My Event Ratings

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

In short: A good race in a pleasant setting
In full: This race is held in the pleasant setting of Royal Victoria Country Park, a few miles east of southampton. It can be easily reached by train or bike from Southampton. It is quite nice to be running through the park, although 3 laps gets a bit samey. On the whole the organisation was good, but the start was delayed slightly due to confusion about where the start line was. A larger sign may have been more appropriate to prevent this. There was also a bit of a bottle-neck at the beginning due to the number of runners, that slowed the race down to begin with. Atmosphere was good though and the race was sufficiently marshalled with enthusiastic volunteers on the water point. The results were put up very quickly after the race ended. The towel was a nice memento, but a few more freebies would also have been welcome for added value for money. As people have said previously, chip timing would increase accuracy and be welcome here. All in all, a good race.
Date of review: May 15, 2011

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

In short: Very cold winter race with bacon sandwiches at the end
In full: This race was on one of the very cold sub-zero days of the autumn and was difficult to get out of bed for. It was well worth it though and the intense cold added to the sense of achievement. The venue is easy to get to from Southampton by train. It is a plesant route around Queen's Park in Pokesdown with a lake towards the end. There is some light traffic in places, but it isn't excessive. The marshalling was excellent with a lot of volunteers along the route that were very friendly and encouraging. The route was mostly flat. At the end, the goody bag contained a mug as well as a few other freebies, making the race good value. Finishing on the race track is a bonus. Fotunately the cafe at the end was selling bacon baps, which went down well with a cup of tea! The only criticism is a lack of a bag storage area. Bags must be left in an unsupervised changing room, which isn't ideal for people that do not drive to the venue.
Date of review: May 15, 2011

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

In short: As a first time racer, this is a nice course to begin with. It is flat, and has some nice scenery. I even got sunburnt!
Date of review: April 17, 2006

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