Latest Ratings
| 1 to 10 of 13 ratings | Page: 1 2 |
2011 Ashridge 5
 | | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: Hard to think of a better all round race... Fantastic!
In full: Absolutely loved this race, challenging, beautiful, all you could ask for. Although different (Trail V.s Road) it put my local 10K to shame, come on Bearbrook raise your game!
Date of review: September 26, 2011
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2011 Bearbrook 10K
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Another great year, but what happened to the start?
In full: It's my local race and I will always support it, but it's a race that needs an identity. To be honest the local support is terrible and the parish mag didn't even list it in the August events. I live in Wendover and my wife, kids and a few friends made up half of the total support... When will we embrace this great little run! One last point, the start, what were they thinking? It was boarder line dangerous!
Date of review: August 14, 2011
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2010 Firle 20K
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 20% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Beautiful run but they have to get the basics right!
In full: It was a stunning run, the most beautiful I have ever taken part in but when it comes down to raw facts, it’s a race over 13.1 miles, not 13.52. A small group of runners homed in on my debate with a fellow runner to confirm that their Garmin were also showing exactly the same distance. I’d also like to take issue with the comment about goody bags or medals. For the effort of running and finishing such a hard race I’d take a medal over a cheap bag any day… put it this way, I’d rather be showing my grandkids a box full of medals in 20 years time than a bunch of old bags.
I hope this doesn’t sound to hard, but it took the edge off what could have been such a great day… Sorry!
Date of review: September 27, 2010
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2010 Edinburgh Marathon
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: I’m sorry to negative but…
In full: Ok so no one could have predicted what seemed like 30c temperatures and I hate to moan about a race particularly when I’m a guest in someone else’s country but the Edinburgh Marathon had a lot to be desired. In an attempt to make this a constructive criticism, I will list some basics that I felt were just not good enough for a national marathon: Not enough marshals; poor signage at the start, badly organized drinks stations; no dividing line between out-going and in-coming runners; No shower points for runners to run through (Crowd did try to help) very narrow course for such a large field; shambolic finish area. I would also say I found it sad how few people bothered to support the race in terms of crown, although those who did were great.
I suspect I’m in the minority here and write this with a genuine sense of regret.
Date of review: May 24, 2010
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2010 adidas Breakfast Run 16
| | Overall score | | 40% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: How Much?
In full: I know it’s a training run, but seriously £25 for 8 miles (same bit twice) of nice River Thames scenery and then 8 miles of narrow pavement and no roads closed. But luckily the great goody bag at the end helped… Oh no that’s right, it was a mug! Maybe I’m just in a bad mood after clipping my elbow on a lamp post (bad bruised no break) when forced over by an all arms and very determined lady (Top running tip: pass on the right you’ll find it easier in the future). If I need a training run of this nature in the future I think I’ll stick to local roads and save myself the £25 and the pain.
Date of review: April 11, 2010
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2010 Eastbourne Half Marathon
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Fantastic Sea Front Half!
In full: What a difference a fortnight makes. So down after Brighton, so happy after Eastbourne. Well organised, well Marshalled, well supported, medal and Mars bar and the end perfect!
Date of review: March 8, 2010
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2010 Sussex Beacon Half Marathon
| | Overall score | | 20% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 40% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 20% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Too many problems to name... Not a great advert for road running in Brighton!
In full: Due to poor weather and last minute course changes there may well be a many unseen reasons why this race was so bad, but I’ve run about a dozen different half marathons and this is the worst to date. Where do I start; poor signage; minimal toilet facilities; course dangerously narrow and twisting for so may competitors (Between the 4 of us who took part we saw 6 people fall) not enough people on the drinks stations; not enough marshals; and finally I have woken up to a black eye as the helpers at the end thought it would be a good idea to throw stuff in to the finishers crowd at the end… thanks for that!
God help people who are running the Marathon in Brighton if this is anything to go by.
Date of review: February 22, 2010
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2008 Burnham Beeches Half Marathon
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Great Race… Great Day
In full: I went into the race with an injury which took the pressure off PB times and running down the group in front or trying to fend off the person behind me, which meant I just ran and enjoyed the day. Sadly I broke down at 11.5 miles and had to walk run the rest of the way, but I would like to say a huge thank you to the chap who almost stopped to see if I was ok… I got to see the true spirit of road racing on this day, not only for his kind words of concern and encouragement but also me limping over the line in 2 hours. A goodie bag or T-shirt would not have meant anything to me in 20 years time, but the excellent medal I received will always remind me of my achievement. I also think that contrary to previous comments, the medal and Mars bar coupled with the excellent organisation offered extremely good value for money.
Date of review: August 18, 2008
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2008 Bearbrook 10K
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: The best 10k in Bucks
In full: Love this 10k through my home town and one I will always run if fit. I come from the medal school of thought, however the Bearbrook goody bag is always excellent, this is my third year and I was almost as excited about what I was going to get as I was trying to bet my PB (set on this course 4 years ago). Alas no PB after picking up my first ever mid race injury and just dying in the last 600 meters on the heavy rugby pitch grass.
As stated definitely back next year… One thing, can the organisers really push the boat out on the advertising and get the whole of Wendover supporting this great event? Thank you.
Date of review: August 11, 2008
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2008 CPM Thame 10K
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | No | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Fair Race - Abysmal Start!
In full: Unfortunately first impressions do count and I will be left with a sense of disappointment about my first time running of the Thame 10k. It seems that in comes chipped timing and out goes an organised start. Very narrow and no time brackets, so when the gun went off with no warning and the three giggling women in front of me just stood there laughing and patting their chests stating how shocked they were I was struck with a sinking feeling. Apparently the trio of fun runners had thought standing at the front was a sensible option forgetting that there were runners stuck behind then who actually wanted to get on and at least attempt to run a PB. That said when I got going the race was enjoyable with that great mix of scenic and fast, but challenging in places.
Sadly I end on the thorny note of medal verses goodie bag. I have decided that goodie bags are fine for 10k races, so I happily accepted my T-shirt and goodie, however other than a drink and chocolate bar the bag was full of what can only be described as “Small business cast offs”, the most random being a blank audio tape, seriously when was the last time anyone used an audio tape?
I like to support local 10k races; however this won’t be one of them.
Date of review: June 30, 2008
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