My Event Ratings

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

In short: Brilliant, friendly, beautiful ... warm, tough
In full: Excellent race, well organised with friendly marshalls, starter, racers, walkers, everywhere. Lots of support, loads of water stations and loos, all well managed. The terrain was tough, the gravel made the second half in particular hard going. The hills didn't help but none were really silly, just challenging. Warmer than expected so struggled in latter stages, but great to do it on such glorious day. Only minor gripe being the variable mile markers, up to 1.5m out in places which doesn't help pacing; I learnt to ignore them. Otherwise, well done to WWT.
Date of review: May 7, 2013

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

In short: Fantastic, again, even if I knew what I was in for this time.
In full: Brilliant, challenging, race. Not so much of a race as an afternoon out with good friends, none of which you've met before. Friendly supportive marshals and runners alike, each recognising each other's achievement no matter what level you're on. Beginner friendly because of its atmosphere, not its terrain.
Date of review: April 14, 2013

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

In short: Glorious and cakeful! Lovely friendly race with a little (?) mud and a few hills thrown in. Bring your crampons.
In full: Well organised, friendly and helpful marshalls, over some interesting and varied terrain. Glorious scenery on this crisp, clear day. Pretty boggy in a lot of places and there was a lot of breaking ice over freezing water in the worst bits. Hill at 5m was an interesting take on 'running' (all-fours in places). Great cakes, even warm lardy, at the finish. All as promised, all exactly as I like it. Glad I brought my snorkel.
Date of review: January 14, 2013

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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		80%

In short: Very well managed race again, always friendly
In full: Excellent organisation, all marshalls friendly and effective, good traffic management, routes always clear despite the number of junctions and merges with shorter course. Even parking etc seemed easier than last time, but I noticed quite a few entrants DNS, so maybe runners numbers down? Chip timing excellent, registration smooth, and the commentator and gantry were still going strong calling all runners names right til when we left at 5hrs+.
Weather was perfect in the end. Cemetary Hill got me the second time round (didn't bother me on first lap, but 13m later took its toll). 'Buff' type headgear is a great little memento - I still use the one from two years ago, too. My first effort at the marathon distance, and despite slightly slower time than hoped had a great time. A big thanks to 'Neil' who dragged me round the last five miles; wouldn't have got there without you.
Date of review: October 23, 2012

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

In short: Brilliant again
In full: My local and I keep coming back. Very well organised again, although as per last year my only gripe is that some of the mile markers not visible enough - I missed three. Otherwise I love the big-race feel brought about by a great crowd, brilliant start and finish zones, bands, lots of water/sponge stations, and the otherwise smooth organisation. You keep organising it, i'll keep running it. This year's PB topped it off nicely.
Date of review: May 7, 2012

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

In short: Thoroughly enjoyable, even the hills and especially the wet bits.
Date of review: April 7, 2012

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

In short: Wow! (and if ever that word is not enough, now is that time). You cannot run a more challenging route and still come away thinking it was fabulous.
In full: Madmudrunner (below) says: '...miles of coastline to be seen...' After coming out of Sidmouth about half-way, look west and the start is beyond sight; look east and the finish is beyond sight... you run the entire stretch of visible coast... and more, and just look at that profile.
Such a warm, local, low-key event. The starting team were at the first water station and more, and despite the geographical challenges I also spotted lots of the same supporters at each checkpoint. No fuss, just good support, well organised, felt one of the family.
Yes, second half includes some killer hills. And the downhills are just as bad.
Prepare. Enjoy.
Date of review: April 7, 2012

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

In short: Brilliantly organised, beautiful course, friendly, if slightly expensive
In full: I know a few people including me have said its a little expensive but you realise why when you go - lots of staff and support; registration very well organised if a little chocker at peak entry time; gantries etc all add up but make for a race with a very relaxed friendly atmosphere.
Forget the extra couple of quid though - the mind-blowing scenery around Start Point is why you do this race. Flying over ridges with wide open vistas across the sea and vertical drops in front/side of you. Despite hugging the coast the first half is less hilly than the in-land home leg.
I was sceptical about the staggered start, thinking everyone would do the 'competetive' group, but was roughly an even split and it worked really well to spread everyone along the narrow paths without congestion.
The staged start times, longer distances first, meant that more people finishes together as the routes merged, which felt right as the runners built in number towards the end, a good strategy.
Minor gripe: a couple extra loos and more hot water/kettles at the tea stand please!
(I did the half-mara).
Date of review: February 26, 2012

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

In short: Glad I brought my mudsnorkel!
In full: Very muddy in places; could have used a canoe for some of the 'alternative' bits; the photos of Mud Alley don't do it justice. Lots of looking like ducks on ice, and some wallowing. But there were lots of drier, sounder, tracky bits in between. Good profile, hills not too challenging and good to descend to the finish. Felt quite bleak at the tops, with grey skies and cold wind, but in good weather views would be glorious. Very well organised and friendly.
Date of review: November 23, 2010

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

In short: Brilliant, well organised, best cake/coffee/burger stall I've seen at any race!
In full: There were one or two minor moans overheard, hardly surprising to have a few niggles on first time at a new venue, but they were very minor and overall the event was very well organised, in particular the direction marshals - lots of them and very clear instruction. The scenery wasn't all great but it was such a beautiful day it didn't matter. We were well rewarded for the climbs with long rolling views over the moor, especially towards Haytor Rocks (at least twice). The generally interesting route seemed to fly by. 'THE HILL' (see several of the reviews below - not as challenging as they make out (thankfully). Many thanks to all those involved, and in particular the WRN who put on the best refreshment spread I've seen at a race. A great friendly race; my PB is the icing on the cake.
Date of review: October 17, 2010

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