My Event Ratings

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

In short: Nice race, slick organisation, well done WG&EL
In full: A bit undulating with a few uneven pavement sections, but overall I really enjoyed my first run here since 2003 and it still doesn't disappoint.

Lots of marshalls covering the road crossings, but inevitably having so many side roads and driveways there are still motorists to contend with as the roads aren't closed. I had to swerve several times to avoid collisions, but no damage done.

Great use of the running track (always nice to finish on a track), although this meant that finish line was about 500m away from the 13 mile marker which was a surprise having finished on the driveway on my previous visit.

Only suggestion I'd make is to try and find a date that doesn't clash with so many other big half marathons in the south of England, as this will have affected entry numbers, and the race deserves a bigger field.
Date of review: March 4, 2013

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

In short: Organised by runners for runners - and you can tell. Excellent.
In full: An excellent well-organised race that's worth the trip from London every year. You can tell a race that's organised by a running club - all the details are considered and the enthusiasm of the marshalls is superb. Signage, traffic management, pre- and post-race admin all flawless.

A bargain at £14 too. Why people shell out £50 for some event company organised events over even shorter distances (Great Run series, particularly the GSR, I'm thinking of you!) is a mystery when there are gems like this around.
Well done Gosport Road Runners. First class.
Date of review: November 18, 2012

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Overall score		40%
Would you do it again?		No
Details:

In short: Horribly corporate feel. Far too expensive.
In full: Easy to tell that this is an event organised by an events company for profit, rather than by runners. No real understanding of the elements that make for a good race. In fact, it is not a race; it is a mass participation event. There is no focus on the winners, the prizes or the times.

One example is the insistence that everyone runs in the official t-shirt. All this does is suck the individuality out of the race and turn it into one big advert for the sponsor. The crowd are such a big part of making the atmosphere in a race, but by uniforming the runners it makes it very hard to cheer for any individual by running club, name, charity etc since everyone looks the same.

The Great Run series is very similar in the heavy marketing budget that enables them to target far more beginners than regular runners. Encouraging newcomers to the sport is undeniably a good thing, but it's such a shame the masses are unaware that there are many smaller and better organised events organised by running clubs, which offer significantly better value for money.
Date of review: October 31, 2012

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

In short: First class - particularly for a race in its first year
In full: Really impressed with all aspects of this race. Ran like clockwork from arrival to final departure. All the small things considered, and runners catered for at every level.

I was with the official pacers & we all had a great experience. Some really kind & positive feedback from many participants. Hope to be able to support this race again in 2013. Even the weather was on side today!
Date of review: September 30, 2012

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

In short: Functional training run - needs a couple of tweaks
In full: This race doesn't really advertise itself as anything more than a paced training run, mostly for those doing spring marathons. In that regard it delivers what it promises.

The main constructive tweak this needs is that with multiple laps, quicker runners (anyone under 1.45) will be lapping slower runners and there needs to be some instruction as to how to avoid holding up fellow runners.

Very simply, the organisers could instruct all runners who are likely to be lapped to run on the right hand side, or even cone off an overtaking lane. Due to the pacers, big groups of runners formed and were difficult to pass. The decision to allow headphones & iPods meant that runners were unaware of quicker guys coming up behind them.

To be fair, some of the pacers were actually shouting at their groups to move out of the way, but with no protocol in place they didn't know which way to move, left or right. A simple note in the race instructions or more vocal marshals would solve this problem. Or else go back to staggered starts.

Oh, and the wind ruined any chance of a PB, but don't know who to blame for that!
Date of review: February 19, 2012

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Would you do it again?		Maybe
Details:

In short: Good race - wrong distance
In full: I spectated, but talked to many runners at the end who all measured the course at around 13.5 miles.

It always seems to be that races organised by clubs & runners tend to be more accurate over these things than those organised by charities or events companies. The latter must realise that getting the distance right is the most important element of the whole race. Try advertising it next year as a 13.5 mile half marathon and see how many entries you get.

