My Event Ratings

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: I don't think I will ever tire of this course!
In full: This IS my all-time favourite race, and running the course ten times in ten days only made me love it more. Just a shame the weather didn't co-operate this year!
Date of review: May 21, 2009

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

In short: A well-organised race with proper food in the goody-bag :o)
In full: The Ashby 20 and Aldi did us proud again! Faultless organisation, nice undulating course (the hills here are nothing to be scared of, honestly), plenty of water-stations with gels and sweets too after the first hour, friendly officials, and a cheese roll, crisps and biscuits in the goody-bag as well as an excellent hoodie in a selection of sizes.
Date of review: March 22, 2009

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

In short: A great race in a glorious setting :o)
In full: From start to finish, this was a wonderful experience. The organisation was smooth and unobtrusive throughout, although we were disappointed that we had to miss the prizegiving because it was delayed (and nobody warned us, so we waited till after the expected time). The course is all on good tarmac, surrounded by beautiful scenery, and is never boring. There were plenty of water-stations, with a selection of sweeties at the later ones. The weather helped, of course :o)
Date of review: March 21, 2009

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

In short: Could make me love Draycote Water :o)
In full: This was the first running of the Friends of Mick'n'Phil Half-Marathon, and what a great event it was. Conceived and organised by a group of committed volunteers from www.fetcheveryone.com, the entire day ran like clockwork, from the parking and ferrying arrangements at the start to the cake at the finish.
The course is just under three laps of the reservoir, with long flat stretches and a few small undulations to add interest. In today's windy weather, it was gruelling, but there weren't many complaints.
Looking forward to a repeat next year.
Date of review: March 8, 2009

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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		80%

In short: A fast, friendly race with a generous prize-list :o)
In full: I confess that I'm biased - this is my club's race. It's a flat course, mostly on tarmac and good paths, with just a small section of rough trail on each lap. The organisation is smooth, results are posted promptly, and there are hot drinks in the school hall afterwards. There's also a generous prize-list, with a different vet and junior category singled out for extra prizes each month, and lots of spot prizes. Definitely worth the trip!
Date of review: March 3, 2009

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

In short: Nice organisation - shame about the course!
In full: Last year I DNF'd this race because I was bored with it. This year I chose to do it because I wanted to look boredom in the eye while supporting a well-organised, friendly, good-value race that deserves its popularity. KRRAC put on a great event, with the marathon and 35-mile ultra running concurrently. The atmosphere is friendly, informal and supportive, and the finish couldn't be better, with tea and coffee, chocolate biscuits, the best bread pudding EVER, and the goody-bag has proper food and a good-quality t-shirt in it. The course, however, is five laps of a reservoir and I found it grindingly dull. I came away thinking, "I NEVER want to see Draycote Water again." But d'you know what? I'll probably be back :o)
Date of review: March 3, 2009

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

In short: If you liked Windermere, you'll enjoy Langdale too :o)
In full: A splendid race. It has a reputation for being a brute, and there are certainly some undulations which are significant even by Cumbrian standards, but they're not the Eiger, they're just road hills. A good, solid, simple event amid breathtaking scenery, and the £15.50 entry fee includes a medal and a sturdy t-shirt. I thought the two-lap format might be a problem, but the second lap seemed to fly past. An ideal race for people who hate the noise and faff of big city marathons.
Date of review: September 16, 2008

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Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		No
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		80%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		40%

In short: Well-organised, pretty, but monotonous.
In full: I suppose the cold and dreary weather didn't help, and that's nobody's fault! This is a race I can imagine other people loving, and I know many do, and it deserves to prosper because it's so well-organised and friendly. But I've got a short attention-span, and spending 20 miles slogging along a white path in anticipation of three good downhill blasts at the end isn't my cuppatea. Had I been running on my own, I'd probably have quit at the second water-station through sheer boredom. If you want a small race that's better-organised than many big city events, this is for you :o)
Date of review: May 20, 2008

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

In short: My must-do-every-year race :o)
In full: Beautifully organised event, scenic course, best appreciated with a little training on hills beforehand. I did this the day after the dreary, monotonous White Peak marathon, and the contrast couldn't have been greater. Thanks to everyone involved - see you next year!
Date of review: May 20, 2008

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

In short: Deservedly popular race :o)
In full: I entered this race because everyone raves about it, and I wasn't disappointed. The organisation is fantastic. The course is scenic, undulating enough to be interesting, and the marshalling and traffic control are smooth as can be. I hated the uphill start into the wind, but loved the gentle three-mile downdulate at the end. The finish shows just how efficiently a small area can be used, and I was delighted to get a well-made shirt which fitted me properly, a Mars bar, crisps and sweeties in my goody-bag . The speed at which the results were published was fantastic - why can't all chipped races do that?
Date of review: November 18, 2007

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