Latest Ratings
| 1 to 10 of 17 ratings | Page: 1 2 |
2010 BUPA Murrayfield Hospital Lasswade 10
 | | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Love this race!
In full: My third time at this race. Best weather it's ever been - making for outstanding views of the Pentland Hills still covered in snow against a clear blue spring sky. And I finally got my pacing about right... you've got to keep something back on the challenging early hills at Roslin Glen and Auchendinny if you want to finish strong. Good early season training and getting the pacing right made for a new PB for me - by over 6 minutes. Very happy...
Usual excellent organisation, very friendly marshalling and support and great hospitality and baking. Very well done and THANKYOU to Lasswade AC, all the volunteers and helpers.
Date of review: March 7, 2010
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2010 Asics Watford Half Marathon
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Challening course but scenic, very well organised and very enjoyable!
In full: Really enjoyed this race. I grew up in Sarratt, one of the villages the route passes by, but moved to Edinburgh about 15 years ago. Have wanted to come back for a while to do this.
The route seemed to manage to take in every hill around, which made for a challening course, which I don't think has great PB potential. However, I'd far rather take in the hills and have a more scenic route than keep it flat and unattractive.
So it worked for me. The marshals and supporters that were about were friendly and supportive and overall I thought the organisation was superb. It all seemed to run like absolute clockwork. It would have been nice to see more supporters out around the course as well as in Cassiobury Park for the start and finish. The organisers might like to think about getting some publicity in to some of the residential areas to encourage this. But this is a very minor point. Overall, I loved it and I'd do it again.
Date of review: February 9, 2010
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2009 Spires & Steeples Challenge 26
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Really enjoyable - and a bit different to the usual marathon experience
In full: I really enjoyed this race. Came down from Edinburgh and met up with a few friends who'd travelled up from down south. Last marathon I did was London in April and this was very different!
Loved the variety of the course, minor roads, trails, across fields, over bridges, along rivers, over stiles, through gates, etc... Great setting for the start in medieval Lincoln too.
Not too tough on knees because multi-terrain, but muscles felt the ups and downs of the ground and got a bit of cramp by last stile...
But I loved the challenge of the rough ground and the variety of the scenery, and the weather was perfect.
Nearly went wrong at one point, but my fault, I'd missed the sign cos too busy chatting to a fellow runner! Signage generally good and clear I thought. Marshals were superb - friendly and helpful.
I like to try different marathons and having only done 5, there are lots of others for me to get round... but I'd definitely recommend this to others, and I would love to return in a few years time.
Date of review: October 31, 2009
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2009 Peebles Beltane 10K
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 100% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Very nice little race.
In full: It was pretty hot, and definitely wasn't the pancake flat race I'd read about. But there were no killer hills, the scenery of the Moorfoot Hills all around was great, and the fact I actually ran a PB means it must be a fairly fast course!
Nice to be a part of Peebles Beltane week too - always enjoy these community races where the local community turns out to support.
Good organisation and very hospitable. I'd definitely do again.
Real shame that it clashed with the Dechmont Law 10K and the Mabie Forest 10K, cos they're also great local races and I'd do them all if they were on different days.
Date of review: June 14, 2009
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2009 The Chris Hoy Edinburgh Half-Marathon
| | Overall score | | 60% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 100% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 40% | | Value | | 40% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Every time they seem to be getting things right, they change it and get it wrong againn!
In full: It seemed to run pretty well last year, after some of the problems of previous years. But organisations let down this race again this year. Specifically, why make everyone go register the day before, then make them queue in the same place on the day anyway if they want to leave their baggage. Why did we then have to wait 30 mins after finishing the race for baggage lorries to show up, and then a further 20-30 mins while they unloaded and sorted them out. Would it have made sense to load direct on to lorries and solve both problems??
The route is much improved though, definitely more scenic, and it's probably the most PB-friendly half-marathon around. I'm not sure I know anyone who didn't get a PB, and some of them were BIG improvements.
This is why it's disappointing that the problems with organisation continue - because this race just has bags of potential.
I'll keep supporting it because it's a local race and I live in hope. But if I had to travel I'd have given it up by now!
Date of review: April 28, 2009
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2009 Virgin London Marathon
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Maybe | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: Nice weather... for spectators..!
In full: Fantastic atmosphere, which makes up for a few of my minor gripes about the day overall...
The weather ensured there were lots of spectators out, who generated a superb atmosphere, but I'm surprised by the high ratings people are giving for other areas.