There are people and organisations who can measure race courses properly. Suggest you look them up. I felt very sorry for all those runners who missed out on PBs due to the extra distance; that's thousands of miles of training that have gone to waste for many. Please don't make the mistake of thinking this is a trivial point, or runners will vote with their feet in future years.
Date of review: February 19, 2012

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

In short: Tough for an individual; bit easier for a team
In full: Heard there were some mix ups last year, but organisers seemed to have taken note. Loads of signage and marshals, so thought it was very well organised.
Some nice touches like gels being available at end of lap, and race director on the finish line to shake finishers by the hand.

Couple of constructive suggestions though for next year. Perhaps relay runners could wear a label or additional number on their back. For those of us racing for places we didn't always know who we were racing against. And perhaps a clock at the end of each lap or finish - not that important, but had no idea of time until the results came out. Could have worn a watch I suppose!!

Other than that, strongly recommended and will do again. Well done organisers.
Date of review: November 27, 2011

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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		80%

In short: The template on how to organise a good marathon
In full: Same as everyone else really. Can't find any fault and wouldn't wish to.

This is the real difference between a race organised by runners and those organised by events companies (eg Edinburgh Marathon). All the main things were like clockwork, but also all the small things as well.

Such as:

A clock at the 26 mile marker so you know what you need to do if you're close to a target.
Baggage that was ready to pick up as you got to within sight of the tent
Accurate mile markers
Loads of "caution runners" signs to help with traffic issues
Good announcer standing in the right place to keep the crowd informed

Only bad thing is that this race is understandably getting more popular and harder to get into, so you need to commit in January!!
Date of review: October 17, 2011

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

In short: Piece of cake....
In full: ...was a nice touch at the end.
Really enjoyable race, reminded me of school XC. A race to not worry about times, but just to run for the pure love of the sport. Don't let the "Toughest race in the UK" tag put you off - this is very doable for most runners if you accept that everyone will walk parts of it.
T-shirt, mug, medal & food at the end are all good touches although I'd rather a bit less in exchange for a lower entry fee which I imagine some people simply can't afford.
A minor gripe but overall I loved it and will do again.
Date of review: June 19, 2011

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

In short: Must do better if this is going to be the UK's no 2 marathon. Brighton will eclipse that within 12 months certainly
In full: Must point out initially that I did not run this, so feel free to ignore my comments. However I'm an experienced marathon runner (80+ races) and was supporting today, but there were so many let-downs.

Supporting this event was a nightmare and almost impossible at times. A good race needs supporters. Fact.

Why does this race finish at Musselburgh? It doesn't use the racecourse any longer, so can't benefit from the grandstand finish. It was so much better when it finished in Holyrood Park (site of the needless 'hub').
Miles out of the city centre; ridiculous to try and leave, but hard enough to get to for supporters. One train per hour to get there and back; don't the organisers speak to Scot Rail?

I was on the very first spectator bus which left at 10.30 (half an hour after the race start). Not only did the driver go at 20mph on a 30 mile round route to the ten mile point (wtf?), he parked a half mile walk away, and so the first half of the race had already passed when I got there.

Taking the race all the way out of the city means that support was rubbish all along, but that's because there was no way for anyone to get around to cheer runners on.

Finish line was blocked to spectators but loads just ignored the marshals and just pushed through which saved some of the end of race atmos. But trying to get to reunion points was a joke. Too many people, too many pinch points, awful signage, etc etc. Logistics couldn't cope.

I pity anyone who tried to get the mile back to the buses and join the biblical sized queues - I had to hitch back into town.

This race MUST revert back to the old Holyrood Park finish, which is spacious, beautiful, and near the city centre. This race can barely be called the Edinburgh marathon, since it only starts there, then goes off to the suburbs.

Also, there was not a mention of the race on the Edinburgh tourist website. Not a single sign in town advertising it, or a solitary mention on even the local TV news. The organisers have to work with the city council and transport groups if this is going to be the sort of event it could be, and which could match the much better organised city marathons which exist elsewhere.
Date of review: May 22, 2011

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