My Event Ratings

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: Fast, scenic course. Smooth organisation. These guys listen to and learn from feedback!
In full: Good pre-race communication. Start was silky smooth. I had no issues with the water stations whatsoever. Finish and subsequent facilities were excellent.

The biggest improvement I've see over previous races finishing at Musselburgh Racecours was the retun shuttlebus. Whilst admittedly I was on one of the first buses to leave, it was like clockwork and they took a very direct rout back to Meadowbank which was great as Musselburgh is a nightmare f you travel the "old route" through the High Street.

Only minor "gripe" was the goody bag which was very basic but I find an increasing number of races have this issue these days.

Based on my experience I'll be doing this race again in the future.
Date of review: April 10, 2011

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

In short: Challenging course but tremendous sense of achievement and what a location!!!
In full:
Date of review: October 6, 2008

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

In short: Tremendous... great route, great organisation, one of my favourite races!!!
In full: This is a very small scale race but don't be fooled... excellent organisation and very welcoming. It's a great woodland (mildly hilly) route which has enough to challenge faster runners whilst not being too energy sapping for novices (if you've done a bit of training).
This is the second year in a row that I've run this race and the thing that strikes me the most is the success of the kids race. This club really make the kids feel special and this year there were apparently 70 of them which is a credit to the organisation by Lothian... fantastic and I fuly intend to bring my kids next year!!!
I was also really surprised and delighted with my goody bag!!! You don't expect much for a fiver and especially when all the kids get a medal and stuff but when I was handed a bag with an engraved key ring and various bits and bobs (no spot prize but plenty of people got one of those as well) I was even more impressed.
Well done yet again Lothian... this event deerves to go from strength to strength and is a credit to the club!!!

Date of review: June 10, 2007

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

In short: Superb organisation, great course, looking forward to next year...
In full: Everything about this race was excellent. Obviously a lot of thought and preparation have gone into the organisation and it's paid off big time.
The course is much better now that it's changed... less in the way of touristy landmarks but overall I think it's much improved over previous years and makes a welcome change for anone who's done the Edinburgh Half or 10k and are therefore well used to the "usual routes" round Edinburgh.

Date of review: May 29, 2007

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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: A big "well done" to the organisers...a vast improvement over last year. If this level of improvement continues, the race will go from strength to strength and become one of the top Scottish events.
Date of review: April 3, 2007

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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		40%

In short: Cheelenging route, great organisation and growing in popularity.
Date of review: March 8, 2007

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

In short: I'm sure it will be much better in years to come...
In full: Ok this has been done to death and I pretty much agree with most of the points on here but here are my thoughts anyway :-

The start was a little bit of a let-down, not enough and badly placed toilets and badly signed expected time zones. Not exactly a disaster though even taking the 15 minute delay into account.

Whilst I’m somewhere between a 1:50 and 2:00 runner for a half, I took position as far towards the front of the start as I could due to the fact that I could see obvious signs of many slower runners being ahead of me – presumably due to the poor positioning / marshalling of the expected time zones and difficult to hear pa system.

I heard the hooter easily and crossed the start after about a minute – again no problems which were worse than some other events I’ve done. I have to say I didn’t notice any particular problems in terms of course bottlenecks anywhere. Anyone who ran last years Glasgow half will know all about bottlenecks on the Kingston Bridge which were far worse than the ones here!!

I always carry a bottle of water with me at the start so I avoid the bottleneck which always is the first water station and plan to make the second station my first water point (maybe a tip others should employ?). I usually also make sure this bottle has a sports cap (they’re nearly all the same size) in case the ones at the event come without (another wee tip). I acknowledge the fact that this shouldn’t be necessary but you learn these things through experience don’t you…

The route was a little boring but I was ready for this as it’s basically the same as part of the Edinburgh marathon and also is part of my local training run. People are right though – doubling back on yourself is absolutely soul destroying and the route really could be easily improved.

I was laughing about the energy drink situation. I passed two stations where I heard someone shouting “energy drink” and handing out cups. Cups!!! Cups in this day in age!!! Come on – either do it properly or not at all (Organisers of the Dunfermline Half please also take note if you still dish out your water in cups!!!). I must admit that I don’t really plan for energy drinks during a half so it didn’t bother me but I would have taken one at about half way if it was in a sports pouch.

People have done the finish to death and there isn’t much I can add… What clever so and so decided that a narrow 180 degree bend just after the finish was a good idea? Dear oh dear – I was Johnny Grumpy from Grumpsville after standing for half an hour… I don’t know if champion chip in itself would have solved that problem given the layout of the finish and I would have been really pi$$ed off if I’d had a champion chip and not been able to register my time at the finish because I couldn’t cross the mat!!!

I have to say that, on the day, I was quite happy with everything except the arrangements at the finish. I did however mention to some of my friends that this was right up there with the worst races I’ve been to in terms of organisation and that, despite the fact that it’s almost on my doorstep, I wouldn’t be running it again for a few years until they get all their problems ironed out.

Date of review: April 4, 2006

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