My Event Ratings

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

In short: There aren't many other 20 milers so close to London
In full: I am worried there will be an accident one year. Personally I ran on the pavement wherever I could and I think the organisers should consider encouraging this more. I like the 4 laps; better the devil you know. Cosy atmosphere at the running club beforehand and a Mars Bar has never tasted so good.
Date of review: March 15, 2005

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

In short: Organisers too ambitious
In full: Appalling.
They said ''a fast and reliable shuttle bus service will run every 10 minutes from Reading station to the start."
We arrived at Reading Station at 8:40, within the recommended time, though frankly it shouldn't have been necessary to arrive one and a half hours before the start of a race. But we did in any case, and after the depressingly long queue at the station, the standing bus journey and the walk at the other end, we arrived at the start just before 10.
They said there would be a collective warm up at the start. Instead there was a twenty five minute delay during which everyone got very cold.
They said, ''following the race the shuttle bus will return from the station every 10 minutes to Reading Station." They never said that we would have to queue for an hour to get on the bus or that the queue would be so long it would spill over onto the roundabout with cars having to negotiate a route round us.
They said it would be well marshalled, but I saw a number of runners having to dodge out of the way of spectators crossing the road and one runner who actually collided with one such un-marshalled spectator.
Plus the signposting was poor and there were no hot drinks available that I could find. Awful.

Date of review: March 8, 2005

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

In short: Historic running
Date of review: December 17, 2004

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