My Event Ratings

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

In short: On a cool day this race coud seriously increase your chances of a personal best.
In full: This race was brilliant. The weather was excellent, although it was extremely hot and only got hotter as the race progressed. Nevertheless the marshals provided copious quantities of water and gel bars to ensure that the runners had enough to keep them going, and it was certainly needed. By the halfway point some runners I passed looked to have hit the wall, probably due to the effects of dehydration, so I was glad of all the extra drinks and gels on offer. (I certainly took on more in this event than I normally do, and in that heat I'm glad I did, otherwise I may well have taken even longer to finish.) The event was very well organised - my only regret was that I didn't manage to get a new personal best. Anyway I finished the event, albeit in a slower time than I had hoped for, but despite that little disappointment I really enjoyed doing this race and would seriously consider doing it again.
Date of review: May 29, 2012

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

In short: The fact that there were no gel bars or elecrolyte drinks available at the drinks stations in the heat killed this race.
In full: This race could have been a good event if it had been organised properly. It was a warm day and the temperature only got warmer as the race wore on but there was nothing to drink except small cups of water, which did nothing to replace the electrolytes lost from the body during the race. To make matters worse there were no gel bars being handed out during the race either - the only food on offer was jelly babies (two occasions) a banana (one occasion) and custard cream biscuits (twice, three times at the most). When I finished the race and went to pick up my stuff I found that my baggage had been lost and it took ages to find it again, which made a bad day even worse. The organisation of this event needs some serious improvement but if that doesn't happen then I honestly think that the best option would be to do away with the New Forest Marathon or hand the organisation over to somebody who can run this event with the level of efficiency that it needs to make it a race to remember for all the right reasons, rather than one that I wish I'd never entered and would rather forget.
Date of review: May 29, 2012

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Overall score		100%
Would you do it again?		Yes
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		40%
Atmosphere		80%
Organisation		100%
Value		100%
Beginner-friendliness		20%

In short: If you like pushing yourself to your limits on trail marathons this race is compulsory!
In full: This really is a good race to get involved in. The scenery is fantastic, the weather was great on both years that I took part and the organisation was excellent. If you want to do an offroad marathon where you can really push yourself outside your comfort zone and test yourself to your limits then this race is a great way to do it. On a very hot day this race will really test your stamina so make sure you bring enough gels and take on plenty of water if you do decide to take part! Definitely one of the best offroad marathons in the United Kingdom, if not the best.
Date of review: May 29, 2012

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