My Event Ratings

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

In short: Superb organisation, great support and pleasant scenery
In full: Any shortcomings in the race were entirely of my own making, the 90 miles I'd walked in the previous week definitely taking their toll! My heartfelt thanks go to the Wimbourne runner who stuck with me through the last three miles and coaxed me through to the finish. If I'd actually tapered for the race, a pb would definitely have been on the cards and possibly even the elusive sub-1.30.
We didn't experience any problems with the car parking, toilets, etc. There were queues, yes, inevitable in this size of event, but they moved pretty quickly. I thought the baggage transfer between the start area and race HQ was a great idea.
My only gripe is the prize giving. After waiting a painfully long time for it to begin, it was the most lacklustre affair I've witnessed. We didn't make it past the V35 women. Sorry.
Date of review: October 4, 2011

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

In short: Great organisation, value and scenery
In full: Excellent organisation, particularly for a new event, and plenty of friendly marshals on the course. A mug and Easter egg for every finisher made it great value. Really enjoyable running on road, farm tracks and footpaths, with great views of the mmors and town. I hope this becomes an Easter weekend regular.
Date of review: April 6, 2010

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

In short: Decent course but what a shambles at the start
In full: What on earth was going on in the baggage tent? 30 mins standing in a cold, wet field in my shorts, trying to hand in my bag (which I didn't even manage), was not ideal race preparation. As for the bloke on the tannoy telling us to 'please make your way to the start quickly now' while the queue just wasn't moving - not helpful. It generally felt as if the start/finish area couldn't cope with the number of runners, particularly on a wet day. Just a tent to shelter in would have been nice. A shame, because I'd heard good things about this race and the course itself was enjoyable after I'd finally managed to warm up.
Date of review: February 23, 2010

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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		80%

In short: Well-organised but distinctly average
In full: I got what I wanted, which was a reasonably fast, reasonably local race at this time of year. No major complaints, I just can't get particularly excited about it. Organisation was generally faultless apart from the lack of toilets: a few more cubicles really wouldn't have broken the bank. Definitely more undulating than flat. Overpriced for what you get - would suggest less emphasis on big prize money and more attention to the average runner.
Date of review: October 27, 2009

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

In short: Challenging, scenic, well-organised race
In full: Pretty much uphill for the first three miles, with a particularly steep haul from 2-3, but not too bad if you've done your hill training! The views more than compensate for your hard work, as does the long downhill stretch. A well-organised race and friendly, encouraging marshals. Like the long-sleeved T-shirt too.
Date of review: September 1, 2009

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

In short: Great value, excellent organisation
In full: I normally avoid mass participation races like the plague and stick to local races but I loved this one! My only criticism of the organisation is that a little more pre-race information would have been useful, especially for us out-of-towners, but on the day it went like clockwork. There was tons of support on the course (loved the brass band!) and the marshals were friendly - thanks especially to the man at the Sands Centre who had counted the women through and told me me position. I thought initially that the course was a little too hilly to be fast but ended up running a pb by 2.5 minutes! Thanks to everyone who helped make this a superb race. The only reason why I would only 'maybe' do it again is that I live in Oxford - but I hope to be back!
Date of review: October 21, 2008

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

In short: Great organisation, very enjoyable morning out.
In full: The organisation seemed faultless and marshals dealt very well with what traffic there was. Being handed a glass of water in the finish funnel was a nice touch. Special thanks to Paul, the race secretary, for services beyond the call of duty - race numbers hand delivered within an hour of me dropping our forms through his letter box! Results were also emailed to us the same evening. Absolutely no complaints, a great morning out - I'll be back next year.
Date of review: October 14, 2008

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

In short: Very fast course
In full: My partner and I both ran huge pbs, so came home feeling that we'd got our money's worth. However, there's definite room for organisational improvements, particularly around safety. Much of the course is on roads open to traffic, and there was a definite lack of signage to inform drivers that a race was in progress. And more marshals would have been helpful in places, particularly on the busy main road coming back into town. More minor complaints: no water, only squash at the finish (despite an over-abundance of water stations on the course!) and no announcement that the presentations were taking place, so we missed them. A little bit of ironing out and this could be a great race.
Date of review: October 7, 2008

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

In short: Great organisation, definite pb potential
In full: This is my club's race but I had very little involvement in the organisation (apart from banking the cheques!) and was really impressed with how smoothly it went on the day. From a runner's perspective, pretty much flawless. And I quite enjoyed the scenery too - airfield yes, but surrounded by fields, making it oddly atmospheric. I didn't get my hoped-for pb, but I'd put that down to having raced on the Thursday evening rather than any fault with the course! The lack of T-shirt/medal/momento was a deliberate decision as they're quite pricey, and we wanted to maximise the amount raised for charity. It looks like we'll have raised over £1,500, possibly close to £2,000, for Oxsrad, Oxford's disability sports centre, so many thanks to everybody who supported the race - 2008 was definitely our most successful yet.
Date of review: September 10, 2008

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

In short: Great organisation, enjoyable run through lovely countryside
In full: Always a pleasure to race at Hook Norton. The course is challenging, though oddly, less hilly this year than I remember from previously!, and the organisation is faultless. The kids' races always seem to go down well, and it's great to relax on the playing fields after the race. Impressive stuff from tiny Hook Norton Harriers.
Date of review: August 5, 2008

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