My Event Ratings

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

In short: Lovely run. Let down by marshalling.
In full: This was my first time trying this race out. The race HQ was the school and it was very welcoming and warm, with lots of kids and families, and 1km event for the kids kicking things off. The day was lovely - beaming sun, and the views were terrific!

However, and this is the only thing that let it down - two of the marshals let what looked like the first 50 runners fly past them in the wrong direction. I'm not sure how far they went, but judging by the finish times they probably lost up to 10 minutes. It's a real shame, because the organisers were all really friendly and it was a great atmosphere. Credit to them, even the leaders seemed not too put out when I was getting my things together to leave at the end.

I would strongly recommend two things for next time: a) Better marshalling b) Clearer direction signs just in case there is a marshalling error at some point. There were distance markers for the 10k and 5k races and it wasn't totally clear which lap they referred to.

I was one of the lucky ones in that I think I only ran for an extra 2 minutes or so due to the marshalling problem. I would have been gutted had I been near the front.
Date of review: April 29, 2013

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

In short: Well run race, beautiful surroundings.. and a medal!
In full: I did the November 2011 Cotswold 10k, so was already prepared for this hilly course, which includes a 1km hill in the last quarter of the race.

This year I was impressed by the improvements. The starting point was further on, to allow for a circuit of the playing field before crossing the finish line. However, I did accidently run the wrong side of the barrier when entering the field for the final 200m! Jumping it at that level of exhaustion is tricky.

Due to the lovely morning sun and blue skies, the scenery was all the more stunning. Rolling fields, streams, and the odd lamb or two in the fields.

Unfortunately we were all warned quite formally during the race briefing that we could not use mp3 players for health and safety reasons, and that runners would definitely be disqualified if we ignored this rule. This is the first time I have ran in a race where we are so formally warned - so everyone obliged and ran without music. At first I was a bit gutted, as I was looking forward to the music, but in the end it did not matter. It was still a great race, and I bettered my November 2011 time by 4 minutes.

Everyone was very friendly, although being shouted at by one of the men directing traffic out of the car park was really not necessary. I didn't let that spoil the day though.
Date of review: April 2, 2012

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Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		Maybe
Details:
Scenery		100%
PB potential		20%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		60%
Value		60%
Beginner-friendliness		40%

In short: Flat / Undulating?!
In full: I was not prepared for the hills during this race I must admit. So any hopes of a PB were dashed, especially since I was just coming back after an adductor strain some weeks ago.

However, it was a beautiful day. Blue skies, with the sun streaming down on the Cotswolds. I had some trouble finding Temple Guiting thought. Google directions were not up to much. Hilariously, the email sent out by the organisers a week prior to the race stated a race briefing time of 10:15. After getting to race HQ at 10:25, expecting to see the runners already lining up, I found no such urgency. The briefing started at 10:45, with an apology at the end for the mix-up. This was genuinely funny!

My only real gripe is that whilst the Runners World profile says you get a medal, you got nothing at the end at all. Literally nothing. Some sort of token momento would have been nice, especially given how hard the course is. But at this time of year there are not many 10k races around, so I was not too bothered.
Date of review: November 29, 2011

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

In short: Friendly, lots of dogz, but suprisingly hard.
In full: This was my first 10k for a few months after an injury lay-off, and I had thoughts of trying to beat my PB. By the end I was 3 minutes off my PB, and I think the steady hill climb for the first 5k had a lot to do with it. Admittedly I already knew of the hill climb (well done to Calne Leisure Centre for top notch height profile on their web site!) but running it really brings home the reality!

On the upside, the route was lovely, the roads clear most of the time, and the atmosphere very friendly and family oriented. A free sports massage awaited all finishers, which I thought was a superb touch. The goody bag has a bottle of fizzy lucozade sport and a mars bar, and we all got a banana. The icing on the cake was the medal. Impressive! 8D

It's a good race - just not a PB race, but at this time of year it's definitely worth going for if you live around this area.
Date of review: October 31, 2011

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

In short: No free monkey at the end. Hilly, but worth a go.
In full: Ok, granted, I turned up with only 10 minutes before the start of the race, so my heart rate was already in the fat burning zone through sheer panic. Espeically when I saw the queue for the toilets. I was in starting position 60 seconds before the start of the race.

Anyway... I came away from this, my first 10k of the year (and since June last year), surprised at how hilly and undulating it was. The hill after the start was ok, whereas the one before end was a real killer. The type of gradient where you can walk up faster than you can run. I ran. Had to.

The last 800m is, as they claim, fast and flat, and has you running towards a vision of the fine mansion no doubt constructed by peasants long ago for the middle classes. Everyone got a nice medal, half a banana (not sure why they were cutting them in half. Very odd. Price of bananas I guess?), a small fruit and nut bar, one of those mineral juice drinks, and, er, that's it. But the medal is a good one, engraved with Longleat 10k 2011 on the back.

If you've not trained for a while, take it easy on this one. But it's a good race and I'd do it again next year to try and better my time. It is not a fast course and I was a huge 9 minutes off my PB which I set in the Derby 10k and equalled in the Bristol 10k last year.
Date of review: February 8, 2011

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

In short: Not bad - not particularly scenic... Soooo hot on the day.
In full: A quick run down....
- Small-scale event, very friendly, well organised
- Less than 200 runners this year
- Probably due to the scorching temperatures on the day
- Cheap as chips to enter
- AND you get a medal

What else? After 10 minutes it occurred to me that it was actually dangerously hot for running a 10k race. Thoughts of beating my PB quickly went out of the window. It must have already been almost 25 degrees in the sun when we started.

