My Event Ratings

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

In short: Hard to beat on a crisp,clear morning.
In full: Great race today:as always,excellent organisation,marshalling,support etc from TRAC.

As one of those blown backwards last year by the gale force winds,today was a pleasure-despite the cold!

I've run it "off and on" since 1997,and no surprise that 3 of my 5 best 10 mile times were recorded here-it's definitely a PB course if everything comes together on the day.

On a sunny morning like today ,the view over the bay is fantastic.
Date of review: December 7, 2008

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

In short: Still one of the best 10K's around
In full: This is still a very good 10K with a quick,challenging course and excellent organisation.

It's definitely good for a negative split:invariably,the first 5K takes me 1-1/2 minutes longer than the second,although overall,the course was a little slower this year due to the off-road final kilo.

The section between around 6 and 8K is a little "hairy" due to the proximity of fast traffic,but overall it's an excellent course for a 10K.

Only real criticism is that it needs more toilets at the start.

It's taken "stick" for being expensive,but that's rather unfair as it's good value if you enter in advance and unfortunately,the cost and difficulty of putting on an urban race are getting higher every year.
Date of review: October 26, 2008

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

In short: A very good,no-frills race.
In full: Sad to hear it's future is in jeopardy,as I'll certainly miss it if it goes.

It's a great Autumn half:no frills-just a varied,challenging race that offers something to runners of all standards.

The course starts and finishes in the suburbs of Maidstone,but the scenery along the Pilgrim's Way is great and there was plenty of appreciative crowd support and friendly marshalls and water stations etc.

Minor negatives:the "goody bag" was a bit of a misnomer and more importantly,the finish was "sloppy" and needs to be much better marked.It was very hard to tell where the line was and I saw several people stop running before they'd reached it.

At heart,it's a good,old fashioned club race and God forbid that these kind of races disappear and all we're left with is the hideous "Nike Run London" type of commercial operation.
Date of review: October 19, 2008

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

In short: Must now be the best half in Kent
In full: So much about this race is top class:fantastic views over the sea,top class marshalling,great goody bag,great PA at the end,excellent and growing crowd support,"interesting" course.

It was decidedly warm today,which made the last few miles very hard-and that hill is an absolute killer.When you reach the top,there's another mile or so of "gentle" incline which really finished me off today !

Agree with the only 2 points for improvement-a race of this size needs more toilets and the 1st water station-especially on a day like today-needs to come earlier.

However,taken overall,it's a "cracking" half marathon.
Date of review: September 28, 2008

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

In short: Nice race...but nothing special
In full: A perfectly reasonable 10K,for a good cause.

Good rural course-certainly undulating but none of the hills were that difficult.

Nothing made it really stand out,so a solid,average sort of race that was a good test,but probably won't stay in the memory.
Date of review: September 21, 2008

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

In short: Different-but very enjoyable
In full: A tough,muddy open cross-country run.There aren't many of those about,so it's a very welcome addition to the calendar.

As it was it's first staging,none of us really knew what to expect.There were a couple of steep,rocky downhills-where you had to keep your wits about you-and one savage uphill at around halfway.

Due to the not-so-glorious Summer we've had,it was very muddy and slippery in places-but that added to the fun !

I wasn't particularly bothered about the exact distance,the lack of mile markers etc-it's not that kind of race and even-pacing was out of the question due to the sheer variety of the course.

I thought the marshalling was fine and there was a good atmosphere before and after the start.

Let's hope it becomes a regular event.
Date of review: August 24, 2008

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

In short: Challenging,low key 10K
In full: Great venue for a 10K and a really "interesting",varied course.

Don't let anyone kid you it's "undulating",it is most definitely "hilly" and you should factor that into your expected finishing time.

Low key,with a relatively small field,which actually makes it more enjoyable for the runners.

Well organised and friendly and best of all (from a personal point of view) near enough to home for a lie-in and a gentle jog to the start !
Date of review: July 13, 2008

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

In short: Very enjoyable all round.
In full: Lots of exceptional touches:bottled water and sports drink at the water stations;varied,challenging course;great selection of cakes and a brass band at the finish.

The overall package is very good value and the race is genuinely different.

The course is pretty quick up to mile 10,but those hills at the end were tough !

Overall,I really enjoyed it and sincere thanks to the organisers and all those involved for putting on a really special event.
Date of review: July 6, 2008

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

In short: Still No.1-and getting even better !
In full: I find the NDR difficult to rate objectively-it is so damn good that normal criteria go out the window !

The course itself,the way the course is marked out and prepared,the amazing marshalls and other helpers (where on earth do you get them all from ?) and in fact,the whole "package",are simply off the scale.

It has been my favourite race of the year for some time now,and it just keeps getting better-even though it really does make me ache in places that no other race will manage until next year's NDR !

The free cakes at the end,the top quality tee-shirts,the barbecue and bar etc just add to what is,for my money,the best race I've ever entered.

Never mind "one of" my all-time favourire races,this is the one.
Date of review: June 15, 2008

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

In short: Outstanding race with a unique flavour
In full: If I wanted to introduce a new runner to the sheer joy of racing,this is the one I'd choose.

It manages to combine serious competition at the front in both the men's and women's fields,with amazing support and enjoyment for every runner.

It's a great Saturday afternoon out,with a top atmosphere both during and after the race.

Thanks to all at HHHH-you put on one of the "must do" races on the calender.
Date of review: June 8, 2008

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