My Event Ratings

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

In short: Quite tough
In full: Quite a tough course with lots of long climbs, nothing too steep but still noticeable in the legs. Brilliant marshalls - loads of them too. Nice downhill stretch to the finish (if you ignore the very last 20 metres uphill). Not a PB course but a nice morning out.
Date of review: July 25, 2010

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

In short: Super duper race
In full: Great organisation. I was particularly impressed with the dibbers; very cool that they have your split times at the finish. Feel a bit of a fraud having the same t-shirt as the runners doing the full since it just says 'marathon' with no mention of my having only run half the distance. Nice not to have advertising emblazoned all over it too.

Great marshalls and a well marked route. Apparently lots of runners missed the dibbers at the 2 unmanned checkpoints and I'm not surprised as they weren't marked obviously.

Tough hills but wonderful views and I preferred the wind and rain to hot weather.
Date of review: June 6, 2009

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

In short: 'Flat along the moor' my arse
In full: A hideously steep uphill climb at the beginning followed by a few miles of undulating moorland then a whopping great downhill to finish. The water station was superb - how on earth did they keep the water ice cold in the scorching sunshine? Much appreciated!

Date of review: May 26, 2009

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

In short: Excellent marshals!
In full: Well done to the marshals, what a fab job they all did. Particularly energetic support from the man at mile 3, the American lady around mile 16 maybe and the men in the subway at mile 24 or there abouts. The last drag up New Walk was just cruel - only a sadist would design a marathon course where the last mile is all uphill. I thought the route was pretty flat otherwise, certainly flatter than the hill profile led me to believe. Lots of gels available at all the marathon water stations not just at mile 16 as advertised. Only slight niggle is that the marshals on the twisty sections towards the end (parks) could have pointed which way to go rather than me having to shout and ask as I drew near - there was no one in front in sight at times.
Date of review: October 19, 2008

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

In short: This race is fab!
In full: Yes there are hills, yes it's longer than a half (just under 15 miles) but the excellent tech t-shirt at the end and the cakes make it all worth it! The route was partly marked with tape and arrows and there were enough people to ensure I didn't get lost. It was much drier than last month when I recced it but still ended up caked in mud. This is now my all time favourite race. Enjoyed it enormously.
Date of review: September 14, 2008

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

In short: Quite hilly and poor first water station
In full: A very scenic race on closed roads. The organisation was good other than the first water station which was manned by 1 adult and a child. Hopelessly inadequate and it meant that many, myself included, couldn't get water at that point. Despite knowing most of the route quite well I was still surprised by the number of climbs; not steep but long. Nice mug at the end.
Date of review: July 13, 2008

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Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		No
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		20%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		80%
Value		60%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

In short: Brutal!
In full: Maybe I was undertrained but I was 6 mins slower than my PB. Found the course very tough; especially THAT hill (not too steep but lasts for ages) and the climb back onto and over the bridge. Organisation was excellent and the number of water stations was brilliant; well planned for the possibility of it being a hot day. T-shirt some what ruined by the massive ASDA logo and the lack of a date but that's a minor niggle. Cold fruit at the end - bliss. Don't feel like a re-match at the moment but by next year I may feel the need to prove I can beat it.
Date of review: June 30, 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		80%
Beginner-friendliness		80%

In short: Contrary to the entry form it is NOT all down hill after the first hill!
In full: Took ages to get there but was well worth the trip. Arrived in time to see one of the kiddy races which was just too cute. No queues for the loos (a first!) and well organised. The course is quite tough with an initial climb for almost a miles followed by undulating country roads. You get to run back down that first hill though which makes for a fast finish. Good race for glory seekers (despite running well outside my PB I still managed to be within the top 10 female finishers). Didn't seem to be very many club runners. Overall a great day and I'll be back next year. Nice touch getting your post race water in the commemerative mug.
Date of review: May 4, 2008

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

In short: Organisation was way better than New York
In full: This was my first FLM and it was much better organised than NY marathon in terms of both the start waiting areas and baggage drop off and collection. Lots of people started in the wrong pens despite 'security' at the entrance. Lots of people simply jumped over the railings into a pen. The start is crazy as the road narrows after about 0.25 miles causing a massive log jam so you end up stopping! The sheer number of runners is frustrating when trying to run a consistent pace but the crowd was electric and there were far fewer sparse areas of support than in NY. All in all, an excellent experience but not one for a PB.
Date of review: April 14, 2008

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

In short: Tougher than expected but a good race.
In full: The car parking had the potential to be disasterous (think rain on muddy field) and I spent the entire race worrying about being able to get my car out of the field afterwards. Course was hillier than I expected but I think I must have imagined someone telling me it was flat. Good marshalls and the lucozade pouches made this an excellent London warm up. Managed a significant PB so very pleased.
Date of review: March 16, 2008

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