My Event Ratings

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

In short: hot, expensive, room for improvement for oraniziers
In full: For this kind of money I would expect much more. This is bordering on a rip-off.
With a little effort on the organizers side this could be a nice race. E.g. opening the changing rooms - without having to ask/beg. Getting their drinks dispensing organised (not learning it on the day - causing chaos).
If you can't handle the crowds with cups, use bottles. For this kind of money this must be possible.

Understanding that people might want to leave the stadium after the event and don't like it to be fenced in...

As others have said, it was quite hot, so reconsidering the date might be beneficial for future events.

Crowd support was quite good at the half-way point but virtually non-existent elsewhere. Not surprising as part of the route is really dull.

Unlike two years ago (the ambulance was already hard at work less than a mile after the start...) there seem to have been fewer casualties this year. Well, at least I saw fewer.

Marshals en-route were good. However some of the security personnel in the stadium were "extremely unhelpful". While many of them were really nice and helpful, some behaved like they are running prison camps in their day job...

The next morning the local paper (Star) was advertised with posters reading "Half marathon picture special". Well, there was the half marathon mentioned somewhere and there was a picture special but that wasn't about the half marathon (it was football).
Date of review: May 31, 2012

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

In short: It could be really fast on a calm sunny day with maybe only half as much mud...
In full: Very well organised. The use of the Pyramid centre is definitely a big improvement, especially given the weather conditions.

No idea how I managed to miss the soup...

My fellow passengers on the train home would have benefited from me having a shower after the race, but at a ratio of 1 shower for 773 runners I decided that the rain was wet enough.
Date of review: February 15, 2011

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

In short: Nice run, but maybe not so wise to do it on the hottest day of the year...
In full: Nice hilly route. Well organized, good marshaling.

It was officially the hottest day of the year (so far) which was definitely a problem for many runners. While at some drinks stations this was clearly understood and cups were full, others tried to "save water" by filling only to about 1/5.

Most of the roads were closed (even major ones) which was much appreciated, however in the last 1.5 miles or so there was quite a lot of traffic in the residential areas (head-on into runners...). And let's not mention the tractor blocking the road completely at about 7.5 miles.
Date of review: June 28, 2010

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

In short: Tougher than expected (there seem to be more than one definition of "flat"...)
In full: About the scenery:
From the stadium to the town centre it's a depressing industrial area. Much nicer once you are in town.

Atmosphere: Brilliant in the stadium and in town - especially up near the turning point at Hunters Bar, a bit dull in-between.

Route:
Is it absolutely necessary to encircle the stadium? There must be other roads in Sheffield...
Especially as this also creates the problem of "trapping" people inside the stadium.
Some parts of the route are a bit narrow, i.e. slowing you down, nothing dramatic though.

Other:
There were quite many casualties. I.e. the ambulances were very busy.
Date of review: April 26, 2010

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

In short: Part road, part mudbath. Would benefit from better weather...
In full: 1) I'd wish all race directors were that relaxed :-)
2) You can't change the weather, can you?
3) First drinks station a bit early (3 miles) and second one too late (9 miles).
4) The instructions "30 min walk from Fratton station" is maybe a touch optimistic (about 3 miles, I have seen people running slower...)
5) Very well marshal-ed. Unlike quite a few other races you really couldn't miss any turns or junctions.
Date of review: February 22, 2010

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

In short: A good run, despite some hick-ups.
In full: +++ Glorious weather, sunny but not hot.
- Messy start. Please find a wider road for the start next time.
+- Route OK, but "carefully avoiding major sights and city centre" (why?).
+++ Safe, excellent work by marshals and police (road closures etc.)
-- 2 miles on concrete slabs/bricks.
++++ Race result by text message.
-- Despite large running crowd, there was virtually no support from spectators.
-- Finish line difficult to spot because the arc had collapsed...
? Why did the buses used to store our bags have their engines running all the time?
Date of review: March 30, 2009

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