My Event Ratings

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

In short: Stunning Lake Districy scenery and a quicker course than you would expect for a hilly one
In full: The sort of race that makes you glad to be able to get out there and run. Although the entry form describes this as 'hilly', I have seen worse described as 'undulating'. And most of the hills are in the first 8 miles, giving you a fast last five miles just when you need it.

Many thanks to Eden Runners and New Balance for continuing to stage a race that will certainly keep me coming back year after year.
Date of review: March 11, 2011

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

In short: Glorious - but tough going in the wind, the sun and (this year) the sea
In full: Really love this one, but conditions were tougher this year than for the last few - although the scenery looked magnificent for it.
Also, this course reminds you forcibly if you have not managed to do enough training (like me) - the last three miles took forever, although there are few better places to spend a painful half hour!
Date of review: July 14, 2009

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

In short: This one is all about the race - and it is definitely a possible PB!
In full: Not cheap by the time you take in travel, parking and the bus, but well enough organised.
Water station could have been better (I hate plastic cups when so many races do bottled water) and they seemed to run out of water at the finsh, which wasn't good.
The only really undulating (definitely not hilly, though) bits are near the start, and the rest is mostly steady downhill or flat, making this a potential PB course - and several people I know ran (quite big) PBs on Saturday, despite a significant headwind in places.
Date of review: November 19, 2007

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

In short: What a fantastic experience. The combination of the most stunning scenery and magnificent organisation makes this the highlight of the running calendar for me.
In full: The Northumberland coastline remains one of the best kept secrets in the country (so I suppose we shouldn't be telling everyone?) but it was at its absolute best this time.

Combine that with a great course (not too undulating and the sand was mostly in perfect condition this time as well) and excellent organisation - water stations worked really well I thought, especially with the small bottles - and this race has to be close to perfection.
Date of review: July 17, 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		80%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

In short: First time I've tried this one and definitely worth another go
In full: A challenging yet still fairly fast course, albeit the hill at 11 miles took me almost as long to climb as it will live in the memory (too long!).
Organisation seemed good and it always helps when there are this many runners (800 or so?).
Only real problem for me was that at the last two 'water' stations I got some sugary drink that I wasn't expecting - yuck!
Date of review: October 30, 2006

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Overall score		40%
Would you do it again?		Maybe
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		60%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		20%
Value		20%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: This run is not to be run for a time - anyone starting further back than the first thousand or so stands little chance of a free run. Should be able to expect better given the exceptionally pricey entry fee
In full: Got stuck in the Orange start section for no apparent reason (estimated time given as 1:30), and took forever to cross the start line. Then spent 13.1 miles weaving in and out and running into the back of walkers. Remembered why I resolved to run more reasonably sized - and priced races.
Date of review: October 3, 2006

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

In short: Another fantastic day at this event. Hard going at the end but the scenery makes it worth it.
In full: This really is a highlight of the calendar. Even with a head wind all the way and the tide coming in - the last mile was really tough on soft sand - it is just glorious.

To get 700 people turning up in quite a remote location year after year tells you how much it keeps people coming back.
Date of review: July 10, 2006

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

In short: Magic. A wonderful experience.
In full: The near-perfect weather helped, but the organisation and the crowd support made it. I was having a brilliant run up to about 20-21 miles and then the predictable started happening to my legs - but the crowds made it impossible to let the distance beat me, and I managed to destroy my PB (OK, only one previous time to compete with, but its still a PB) and even get a GFA qualifying time to boot!
Date of review: April 26, 2006

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

In short: The first hill is really tough - but the second one is so hard that it makes you forget the first!
In full: Even with the very wet conditions underfoot, the trails were easy enought to run on - mind you, it helps that they have improved a lot of the paths over the last few years.

There is only one reason why you might get a PB on this one, though - if it is the only race of this length that you run! Two killer hills for the price of one.!
Date of review: November 8, 2005

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

In short: First time I have done this - but it is one to go back to
In full: Although it was unseasonably warm, the copious water (and water stations) made it easy to manage at a good pace. Despite still recovering from a muscle injury this summer - and from the previous weekend's hard 10-miler - I was within two minutes of last season's PB.
Not too crowded at the start and the field soon thinned out. Most of the course is so close to flat that you couldn't ask for better!
Great finishing half mile as well.
Special congrats to all of the marshalls and helpers at the water stations, who all did a cracking job.
Date of review: October 18, 2005

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