What was the problem with the water stations? Bearing in mind we're out there sweating most of our bodyweight off, there were only 2 water stations. One half way, one just before the end. They gave us a plastic cup of water - but get this... it was only one-third full of water? If it's 25 degress out there, blazing sun, then surely we need something more?

By the end, and after an attempted sprint finish, my body temperature was rocketing. Thankfully, most of the runners gathered under the huge tree just past the finishing line. That was actually a really nice touch, since it was a small-scale race.

I'm so glad we got a medal, because it was punishing out there!

So, the water stations were poor, and running through the streets of Wimbledon wasn't too scenic, but this was south London after all - so I can't complain.

An average race that would have been better if it were cooler or the organisers picked up on the fact that it was going to be scorching out there.

I think I might do this one again, as it's cheap and relatively easy to get to.
Date of review: May 24, 2010

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

In short: Not a bad trot - not spectacular
In full: Whilst I was half asleep at the start, this did turn into a pretty good race, and I beat my 10k PB by over a minute.

Plenty of people turned up for this race, and I was amused by the route through the centre - some puzzled looking old folk sat on benches watching the runners pass through. I think the fact it started at 9:30 meant the crowds were never going to be substantial. This I don't get - why not start a 10k race at 11am?

It was good to see a really mixed crowd though - plenty of the young, middle, and old. Seemed like a great family occasion.

The finish inside the statium was excellent though - plenty of people cheering the runners in. Didn't see Fabrizio Ravanelli anywhere, but you can't have everything.

Not sure if I would do this one again, as I like collecting shiny things and the 10k runners got a T-shirt, no medals. Not even some free chocolate or sweets at the end actually. The T-shirt is quite nice actually. But only worthy of the word nice.
Date of review: April 12, 2010

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

In short: Very friendly and rewarding - watch the hilly first half...
In full: This was my comeback race after 6 months out with an achillies injury. I found out a day before the race that this was in fact a rather hilly race for the first half, so was mildly worried.

However, the first half is a little hilly, not too much mind, with the 2nd half flat, so I could start to open up a bit.

The scenery in the first half of the race was quite impressing, looking across the rolling Wiltshire hills on a temperate spring day. A few people have said they didn't find the last 1k through the housing estate very nice, but I thought it was ok actually. We went round quite a nice old manor type building, and past a few houses, but it was all pleasant enough. A few of the locals clapped and shouted encouragement which really helped.

Good to see a healthy crowd of spectators at the finishing straight - I gave them a sprint finish even though I had a stitch (totally nailed the last 2k) and got a great round of applause and cheering! Those moments alone are worth the entrace fee.

Well done to the organisers - military precision. Baggage, changing, everything - all totally on the ball. The road marshalls were excellent, stopping traffic to let us all through. The motorists were patient too - perfect.

Oh and great medal too. Nice and shiny!

My only negative comment is that I had to pay £1 for a cup of tea (that's a tea bag and some hot water in a cup btw) , whereas at smaller scale CC races at Marshfield, and Horton, the tea was not even half that amount. Well, there is a recession on you know... ;)

I would definitely give this another go. The winner managed an insane 31m. I was happy with my 48m!
Date of review: March 29, 2010

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

In short: Watch your step....
In full: This was my sencond multi-terrain race after the Marshfield Mudlark last week - and this was even more enjoyable.

I was suprised by the road content - I'd say this was 60% cross country, 40% roads and trails. However, trail trainers are recommended as the fields we went through were uneven under foot, very much so in fact.

The first half of the race is mostly uphill, so make sure you pace yourself! Heavy drizzle broke out at the start of the race, but this worked out well as it kept me cool.

This was a small scale local race, but very friendly. Coffee, tea, bacon and sausage rolls were on offer at the end - a nice touch.

Not exactly a beginners race - tough going at the start - but a great workout in lovely surroundings. The organisers did a great job, and we all got a medal at the end, unlike the Marshfield Mudlark.

I'll definitely be back next year! 8)
Date of review: October 14, 2009

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

In short: My first multi-terrain.... enjoyable hillfest
In full: This was only my 2nd race ever, the previous being the Bristol half, but I had some trail trainers so thought I'd see what all this was about.

Over 150 of us decided to turn out for what was actually not that muddy at all. In places, sure, presumably through hoof usage.

95% of this course is through fields, passing through several stiles, which although held up progress in the first 10 minutes, was absolutely fine afterwards. The organisers thoughtfully put bales of hay in front of some of the stiles to help us out. Great idea.

I had originally planned to pace myself, but as there were no distance markers (or if there was I didn't see them as I was too busy digging in) it was quite difficult. What took me slightly by surprise was the amount of hills - including one country lane which was literally quicker to stride up rather than run, unless you were a Navy Seal that is. Lots of Chippenham Harriers at this event! Only me and one other from Great Western Runners... I managed a respectable 56 minutes, sprinted at the end (which the crowd enjoyed), and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

My only negative point is that we didn't get any momento at all. A banana and a chocolate bar - that was it. I thought the adults deserved a medal in addition to the kids running the mini mudlark, but I think that points to the fact that this was a very family oriented occasion, and I must say they did a grand job of it. Lovely little village, great race, I'll be back next year!
Date of review: October 5, 2009

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