My Event Ratings

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

In short: 3.5 laps of Finsbury Park - Friendly, but it is what it is!
In full: I'm slightly regretful about the 'average' rating. Perhaps I've been spoilt/fussy over the years. Local parking was tricky even on a Sunday (Residents' permits abound - best to pretend you're a shopper at the local Superstores at the NE corner of the park!!), local club-competition feel to the race, not exactly a big budget event which had its pluses/minuses, however the organisers/marshals were friendly and efficient(once we'd spotted the pale orange start line on the tarmac) and encouraged everyone equally, the back markers as much as the leaders. The field was small enough to avoid congestion and confusion despite 3.5 laps over the same paths, so it was easy to run your own race. The lap format was unavoidable, the course was somewhere between the road runner's and the CC runner's definition of 'flat', but started and finished uphill which was the unfriendliest aspect of the day, apart from the local traffic wardens being so alert on a Sunday morning. Victoria Park in Hackney is a better venue as it's bigger, as is Regent's Park, but the host club did a good and welcoming job and well done to them! I'd do it again as it's relatively local for me. Maybe I call it 'average' as I've come to expect such enjoyable and friendly experiences from the road running world?
Date of review: March 6, 2007

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: When wet, more a XC event than the standard 10K
Date of review: May 21, 2006

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: An enjoyable offroad event in a beautiful setting
In full: This was an enjoyable, hilly change for a semi-novice road runner peering into the Dark Side, aka cross country (my first CC run since being put off at school 25 years ago). The first mile is the tough one, quite steep, and unless you're way up front the pack reduces to walking pace in places due to bottlenecking (and fitness!). After that there's a nice fast downhill for a mile or so, followed by a sustained but relatively gentle uphill around end of mile 2. It's fairly fast again after that, then there's a tougher series of undulations starting at about 3.5 miles. Some of the downhills are steep and challenging too! The last mile or so eases off again, and the final downhill back at the sportsfield allows for a surprisingly impressive sprint finish. There are no distance-markers or drink stations en route, but there are sandwiches at the end, and a beautiful village with nice pubs and a duckpond. A well-marked course, plenty of friendly marshals, great atmosphere. The course was surprisingly mud-free - it was a drizzly day after a dry spell - but more sustained rain for a couple of days previous to the race would likely make it boggier in places, especially on the bridle ways. 5.3 miles is an odd distance and there are a few gates and stiles to be negotiated, so forget about PB's, attack those hills and take in the lovely scenery.
Date of review: April 24, 2006

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: Fast course, good value, but could improve in some areas
In full: Directions to the race were scanty but it was easy enough to find off J13 of the M3. Plenty of (free) parking. Missed the 1K sign otherwise well marked, but the finish design needs to be improved - it wasn't entirely evident precisely where the line was till you'd crossed it. A serious racing event, which means us novices got towed along nicely and not held up by teams in gorilla suits jogging 10-abreast - and no serious bottlenecks. I set myself a challenging PB so I'm happy.
Date of review: March 20, 2006

Report this rating to the moderator