My Event Ratings

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

In short: Not bad
In full: Good car park organisation. There are flatter courses though this was not too bad. Wind was a bit of a nightmare.
Date of review: November 24, 2008

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

In short: Good local race
In full: Started a bit late - there seemed to be a problem with safety pins. Course is gently undulating pretty much the whole way round. Good car parking, efficient marshals and a different kind of medal. Nice support at the end. Not a PB course on the face of it but was the fastest I've been for a while.
Date of review: September 15, 2008

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

In short: Good race, like last year, though a little cooler
Date of review: August 26, 2008

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

In short: Rain
In full: Nice 10K this. Good car parking. Big changing rooms and showers available. The course mainly gently undulating - there is a hill at 8.5K but it not too bad.
Date of review: July 9, 2008

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

In short: Hot
In full: I have never seen so many people drop out of a race - I hope everyone is OK. I ran at marathon pace from about 3 miles onwards - I nearly dropped out at around 4 miles but kept going and stopped at each station for a heart swig or two. The course is fairly pretty and mainyl traffic free. Undulating more than hilly, with more dwon hill in the last 3 miles. The car park was well organised but some selfish so and so parked in the gap that was left by the officials and blocked everyone in - luckily someone was in the car behind mine and I managed to escape.

The bloke with a hosepipe at 11.5 miles did a great job as did all the marshals and those on the drinks stations, which thankfully were quite well stocked. However, I do think that an extra station could have been put in somewhere, the first one brought forward to somewhere between 2-3 miles - it was a long way the first stop. While I imagine that it is normally about 10 degrees cooler the heat was forecast.

However, the heat ultimately was not the club's fault, and I would do this race again.
Date of review: May 12, 2008

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

In short: Better than last year
In full: I did the 20. Nice enough day - thank heavens it wasn't 24 hours later. The worst bit of the undulating course was undoubtedly the seemingly endless stretch into a steady head wind next to the Atlantic, on turning the corner at the end of this road, it felt like a different, warmer race with the wind behind you. Hats off to the marathon runners for doing this bit twice. The water stations were much better this time around. Good value - medal OK. Vegetable pasty was nice. Interesting that they used the hotel rooms for showers.
Date of review: March 10, 2008

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

In short: Very good half
In full: This was a really good race for me. Admittedly we were very lucky with the weather, it was truly glorious day for the time of year, and ideal I though for running. We did start 5 minutes late but the starter had a good booming voice, although a couple of people further back actually heckled a couple times. There's plenty of parking and space to warm up. Usual queues for the toilets though.

The marshals and 5 drinks stations were excellent - having sports drink available at each one was a really good touch. There was some good support from the locals and nice scenery as well. There was a pleasant atmosphere out on the course - the sole problem being an idiot speeding along in his JCB.

I thought the course was really good - firm but fair, and I didn't think the hills at the end were quite as bad as I had expected. I was only doing this race to get some miles in so I was amazed to get a PB. The mug and stuff at the end were good but you had to go searching for these. I would certainly do this again, especially if the weather could be guaranteed in advance.
Date of review: February 10, 2008

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

In short: Too many entrants?
In full: It seemed to be hard work getting on the start line for this race. I arrived about an hour early but the car park was already full, and had to park in a street some distance away - some form of more secure bag storage would be welcome. The chip timing collection was well organised but I wonder if those chips meant more people arrived early - parking was much easier last year and there was not as much demand for the toilets. Indeed, these seemed to be woefully indequate - I had to start literally right at the back of the field jogging straight through - good job I had a chip I suppose. I had to run on the soft mudddy grass at time to get past people which was not easy. It was not until about half way that I was able to run freely. The course is mainly run on foot and cycle paths. It may be good to get off the roads but some paths were very narrow and uneven. The long straight Albany Way was quite dull. The plentiful marshals all did a good job though.It was nice to do this race a couple of times but I don't think I'll be back.
Date of review: January 20, 2008

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

In short: A good post Christmas run
In full: The course is quite good but there are flatter races and the wind did not help either. The start is very congested many people were too far forward and getting through them makes a PB difficult - there were no start areas. Parking was OK if a bit ad hoc. Big queue for the toilets.

On the plus side the course is very good - I would say gently undulating rather than flat, although a quick time would certainly be possible if you start near the front. I found it odd trhat it was marked in miles but that seems to be the way things are done around here. The marshalls were good and the tshirt and horse brass make this a very good value race. I would certainly do this one again.
Date of review: December 30, 2007

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

In short: Good race
In full: This is normally a good race for a PB. The wind however put paid to that idea for me -it seemed to be in your face for at lest 75% of the time. It was good that the rain stopped for the race but there were sections that were very slippy and 2 or three muddy water obstacles, which soaked my feet at about halfway. The marshals were all good and there is good carparking. The showers ans changing facilities were excellent. Memento top notch - a complete turn around from 2006. I would certainly do this again - it is one of my favourite races and in 2005 and 2006 the conditions were perfect for a PB, we were just unlucky this time round.
Date of review: December 10, 2007

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