My Event Ratings

Overall score		80%
Would you do it again?		Maybe
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		20%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		80%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

In short: I failed the challenge - I couldn't find the Bryn!
In full: That was it, just bog, bog, bog. Lovely! You pay through the teeth for a day of it up at the Celtic Manor - shame there were no hot rocks to go on after the mud, but there was coffee and cake, and really good cake!

It was horribly tough, really sticky, slick, mucky, steep, tough. But it was a great way to do a Long Sunday Run.
Date of review: November 4, 2012

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

In short: My first 'must repeat' race.
In full: All I can say is that I loved it and will treasure this first time. Everyone warned me that it would be great as an event, and a few warned me it would be addictive. They were all right.
Date of review: April 24, 2012

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

In short: Not the speed or scenery of previous years, but improving in organisation all the time.
In full: It's a shame that they've taken the race out of the centre onto the big roads. Makes sense for numbers but removes the attraction of seeing much of Cardiff, especially the Civic Centre. Decent organisation which is improving each time I do this. Not great for spectators though, with the start/finish being a tight squeeze and other points being impossible to get to (the major roads). I don't know who decided to put the flyover up to Penarth in the last two miles, but that's one reason why it can't be as quick as previous years, and why the regulars might complain about hills. Likewise the ups and downs on the 'motorway' junctions weren't pleasant.
Good marshalling, and provisions. Easy to park if you're fit enough to walk a mile before you run thirteen.
Date of review: October 28, 2011

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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		80%

In short: A fast course in a nice area, with good potential for times.
In full: I got out fine, but spent over half an hour waiting to get in, luckily I was as early as they asked.

Support was great. Course was good except for that Alp just when your legs were dying, and the narrow points where runners/handcyclists were going both ways. The weather was lovely however, even the breeze being cooling rather than cold.

It would have been easier to run the course in reverse, as the rough paths and the sandy areas would have been easier to negotiate when strong, however I understand that it would have been more difficult to get the numbers through some of those areas.
Date of review: March 7, 2010

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

In short: My home half
In full: The race itself is excellent. The barrage is a great bit to run but tight. Some of the drinks stations were also tight and marshalling is needed for the crowds near Cathedral Road. Still, such a flat course it's simply speed. In the organisation surrounding the race simply fixing the baggage area would have made it great.
Date of review: November 2, 2009

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

In short: Perennial Favourite
In full: I like the course, and especially the atmosphere, with the crowds increasing year on year. It's always puzzling to think you're near the finish when there's about six miles of wiggling around the town to go, but you get there in the end. The start and finish organisation are excellent. The route could be a little straighter, and just one year I'd love to avoid those little hills in the last few miles. But overall an excellent race.
Date of review: November 2, 2009

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

In short: Lovely race - superb for PBs
In full: Only problem this year was the baggage queue - everything else went really well. A foil blanket would have helped everyone to keep warm when queueing to collect their warm clothes.
Date of review: October 18, 2009

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

In short: Can't remember any downhill.
Date of review: May 18, 2009

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