My Event Ratings

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

In short: I'll be back, crowded, smelly, noisy, so special!!!
In full: Please don't over-estimate your abilities - stay in the pens you're supposed to be in, walk at the side of the roads not in the middle and enjoy the day, the crowds are spectacular the other runners amazing.
Date of review: April 15, 2008

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

In short: Nice way to start the new year!
In full: Well organised, really nicely orgsanised. A huge thank-you to all the serpies that turned out to take bags, give out drinks and generally cheer us on! Organising a race on New Years Day in a tourist filled Hyde Park cannot be easy. The marshalls were cheerful and encouraging - even giving those of us near the end a warm clap, the drink station volunteers were cheerful and did a sterling job. Finishing memento is fab - really nice idea, and the milkshake was a nice touch too! Will see you next year...
Date of review: January 1, 2008

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

In short: Great race, horrid weather!
In full: Very well organised, better than expected as this was the first relay event I have entered - the organisation for those doing the relay was well thought through and ran well with a hitch (except maybe the mud slide from waiting pen to the path!!). Good secure changing facilities, lots of room and excellent organisation for goody bags...Luton - I am very impressed! Might not be back next year though - the weather put me off ;)
Date of review: December 2, 2007

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

In short: Wet and crowded!!!
In full: Perhaps an increase in numbers too far?? At the start of the white wave - and perhaps for the first few miles there was very little room for people to breath let alone run!! Organisation was good - however, the addition of the helicopter hovering over the crowds made it difficult to hear the tannoy - so many of us chucked our binbags ready for the start only to find out that the start was delayed...

It would've been nice if there was more in the way of places to eat... sat on a coach going home many of us felt the same, cold and hungry!!!

Baggage set up worked well, nice touch to have security on the door - and was nice to have somewhere warm to stretch afterwards!!!

Usual problems with traffic at the exit (and entrance!!) - but it was expected !! I'll probably be back next year - but I think I'll book a hotel!!!
Date of review: October 29, 2007

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

In short: Flattish, fast, great scenery, worth the trip!!!!
In full: Well organised, great atmosphere, friendly marshals, great t shirt at the end, Course marshals did a great job of preventing any car-runner collisions. Great job of getting provisional results up quickly too! I'll be back!
Date of review: October 15, 2007

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

In short: Great for beginners, don't bother about a p.b though!!
In full: It's a great race but unless you're an elite runner or good club runner (and have the advantage of being close to front) don't consider trying for a p.b. The decision to 'self-pen' (i.e start in the area for your estimated run time) didn't work very well. I found myself stuck (quite literally) behind walkers and buggy pushers(that were also walking) that stood in the 25-30 minute area....
Once you get going and manage to weave through the crowds there was sufficient space to get a reasonable pace - sadly there were still a few bottlenecks!!! For an average paced runner like me it was a nice morning out with a nice goody bag and as much lucozade as you could steal ;)
Date of review: September 16, 2007

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

In short: Fantastic organization, lovely run, lovely runners!
In full: What can I say, great organization to start with, uplifting organised warm up, lots of fun, run was great, mostly flat so great PB potential - despite the heat! plenty of water for us 'middle road' runners. The single problem is the baggage claim area - turned into a fiasco, I was waiting 40 minutes and then had to find my own bag - luckily I did - but many were left searching, but that said, I couldn't look after 10,000 bags either! See you next year!
Date of review: July 15, 2007

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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		100%

In short: Would do it again - but only to raise charity cash!
In full: Nice scenery - well it was Hampstead Heath! Very crowded - but it was a 'race for life', there was a little confusion when people started to line up and then got told to go and join in the mass warm up, plenty of water at the finish line, cheery marshals, good cause, if you're looking for a pb... look elsewhere! Nice race.
Date of review: June 10, 2007

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

In short: Scenery can be described as dull - but you're at Silverstone and that makes it cool!
In full: As my first half marathon I was very excited, organsisation was excellent, other runners were especailly welcoming and one very nice gentleman even ran with me for the first 5 miles!! The weather was hideous - VERY windy (Silverstone is windy, but this was different!) add to that the intermittent hail and it wasn't enjoyable from this point of view (felt like the temperature was close to freezing). Support from the marshalls was great - they must have been freezing - it was appreciated when they shouted out how far was left!! The scenery wasn't great - dull even, but heck, it's Silverstone - and that made it worth the trip (I kept thinking of all the great race drivers that had travelled on the tarmac and somehow, I finished. Hopefully not for the last time!
Date of review: March 18, 2007

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

In short: A bit of fun for charity but organisation was iffy!
In full: Lots of confusion over start time, advised to get there to register at 9.15-9.30, but race didn't start until 10.40 (although we were led to believe it would be a 10.00 start), lots of time stood around in the cold! Tshirts were huge but were a 'freebie' so shouldn't cmplain. Marshals were friendly and enthusiastic. Can't put down Hyde Park - quite reasonable as far as scenery goes considering it's central London. Not massively welcoming or friendly for the lone runner as many participants were students and were already in big groups - but if you're armed with a music player you'll survive! It was for a good cause!
Date of review: February 25, 2007

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