My Event Ratings

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

In short: Great course, great cake, great fun - bad map!
In full: I returned for another go at this, hoping to skim some time off with a determination not to get lost this year. However the map is not great and the temptation to follow the crowd overcame me and once again I got lost following the wrong trail. 3 miles off course! Still, the camaraderie got us through and we got back on course.
This would definately be worth recceing, its of note that a lot of the front runners live in the locality and know the trails.
The weather was great this year so roadies were fine, the canal path crucified those who went for sturdy trail shoes. Some people changed into roadshoes at the canal (CP3) - this is probably the best solution.
Great event, better photographs this year, quick results too. Still no tea or coffee at the finish (other than a cafe where we had to pay) - a poor offering of water and jelly babies.
However a nice medal and no goodybag filled with fliers.
A great beginning to the Ultra year.
Date of review: January 17, 2012

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

In short: Hilly, hard and heavenly
In full: Fabulous course - always going up or going down, quite technical in places and the terrain is ever changing too - whilst this meant that i was not always able to appreciate the outstanding views, it also meant that the out and back course didn't feel repetitive and the miles flew by.
Loved the banter at the start and finish, great t-shirt and hat, as well as the usual impressive bling.
Always enjoy the trionium post race carrot, and the decent fry-up with fellow exhausted runners was also a real treat.
Date of review: October 26, 2011

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

In short: Great marshalls, great cake, great course and great finish (apart from the weather!)
In full: Really enjoyed this race, although it would be better if they could accomodate runners coming from the station (shuttle bus maybe?) as I had to fork out for a taxi.
Brilliant atmosphere, very friendly, marshalls were great and never once did i worry about whether I was on course or not (although i couldnt have told you where i was!). No mile markers, but i dont think that matters too much with a trail marathon. The hills were runnable (although marthas church is challenging with the sand!) and the downhills were fabulous.
Bit of a long queue to get a drink at the end, but that is easily amended.
Great to have a good pub right near the finish to meet up afterwards too!
Date of review: September 20, 2011

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

In short: Great course, great camaraderie, great fun
In full: This is the 3rd year I have taken part now and its great to see it grow every year. The festival atmoshpere means you have support and encouragement right to the end of the 24 hours. THere are lots of positive things to say - the marshalls, the course itself, the solo campsite. And its good to see that the organiser has taken on some complaints from last year - there were toilets in the solo area this year and some around the course.
However there are stil some issues - 16 showers for 1,200 runners plus all their supporters and families was never going to be enough. As a solo runner I had to queue for over half an hour in the heat after running for 24 hours. Really not ideal. Next year he has promised us 4 extra showers, but he has also suggested there will be an additional 1000 runners. There was also a lot of chaos in the food tent at times, I would suggest some sort of priority system for solo runners. I wasted a good amount of time just waiting for an orange juice.

Inevitably the event has now lost its small, secret, charm. But I think if it is going to be able to survive on a big scale then the facilities must be upgraded to match this.
But i love the other runners, some great conversations were had and friendships formed.
I'll be back, the challenge is too good to miss.
Date of review: August 3, 2011

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

In short: Clear water swim, pancake flat cycle and run
In full: Was my first triathlon so i have little to compare it to, other than my running experience. It was great for spectators as they could stand beside the lake, or view from the terrace cafe and then the cycle and run laps were around the lake so you had support the whole way. The waves were 30 minutes apart, which was enough time for the field to seperate and for there to always be people to pass and people passing you. No medals, no prizes but nice t-shirts and immediate split times and positions printed on a receipt to take home. Dorney lake is a fabulous setting for your first triathlon, I cant wait to do more!
Date of review: July 4, 2011

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

In short: Storms, Hills, Mud, Steps, Falling, Rivers = awesome delicious pain!
In full: The lightning storm at the start heightened my sense of fear but strengthened the camaraderie as we all pointlessly huddled together under the non-waterproof tent! So the fact that I was soaking before it started meant that wading through the river 4 times was less of a shock!
I loved it, the downhills were steep enough for fearless sprinting/tumbling, the mud was mostly controllable, the uphills were torturous but usually followed by long flats or downs. The never-ending challenges meant that the miles and hours flew by.
The marshalls were awesome, lots of loud and smile inducing encouragement, they urged me to push it so much more than I would have without them.
The other runners felt like my best friends by the end. Having my name on my shirt (as well as my number) meant I got so much support. Great value for money; great t-shirt, medal and mug as well as some decent cake at the end. I'm so proud to have survived!
Date of review: June 20, 2011

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

In short: You'll be glad when its over - but you'll want to do it again!
In full: 3.5 laps of a park could easily be dull, but this was beautiful and the trail was challenging enough to distract you from any sense of monotony.
Organisation was great, 3 waves, 5 minutes apart, meant that the trail was never overcrowded. I would ask that the organisers keep the numbers fairly low - its too narrow trail for many more.
Great ending with the race organiser cheering you in, kids giving you medal, drinks, bananas, raisins and hot cross buns. All lovely toucher - and the t-shirt fits perfectly, for a change! Yes, more toilets might have been good - part. if numbers increase. Perhaps some energy drinks at water stations too.
They are definately on to a winner here! Brilliant!
Date of review: May 17, 2011

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

In short: A quick course, beautiful sea views, great organisation
In full: Serious PB potential here, the few hills are in the first half and the rest is pancake flat. I don't usually enjoying races where I must double back on myself, but it allowed greater crowd support and also for us slower ones to see the elites zooming past. Great shot blok stations, plenty of powerade and water, nice touch with the showers too. Amazing marshalls, fabulous crowd. Enjoyed "hitting the wall" in its literal sense at mile 21 (??). Brighton is ideal for post-marathon ice-baths in the sea, relaxing on the beach and eating "recovery" icecreams!
Some bottle-neck areas at the beginning - took me 7 minutes to cross the start (and I was in the 3rd pen, not sure how long it took those in the 7th!), but with a big city race I expected as much.
LOVED IT BRIGHTON!
Date of review: April 12, 2011

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

In short: Great organisation, flattish course, great marshalls and all for charity!
In full: The organisers have clearly lifted their game on this one - great marshalls and signage, police on hand to stop the traffic, plenty of water stations and a mostly flat course (tbh there seemed to be more downhill than up!). The only drawback is the rather dull course with almost no local support. But i might give it another go next year, im happy to support the smaller local races.
and as for the toilets - no race provides enough toilets. be prepared.
Date of review: March 27, 2011

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

In short: A great crowd, a great route, a great day
In full: Really enjoyed the second year of this race. They have obviously taken on board where people got lost last year and improved the signage, as well as changing hotels to somewhere more welcoming with an allocated warm room for us and a massage. Bit of a silly loop at the beginning but a good warm up for the route ahead which was mostly flat with 2 killer muddy walked-by-most hills thrown in during the 2nd half.
Good to see the race growing and I'll be back again next year to hopefully knock some more minutes off (gotta do some more hill training!)
Date of review: February 21, 2011

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