My Event Ratings

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

In short: The race had good potential but was let down by bad organisation and lack of attention to detail.
In full: Edinburgh Marathon promised so much but delivered so little.
To be fair the race itself was fine. The fuel stations were well managed and the local support was great.
However, the finish was hurrendous.... My family were told they could not go to the finishing straight to cheer me on, even though there was hardly anyone there. After the finish line there was about a 1.5 mile walk to the meeting area, which was so badly signed that I ended up waiting for 40 minutes next to a road, thinking that was the area (not what I needed).
My main complaint was the lack of attention to detail; in my opinion when someone completes a marathon they should be rewarded (especially when the entry fee in £44). But at the finish we all got a genereic 'Edinburgh Marathon Festival' t-shirt, and a generic EMF medal which said 'marathon' on the bottom. My family ran the 10K on the saturday and recieved the same gear (but the medal said 10k, 5k and Junior). It seems like they got a 'job lot' to save on costs.
Very dissapointing.
Date of review: May 24, 2011

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

In short: Great race which was well organised on the whole, slightly let down by basic problems.
In full: The course was fast and the weather was great. It was well marshalled and well organised on the whole....

There was an issue of lack of water for some runners, as the organisers planned on filling up cups and giving them out. This was never going to work so they ended up having to give out the bottles, and inevitably ran out.

The main problem was that the 'turn around point' and been positioned to far up the road, therefore meaning we ran 13.4 miles. The organisers have now giving out the revised time for 13.1 miles, and I'm sure they won't make that mistake again.

This was a good race and I would not be put of by the above issues if I was looking for a fast half next year.
Date of review: April 13, 2011

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

In short: Nice race, especially the first half marathon.
In full: The first half of the race takes you through the city and past some good landmarks. There are a few sharp(ish) hills to keep you on your toes. After about mile 12 it is pretty much pancake flat. There is a bit less going on for the second half of the race, but I would take flat roads over a nice view especially at the later stages of the marathon!

All in all it was a well organised race with good local support throughout. I will be coming back this year to support my wife in her first half marathon, but won't be running myself.
Date of review: March 14, 2011

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