My Event Ratings

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

In short: A Saturday morning well spent
In full: Mostly flat and firm surface - it was muddy in a few places - for first 9 miles then mud and hills a plenty to finish. At least one point where shoes were not guaranteed to remain attached to feet. I think most people will be back.
Date of review: October 20, 2012

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

In short: A great new marathon
In full: Brilliant. Well organised club marathon over hilly course, great marshals, even some PBs. Deserves many more entries next year.
Date of review: June 11, 2012

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

In short: Who needs flat races?
In full: One sharp hill, one longer hill but fairly flat second half so surprisingly quick. Great food after and no bananas. A guilt-free (well almost) cream scone! Thanks, won't miss it next year.
Date of review: March 7, 2012

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

In short: It's downhill really
In full: Third time, and gets better and better. Even the hill out of Dores seemed shorter this year, although seeing the second half still comes as a shock. Can't do next year, but looking forward to 2013.
Date of review: October 3, 2011

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Overall score		40%
Would you do it again?		Maybe
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		20%
Value		40%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

In short: Another fine mess
In full: This should be a great marathon, but it's ruined by disorganisation, and with the current course should be called the East Lothian marathon. The many volunteer marshals and helpers worked very hard but those at the finish were given an impossible task. What was the risk assessment of the crush at the end? Were the local residents asked or warned about what was planned? Did anybody think that queueing for 30 minutes after the end of the marathon for two small fruit bars was ideal? One can only assume that the current funding model doesn't work - that the organisers have to place the wishes of those selling to the public above the needs of runners at the finish and cannot afford to pay for the policing needed to close more roads in Edinburgh. The options would seem to be either to charge a more appropriate entry fee (this race costs half of what any large American marathon would charge) and to ask the city and its businesses whether it wants to sell out every bed in the city, and if so contribute to the event that achieves this. And an Edinburgh marathon should finish either on Princes St or in Holyrood Park.
Date of review: May 25, 2011

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

In short: Friendly and very helpful organsation but one suggestion
In full: Flat scenic route, sensibly early start on a warm day, and very helpful organisation - my race pack didn't arrive, and the response to my enquiry was very rapid, and the issue dealt with very efficiently on the Sunday morning. The marshals were very helpful (one even asked me if I was OK at 11 1/2 miles; I thought I was, but obviously I must have looked different). However, I didn't see any marshals in the last mile when some runners were in trouble, and these might have been helped more quickly if there had been marshals every few hundred yards at this stage. But if I'm in London again at the right time of year I'd do it again.
Date of review: May 12, 2011

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

In short: Well organised car-free rural undulating 10k
In full: Another to add to the well run friendly rural and car-free Scottish races (think Kirkintilloch, Arran, Haddington). Like those enough hills to make it fun and eliminate any PB thoughts.
Date of review: April 23, 2011

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

In short: Flat and fast until mile 23, traffic a bit hairy at times
In full: Friendly, well organised, fast, but hill at mile 23 challenging. Not much can be done about it, but 2-way traffic and runners both sides of road cramped at times.
Date of review: April 22, 2011

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

In short: Flat and fast, nice rural course
Date of review: July 12, 2010

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

In short: Much improved course, more scenic and more challenging
In full: Great race, definitely not flat. Several sharp inclines and long steady gentle incline miles 8-11 on old railway. Well marshalled and well supported in the rain. Only suggestion would be to avoid the loop at the start and the car parks at the end and take us through the town before the finish in Pittencrieff Park, as on the old course.
Date of review: June 15, 2010

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