My Event Ratings

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

In short: Well organized and enjoyable.
In full: I've done this race each year since 2005 and always found it a good experience. I used to prefer going round the streets first and then up the Portway and back to the finish. The drag round the streets at the end is heavy going but I see the point of getting into a wide road as quickly possible. Basics like baggage storage and toilets are excellent and the only gripe I have is that some mile-markers seemed to have been missed or were difficult to see. Will take part next year without doubt and would recommend it to anyone wondering whether to try this race.
Date of review: September 13, 2011

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

In short: My fourth time and I wasn't disappointed.
In full: The organization is excellent, with ample baggage provision and toilets, and plenty of room to move about in the runners' village. I never seem to get a particularly good time at Reading but that's probably because it's always my first of the season - there's nothing wrong with the course. I'd recommend this race to beginners and experienced runners alike.
Date of review: March 22, 2010

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

In short: An excellent introduction to 10k running.
In full: This was only my second 10k, as I usually prefer half marathons. I was again surprised by the extra pace of a 10k, but once I got used to it, it was an enjoyable run. The organization was first-rate and the local runners friendly. I certainly didn't miss the hyperactive local DJ you usually get shouting at you at a big city half marathon. This race was more restrained but without sacrificing the enthusiasm. I'd recommend it to anyone thinking of trying the shorter distance.
Date of review: July 20, 2009

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

In short: Excellent organization and atmosphere
In full: This was the third time I've done this race. It was well organized - particularly considering the large entry, with no real problems. I'd recommend it.
Date of review: March 29, 2009

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

In short: Very well organized and an enjoyable evening.
In full: This was the first run of its kind I'd done, as I usually stick to big city half-marathons. It's a completely different atmosphere - no bands or shouting but a quiet and pleasant (though quite challenging) run through the forest. The organization was excellent, and the small field made the start much more comfortable than the kind I'm used to. I'd definitely recommend this race.
Date of review: June 25, 2008

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

In short: Well organized and enjoyable.
In full: The stadium facilities meant that the rain hardly mattered - unlike Bath last month, where the rain turned the runners' village into a bog. The numbers are just about right - enough to make it feel like a big race, without overwhelming the organization or resulting in lack of space in narrow sections. Baggage retrieval was quick - overall it was a pleasant experience - Sheffield was my first race when I took up long-distance running in 2004, so I was pleased to try it again. I'd recommend it to anyone as a first race.
Date of review: April 27, 2008

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

In short: A fair race, but not what it's cracked up to be.
In full: I'd heard that Bath had a good reputation, but this was the poorest organized of the eight races I've done, in other cities. Cardiff was perhaps the best. The hour delay was annoying but presumably unavoidable, but the handing out of the goody bags and medals was simply unpleasant. In Cardiff 2006, I had a medal placed round my neck and was politely offered a tee-shirt. Today, it was an undignified melée, with people getting increasingly irritable and medals and tee-shirts literally being thrown at us. I must say that The Forest of Dean seems appealing for next year's first race.
Date of review: March 16, 2008

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

In short: Enjoyable, once underway
In full: I ran the Reading Half Marathon in 2005 and seem to remember the organization was better then. Bags were thrown onto lorries at the start and collected easily at the end. On the other hand, the start was some distance from the stadium on that occasion, and I prefer its new position. Once the bags had been handed in, there weren't any further problems of any significance. It's not scenic, but that can't really be helped. It's not the Cotswolds, but it's not as if you're running through an industrial wasteland either, and of course a stadium finish is some compensation. If anyone is looking for an early-season city half-marathon, I'd say this is a perfectly decent one.
Date of review: March 25, 2007

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

In short: Thoroughly enjoyable and good for a PB.
In full: The Millenium Stadium is an excellent feature of the race, but the organizers did well to make the most of it. At Reading in 2005 we seemed to be in and out of the stadium in a couple of minutes (though it might have changed since then)so it was nice to remain in the stadium and see the other finishers. The course was fast and the start didn't seem too congested, though I learnt from my mistake at Bristol last month and got a bit nearer the front. The missing mile-markers and the absence of time-pens at the start seem obvious oversights, but the rest of the organazation was pretty decent. It was a nice touch to have medals hung around your neck and the t-shirt is good quality. The person ringing a bell misled me into thinking I'd reached the half-way point in 1 hour 5 minutes. As I hadn't seen a mile-marker for ages, it was a bit confusing and briefly dispiriting. I realized later that the bell was unofficial. However, it was at least a nice surprise when I later saw that I was actually ahead of schedule for sub two hours, which I comfortably did in the end - a PB in fact. I'd definitely recommend this race to a beginner or more experienced runner. It's only my fifth half-marathon, but I'd place it joint first with Sheffield 2004. My mate has done about twenty half and four full marathons and he reckoned it was a good one.
Date of review: October 16, 2006

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

In short: More plus points than minus points, with good atmosphere making up for any shortcomings in organization.
In full: It's a good race overall, and I like the Portway section. It's quite nice to know that there's a long downhill gradient when you've laboured up the hill. The congestion at the beginning and end made it hard to get into a proper stride and I think that this will be the slowest of the four half-marathons I've done, including last year's Bristol. I've always just sneaked in under two hours before, but it doesn't really matter. As others have commented, a big city half is probably not the best event to get a PB. I'd recommend it to anyone in doubt about trying it next year.
Date of review: September 17, 2006

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