My Event Ratings

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

In short: Well organised apart from the start
In full: I was pleased to see they'd got pens for sub-75 and sub-85 (and sub-95 as well), but the marshalls on the tapes weren't terribly well briefed and didn't let people in til too late - result was lots of people hanging about not wanting to get left out when they should have been warming up.
The new twiddly bit isn't great - preferred the bit down towards Weetwood.
My good bag was just a t-shirt and a medal, but that doesn't particularly bother me as I don't really do races for the goodies.
Date of review: May 9, 2010

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: Well organised and speedy
In full: So much better than the non-running naysayers would have you believe. Well organised, good course (I LOVE laughing at the stags and hens!), fast and plenty of water. The only criticism would be the fuelling situation - fizzy lucozade in cups just isn't good enough - although we were told about it in advance so you could make alternative arrangements.
Date of review: April 13, 2010

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: Again, a perfect race and a brilliant day
In full: Once again a perfectly organised, superbly supported race on what has to be one of the fastest courses around. And a PB to boot!!
Date of review: January 26, 2010

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: Well done to Blackburn for getting the race on!
In full: Given the conditions this week it's amazing that Blackburn Harriers managed to get this event on, but thanks to smooth organisation and people being sensible and parking away from the route it went ahead. Not sure why this race is fast, as there's certainly a few hills, but maybe the downs more than make up for them! Anyway - I'm a happy boy with a PB - only slight downside is the high standard of runners means I'll still be way down the field!!
Date of review: December 27, 2009

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: Stunning scenery, great atmosphere - top race
In full: A previous review stated that this race wasn't 10k - I think that was on the course where they had to re-route it due to building work on the Langdale estate. It's properly measured (we asked Rod) and came in on my Garmin within 100m of 10k, so that's good enough for me. Brilliant race - amazing views (especially when you turn back), challenging course, and a friendly, supportive field. One to go back to every year.
Date of review: December 15, 2009

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: Rating for 2009 race!!!!
In full: This just may be getting too big - I know Help the Aged make lots of money, and I know it's great for new runners to have a bash, but to have only one way into the start pens (from the back) and nowhere to warm up (unless standing still aerobics is your thing) then for club runners looking at actually running the thing then it's not the best. Very fast, chip timing, closed roads etc make it brilliant - but nowhere near enough toilets (I had to run "fully loaded" - sorry...), and that daft start system that meant pushing through thousands of people to get anywhere near the right place meant it wasn't the event it used to be. And then they say they want 2,000 MORE next year???
Date of review: November 22, 2009

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: Pity about the recent weather but a great little race
In full: Recent deluges had led to the cinder cycle track being muddy, and there were some HUGE puddles (including a 300m water hazard) but that's not the organisers' fault - overall a good race, with the potential for a quick time in normal conditions. Minute's silence was a nice touch - but the people at the back who kept on chatting and laughing should be shhhhhh!
Date of review: November 8, 2009

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: A great first half and a slightly depressing second half
In full: Decent race, reasonable organisation but a pretty small field and the second half certainly didn't match the first.

Mile markers were a bit of a joke - in these days of GPS you should be able to get them right, and the prize giving that we had to wait around for ages for didn't include age category winners so we all had to hang around for 2 hours for nothing.

Lessons to be learned, but overall ok.
Date of review: October 18, 2009

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: A fast course let down by poor organisation
In full: Moderately expensive, numbers sent out late, no response to emails, a horribly congested start, no seeding for faster runners and a poor goody bag would have led to a much worse rating were it not for the fact I got away near the front and ran a PB. Not sure I'd return because I could have ended up further back at the start and had a horrid time.
Date of review: July 6, 2009

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: Well organised, scenic but hard course
In full: A well supported race (both in term of the runners and the numerous people on bikes offering words of encouragement), with a scenic but hard course with two tough hills. Hooning downhill finish though!
Date of review: June 11, 2009

Report this rating to the moderator