40%
Organisation		80%
Value		60%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: Slick but slightlu souless on course. Challenging first half
In full: Very well organised race with that big race feeling. But lacked any real soul or heart.

Course changed from 07 and slightly uphill first half ending in couple of slopes at 4-6km then undullating before downhill at 8-9.

All roads closed and very well directed but marshalls slightly stood back (was nearer front so might have warmed up by end)

Great race for a first 10km but just didnt get it.
Date of review: June 15, 2008

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

In short: Nice new course, no real problems, potentially fast course
In full: Liked the new course (well for a two lap effort) but couldnt undertsand mix up over lead car cutting back - guess it was an idle moment of madness that resulted in runners running figure of 8 and having to cross.

But that aside very well organised. Good value although only medal at end. Lots and lots of water, sponged etc. Very helpful and friendly marshalls and bigger crowds than on old course.

Definietly whould be on your early summer programme and can see this going from strength to strength
Date of review: June 8, 2008

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

In short: Great opportunity to run around London without doing 26 miles :-)
In full: Smooth seamless organisation.

Good course and quite flat - would have real PB potential if you were near front and fast. Otherwise probably too many people.

Nice medal and t shirt at end but no date on medal was a shame.

Very good inaugeral race and will be back next year

Surprised (even given the weather) that 1/2 of people accepted didnt show
Date of review: May 26, 2008

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

In short: Very flat - ok organisation - bit congested
In full: Nice workout prior to spring (FLM in my case) marathon. Good flat course with nothing really challenging in terms of the run itself. But course is very congested in places.

Race is both an 8 mile and a 16 mile. they start the 8 mile 25 minutes earlier. So 8 milers have clear run at course. Problem with this is slower 8 milers block way for most of 16 miler field and must be very demoralising for them to be "lapped" by 1000+ 16 milers.

Also race tracke when gets onto pavements in second half get very narrow not helped by both 8 and 16 milers running at different paces.

Reasonably well organised although dont see sense of the men and women starting separetly (fast women, then all men then other women). Seems so unfair.

Very little in way of support from good people of Kingston but could be explained by early start and clocks changing on day.

Marshalls Ok but many roads without one and not as supportive as on other races.

But all in all would do again.
Date of review: March 30, 2008

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

In short: Great race - less said about rest the better
In full: The race first - good flat course with reasonable support and lots of water stations. Well organised start for the mass race and plenty of water stops and lucozade etc - not sure what the lucozade at about 1/2 a mile was doing there but hey ho.

Good goody bag with medal, mars bar, t shirt, drink, box of green and black biscuits and oatmeal biscuit. Race is expensive but at least reasonable value all in all.

the runners village was a mess..very wet (not organisers fault) but led to very muddy underfoot.

Hours delay to start apparently caused by cock up on park and ride which think was councils responsibility - but lots of people didnt hear about it officially till very late so mucked up a few preparation schedules.

At end - ok for me but not sure of wisdom of depositing bags by number - which was based on predicted finish time. Not sure what better way would be but when I finished my queue was huge and all rest were empty. Must have moved down line throughout afternoon.

Think some rethinking will have to go on as race has got very big and village (when wet) cant cope.

But back to race very enjoyable and a PB course if ever there was one.

Thanks to all who put it on - probably a thankless task today - but appreciate the effort you guys put in
Date of review: March 16, 2008

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