My Event Ratings

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

In short: Gallons of potential for a big PB race, but ruined
In full: Sorry, I wanted this to be a great race. I got the PB I wanted, but it was ruiend by very poor organisation. I'll list the problems rather than moan:
-Baggage. If you're expecting 6000+ runners, you need more than one 8m wide tent and 6 people. The queue was 20 minutes long!
Just as bad after the race too.
-Start. When the start spreads back 10 minutes, have a big gun or tannoy so we know when the front runners start!
-Start. If you're giving out coloured numbers according to predicted time, try and monitor the pens! For a sub 55 minute runner, I was overtaken by no more than 5 people all race, and overtook hundreds. No idea where I started (7 mins 30 down the road) but I may have run 200 yards more than needed by overtaking (sorry folks) slow, nearly-non-runners who had started at the front.
Water. When watering 6000+ runners you need more than 2 tables, cups with sides (i.e. not split) and to stop some bloke pouring a jug over his head when all the cups on the tables are empty. Lucky it was cool and grey!

Other than that, it was a good race. Fast flat route, friendly staff, lots of noise and support.
Date of review: November 21, 2010

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

In short: Don't miss a trick, this is a treat
In full: This race killed me last year. Seriously. They had to send my body back to my parents after it was found in a ditch at the side of the route. It took so long, even my clubmates had gone home.
This year... the plan was to take 1/2 hour off that time. I managed 35 minutes. But that's not the point. The race overall was very well organised; the route is rolling hills through Clumber Park (woods) and town... The tshirt is halloweeeny and has my name on it (and those of several hundred other people!). The chip and pin part worked well and the race really was a treat!
Date of review: October 31, 2010

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

In short: Great race!
In full: For my 10th marathon and first in-land...

The hills in the first half weren't as bad as people made out so I felt great up to 1/2 way. Then felt really bad and struggled. The crowds were much more sparse and water/lucozade upto 3 miles apart made the heat even more unbearable. They could atleast have split and had a gap between so I could drink both!

Otherwise this was a good race. The tshirt is well-worth the extra cost, and the madal was a well-received chunk of bling at the finish line!

A special mention to the Motivation Crew at 19 miles. Wow, great guys - even if we could hear you shouting for over an hour!!

Organisation was good, the start was easy, the finish was well-laid out and well-run.

THANKS NOTTINGHAM!!
Date of review: September 12, 2010

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

In short: Lovely race, well organised
In full: It's a good race. Mostly flat, where the greatest hill really is just a bridge over the A1, and well populated with cheering crowds.
The organisation was good, plenty of water stations, and the start and finish were well laid out and bustling with happy people.
Cheers Newark!
Date of review: August 8, 2010

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

In short: Fantastic location, enjoyable race
In full: This race always brings out the extremes in the weather - it's either flooding with rain or you're sunburnt before you make it to the start line! Water handed out at the start really helped!
Well organised, the five+ water stations were well-manned and the friendly marshalls were happy to give 2 cups each. The local population was magnificent, from the shouts of support to the kids shooting runners with water pistols to the grannies spraying garden hoses and calling friendly encouragement!
The route is playful, the 2 mile long bridge is an engineering marvel and a pleasure to run along.
The finish zone is good, crowds line the last 200 yards well and the sponsoring supermarket handing out punnets of fresh fruit... just extraordinary! Great t-shirt and medal too.
Well done to all involved!
Date of review: June 28, 2010

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

In short: Lovely river-run in the sun
In full: Well done to all who organised this race; it was most splendid!
Perhaps a bit clubby as the field was "very" small but this did nothing to detract from good organisation, friendly marshalls and a fairly valuable goody bag.
Perhaps a 9am start next time so I don't have to run in the midsummer midday sun though?!

"I like to run, it makes me smile, I think I'll run another mile"!
Date of review: June 20, 2010

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

In short: I like to run, outloud I'll say, I think I'll run the Woodhall 10k
In full: A well organised race, plenty of people, friendly marshalls, good water stations, good finish. And a rockin' PB to finish with. Yay!
Date of review: June 8, 2010

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

In short: Lon-done- if only I could stay out longer!
In full: Fantastic! Any race where world record holders, royalty and organisers mingle with the masses (Richard Branson and Tegla Loroupe were even kind enough to sign my number!) must be special.
The course could barely be improved, the crowds were extremely noisy and utterly supportive, as were other runners, water/energy stops were perfectly organised, well spaced, and the bottles weren't too big this time.
The race is truely amazing, arguably THE BEST race in the world, and with 120,000 applicants for 37,000 places, it's just a pity they can't increase the field!
Thanks to everyone involved, especially the millions of spectators!
Date of review: April 27, 2010

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

In short: Good race
In full: Nothing especially unusual to comment on unfortunately, but it was a fair, well organised race with a relatively small field (just under 200).
Friendly marshalls, a good finish line, tea shop, handy medal and a fast (though slightly windy) course.
Could have put a clock at the finish line though!
Date of review: April 12, 2010

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

In short: Great idea, just a few organisational niggles. Boring in the middle
In full: Generally good, and no malice intended when I say it could have been better organised. The route was great, the buses to/from the start/finish excellent and the marshalling excellent. An almighty screw up meant two faster "pens" left behind mine so loads of pushing and overtaking in the first few miles although it didn't really affect me personally. The cost was steep though the t-shirt and medal very good quality. It's a race that could do VERY well - even increase to 10 or 15,000 runners if they can get it right (and use both sides of the road). A guaranteed PB for a first-distance but I also beat a 12 year old PB for 15 miles!
Date of review: March 15, 2010

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