My Event Ratings

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

In short: Good organisation spoiled by a few niggles
In full: By the time I got to Ecclesall Road I found myself enjoying this race due to all the friendly runners and support - it took a while as I generally don't like 1.roads 2.crowds 3.running at 9:30 a.m. Marshals were friendly and helpful and the organisation was generally good.
On the down side, given the price it would seem reasonable to expect more toilets. It's not rocket science - over 5000 runners and you know what they'll want to do before they set off. (It's not helped by the shy boys who feel it's necessary to use the toilet cubicles to get changed - put your kit on at home or get over your hangups and let other people have a c***). The organisation at the end was chaotic and some of the Sheffield events staff overly officious.
But overall a good day out and the weather much better than expected.

Date of review: April 27, 2008

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

In short: Undulating course, always harder work than I think it should be. But very scenic and very well organised.
In full: Rained in the middle adding the odd water splash, but who cares. Enjoyable
Date of review: October 28, 2007

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

In short: Less rain than last year, more mud.
In full: I'll have to be the first to write something. Everyone else is probably still recovering from the run, alcohol or both.
Was it just me or was this even muddier than last year. Left the mudclaws at home on the basis that a)it couldn't be as wet as last year, b)you can't take too many pairs of running shoes on holiday.
If I do this next year I'll come expecting rain and mud, then hopefully the only suprises with be positive ones. No buckets and spades in the car next year kids, we have to have running shoes for all conditions.
Enjoyed it despite the rain. Actually I quite like rain as long as it's not raining at the start. Had a plan to beat the train this year - failed again. The organisation seemed to be better than last year, which can only be good. Let's see how long it takes them to get the results up.

Date of review: August 19, 2007

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

In short: If I'd realised what this entailed I'd have skipped the hill reps mid-week
In full: Definately on a PB after the first 5K. Next Km came in at about 8 minutes, only consolation being that I kept up with the runners around me.
If I hadn't done the hill reps on Wednesday and the hilly run on Thursday I might have been a bit more aggressive up the hills. As it was it was just a case of keeping in touch with the runner in front in the hope of passing on the downhill??? Still the website said it was going to be hilly so can't complain.
Date of review: July 7, 2007

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

In short: The scenery was great, enjoyed running the course but some of the organisation could be better
In full: I don't understand the people saying the organisation was 100%. First there was a huge queue to get through a gate. Not the end of the world and maybe designed that way to spread people out, so let that one pass. Second, the first water station was evident only by a few bottles lying on the ground. Again not the end of the world, I can run 10k without water but others struggled on a hot day. Third, the info promised food at the end. No evidence of this, directions/reminder would have been nice. I had to ask to find where the t-shirts were, unnecessary when feeling tired.
So organisers, get the little things right and the overall impression will improve a lot.
There again no-one else is complaining about these things so maybe I'm still tired after the race.
Date of review: June 3, 2007

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

In short: Down hill with the wind behind = PB
In full: Actually it isn't that easy. The first 9 miles are uphill (but only just) and the wind was mostly from the side. When you get to the downhill it's quite steep so you need a bit of strength left to make the most of it. But the sun shone (after a slightly cold and wet start) and I got a PB. The mug was a slightly Land Roverish green with yellow writing, but I can drink tea out of it which makes it more use than a medal. I will be back.
Date of review: May 20, 2007

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

In short: I enjoyed it
In full: Are all runners whingers?
This is a 10k race - stop whingeing about the water, it was there 1/2 way round and at the end.
The sun was shining - stop whingeing about a 10 minute delay and consider how disappointed you'd be if you were queueing to register and the race started.
And now for my whinge - why did i get an XL t-shirt when i'm obviously not an XL person?
Because the organisers underestimated the number of smaller than XL people who would enter the race. I know you get all shapes and sizes running, and a good thing that is too, but it should be obvious that a lot of runners tend to the lower end of the BMI scale. This has happened before at this race. Possibly they just repeat the same t-shirt order each year.
Shame because it was a nice t-shirt for once.

Enough whingeing. I enjoyed the race and I'm sure lot's of others did.
Date of review: April 29, 2007

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

In short: Undulating!? and v. hot this year. I enjoyed it.
Date of review: April 16, 2007

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

In short: Marvellous even in the rain
In full: This is the 5th year I've done this race and the weather has always been o.k. to sunny. About 40 minutes in this year it started to rain, someone said 'I wasn't expecting this', which was odd because it was exactly as the weather forecast predicted.
Hadn't run all week due to a cold, tried to think of it as a radical taper and hoped that I wouldn't end up pneumonia. 2 minutes down on last year but some of that must be down to the weight of my shoes with about a gallon of water in each.
The hill at the turn round seemed less daunting after I'd printed off the course profile and decide that the whole of the return half was down hill. (The negative side of that is of course that the out half of the race is all more or less uphill.)
Thanks to the marshalls, especially those pushing cars off the field at the end. It's a shame that the weather wasn't more conducive to standing around a bit afterwards. I'll be back next year.
Date of review: March 5, 2007

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

In short: Ordinary race
In full: Not exactly scenic and the baseball cap momento won't be seen a lot.
But well organised, well marshalled and a pleasant enough run.
Date of review: February 20, 2007

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