My Event Ratings

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

In short: Good big-city run
In full: Look, I actually liked the original Abbeydale Road/Millhouses route! It went past my house, so I was used to the never-ending climb up to the Tesco petrol station. Penistone Road is little more than a flattish slog - and we don't even get the trip under the stands at Hillsborough any more.

The t-shirt was very good this time, after a couple of very shoddy efforts in previous years.

The start is still poorly-managed - the Orange wave is too big and there are far too many 50-minute sorts getting in the way of 40-minute runners in the first 500 metres. Since this is steeply downhill, and narrow, it's a recipe for trips and spills.

Every year, I ask for them to relieve the congestion at the start - put a tight bottle-neck in just before the start line. Every year, it's the same problem. Bupa managed this at Birmingham in 2011 - any chance they can apply this to Sheffield?
Date of review: September 29, 2012

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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: Perfect organisation for a big-city race
In full: The start was brilliantly-organised. A wave system was in place, and feeder pens allowed you to join your wave without having to push through the crowds. Plenty of side streets to warm up in as well. Just before crossing the start line, there was a bottleneck - genius idea! This really eased congestion on the course proper and meant there was no tripping over other runners in the first few hundred metres. Could they have aplit up the orange wave - perhaps signage for those aiming at sub-1.30, sub-1.40 etc?

Well-placed drinks stations, though they should have smaller bottles of Powerade to cut down on waste.

Yes, the hill at 10 miles was tough, but something had to make up for the downhill just after the start. I actually quite enjoyed it! Massive PB, so I'm not going to complain too much...

The finish was very straightforward, and the officials were very quick to move runners away from the finish area.

Definitely coming back next year!
Date of review: October 26, 2011

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