My Event Ratings

Overall score		40%
Would you do it again?		No
Details:
Scenery		60%
PB potential		80%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		20%
Value		40%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

In short: Hopeless organisation
In full: OK so there was nothing they could do about the delayed start as even TfL don't appear to be responsible for TfL so it seems unfair to blame the race organisers. However, that doesn't excuse not properly labelling or sign-posting the pens, not putting out the mile-markers or making spurious "eco" claims and leaving the contents of the goodie-bags as a free-for-all. At 2 hours I was hardly a 'tail-ender' but there was not one single bottle of water or cereal bar left, absolutely nothing. Although there were plenty of sub-2 hours folks happily wandering round with arms full of goodies - I even saw one bloke with a box of the cereal bars! Pure greed and meanness by the runners, but rubbish on behalf of the organisers not to at least supervise if they weren't going to be sensible enough to hand out individual bags. Having battled into the finish area to collect my bag (which fortunately I'd left my own bottle of water and snack in) it then took ages to battle back out of the single exit where the one miserable marshall was making no effort at all to move people on and keep the exit clear. Overall left feeling very defalted and let down.
Date of review: October 7, 2010

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

In short: Great location, organisation and cause
In full: This is such a lovely, friendly race I happily travel from several counties away to take part. The route was much improved this year and one of the local residents (which gives you a clue as to how well supported this is) had paid for the bottle-neck from previous years to be remedied with a new removeable bollard. Impossible to fault the organisation, marshalls or local support (or indeed the glorious beach scenery!). Only disappointment was the weird chip timing from the gun to the finish line rather than from start-line to finish line as it added quite a bit of time to those who started nearer the back. However, it's a cracking event and Chestnut Tree House, who provide such a vital service, deserve to do well out of it.
Date of review: September 14, 2010

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Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		Maybe
Details:
Scenery		100%
PB potential		60%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		60%
Value		20%
Beginner-friendliness		60%

In short: It's not all bad
In full: This has terrible reviews and a couple of positively toxic threads on RW, but it's really not all that bad. Considering something like 25 thousand people take part waiting 20 minutes for the loo doesn't actually seem that criminal. No problem with bag drop off or collection and plenty of water around the 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		80%
Atmosphere		100%
Organisation		80%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		100%

In short: Brilliant seasonal fun run
In full: If you don't take this hardcore seriously (how can you be serious mixing it up with 2000+ Santa's!), this is a great little race - well organised, superb warm up/down ladies, and a cracking atmosphere; guaranteed to get you in the festive spirit.
It would have been better if the people handing out the medals stood back a bit from the finish gates as it caused a bottle-neck at the end, but otherwise the organisers did a great job and once you had your number collecting your chip and outfit, changing and depositing your bag was easy.

The course is such that a PB could be easily achieved, but doing it in a Santa suit definitely heats you up and slows you down. This is one to do for the fun and festivities (we took along a now converted non-runner) and raise money for a good cause, not because you're a hardened athlete in search of challenging professional race.
Date of review: December 7, 2009

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

In short: Corker of a course and brilliant organisation
In full: This is a cracking course and great for a first foray into "multi-terrain" if you're more used to pounding the streets; an interesting mix of grass, fields, gravel and roads. Was very impressed to see Sarrie the Camel from the local rugby club complete it in full regalia - and in not a bad time either! Don't think it would benefit from being any bigger as it's a squeeze getting c.2500 people through some of the narrower sections, but very impressively organised and times available on the day.
Date of review: October 12, 2009

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

In short: Brilliant people, lovely seafront course
In full: Organisers, marshalls and those manning the water-stations are happy, helpful and friendly to a man, and their encouragement is warm and heartfelt which really makes a difference. And it's for a great cause as well.
Date of review: September 14, 2009

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