This is not a PB-friendly race. Despite what it says in all the literature, no attempt was made anywhere (so far as I saw) to stop people going wherever they wanted in the pens which meant lots of slower runners ahead of you. The congestion means you're walking and jogging for first couple of miles, then merging with another bunch so slowed down again. Just wasn't possible to do more than 10-min mile for first mile, about 9.30 for second, etc. After 4 or 5 miles was able to get in to stride a bit. The great atmosphere gives you a lift it's true, but volume of people (walkers, spectators, etc) you'll have to dodge round means you WILL need to run further than 26.2 miles. I did 26.84. And yesterday it was very hot for trying to make up any time lost early on.
Scenery spectacular in parts, not so much in other parts. Mostly it's the spectators you can see around about you, the excellent charity supporters who've put on great displays, and the bands and so on. A lot of the time has to be spent looking down to avoid tripping other runners, watching for other runners cutting you up (a lot of i-pod wearers who clearly aren't as aware of those around them. Why would you listen to music at this race and miss out on the atmosphere around you anyway?!) plus of course bottles all over the road. People definitely did try to get them to side of road, and mostly that's where they were, it's just unavoidable with this number of people, and when there are no gaps between spectators anywhere. (Given the sheer scale of it, the organisation is superb. And the marshals were all great and really enthusiastic. But GNR is bigger and I think it just edges it..!)
I'm told there were more loos than ever before, but it was still a half-hour queue for urinals at the start, and there was a queue at most of the portaloos around the first half of the course too.
I'm delighted to have finally got in and done this race, and experienced the noise, the atmosphere and the sheer exuberance and enthusiasm all round. But I'm not sure I'd do it again. There are so many excellent marathons out there. This was best atmosphere I've experienced, but others do much better in other areas.
(By the way, my biggest gripe of the day is definitely with south eastern railways. FIVE platform changes and over 45 minutes waiting at London bridge trying to get to Blackheath. And they do this every year. Very poor. Londond Underground staff were superb and very supportive too. Thanks to them.)
I'd summarise it as a great race to experience - one that everyone should do if they can - but not necessarily the best one to actually run.
Date of review: April 27, 2009
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2008 Moray Marathon
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: Friendly, good all-rounder.
In full: Not sure I'd recommend the marathon for first-timers, as unless you're sub 3 hour-timing you'll spend a fair amount of the race on your own. It's not too tough a course, a couple of challenging hills, but overall probably easier than the other 2 marathon routes I've done (Loch Ness 2007 and Edinburgh 2006 - before the route for that changed.) The course was scenic, particularly the sections running through woodland. The long section along the coast was pretty tough - especially as we were going in to the wind and because it's the middle section where you're well in to the race, but the end is not in sight!
I'd echo the previous comments that it seems a bit harsh that the goody bags, and much of the food - are taken by the 10K runners before the marathoners finish. There was just sandwiches left for most of the marathon runners. All the basics were covered really well though. Medal and T-shirt both great. And the bonus of having a small field is that it is super-friendly, everyone does take the time to chat to each other. I'd definitely do it again, but will be ticking off another new route or two first!
Date of review: September 8, 2008
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2007 Baxters Loch Ness Marathon
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: Fantastic and friendly
In full: Course was a bit hillier than the literature suggested, but fellow runners warned me the day before so I was at least a bit better prepared mentally! Gorgeous scenery, brilliant running conditions, and some really nice touches from the race organisers as well as very efficient handling of 'the basics'. I'd definitely be back.
Date of review: October 9, 2007
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2007 British Energy Dunbar 10
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 100% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Perfect conditions. Beautiful course. Great organisation and friendly people.
In full: Did the 10m hill-race in October (reviews for both races are lumped together here for some reason) and thought it was very well organised so wanted to come back for this. It was a beautiful sunny day, the course was fantastic (taking in beachside, cliffs, fields, woods) and it was again superbly well organised, with good facilities and some really nice touches - creme egg, can of Best, post-race massages - on top of all the basics. Pretty much perfect.
Date of review: April 8, 2007
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2007 Edinburgh Forthside Half Marathon
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 100% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: A huge improvement on last year's organisation. Very flat and fast, and good conditions.
In full: You have to take your hat off to the organisers for addressing all the issues that were raised after last year's event. It's not perfect - some of the route is a little dull - but you can't have everything, and to make the route more interesting would probably mean more hills and so slower time. As it happens, almost everyone I know who ran this got a PB... and the event village, goody bags, etc. were all very good. And plenty of the route is still scenic.
Would be good to see this race continue to grow and improve, and get bigger crowds and more enthusiastic support round the course.
Just the car parking that really needs to be sorted out for next year. I was on more of a high when I got back to my car than I was an hour later when I was allowed to leave!
But generally, I have to just say very well done to the organisers. Good job.
Date of review: April 2, 2007
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