My Event Ratings

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

In short: smashing little race last year
In full: There was only the 5k last year but that was surprisingly tough! maybe i'll have a go at the 10k this year :-)
lovely marshalls too!

Date of review: June 8, 2013

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

In short: Great race as Usual!
In full: second time i have done this and both times has been the hottest day of the year so far!
what can i say, the organisation is superb, marshalls lovely, great race for beginners or top athletes alike, in fact us humble folk were able to rub shoulders with a few international runners this year.
the mix of childrens races, 5k and 10k throughout the day, and the carnival atmosphere make it a great day out for all the family. with the weather being as nice as it is, you can take a picnic and stay all day!
the only slightly disappointing thing was that the t-shirt was not a technical one as last year, but i guess you can't have everything :-)
definitely one to keep coming back to.
Date of review: June 3, 2013

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

In short: big improvement on last year!
In full: given the problems last year, the organisers have certainly listened to the comments and made a huge effort to improve things this year.
water stations were well spaced, marshalls were helpful and encouraging, T-shirt and medal were included. good work guys, big improvement
Date of review: March 11, 2013

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

In short: hardest 10k I've ever done, but brilliant!
In full: Although i 'only' did the 10k i think this event was brilliant. Compared to some the oragnisation was very good, and the processing of the registration and the finish procedure was excellent. Looking at some other comments, It is a shame that the longer races were so far out in the distances (the 10k was reasonably accurate), however it must be difficult to measure accurately over such terrain, only follow permitted paths, and still start and finish in the same place, after all its a little different from a road race?
I liked the 'dogtag' medal, OK i know it was cheap but hey, it makes me look like i've survived! :-) made a change from an ordinary one.
I thought the 'dibber' timing devices were a good idea, especially as an added touch you got a timing print out at the finish instead of waiting days to find out your time.
Having done a few trail races i wasnt expecting anything but water at the water point, plus in the race instructions they do give you a mandatory kit list including energy bars/snacks/water - so you can be prepared.
I thought the race was a great challange and definately the hardest 10k i've done.
Yes Quite expensive as races go, but all in all a good experience. Next time i might try the half!
Date of review: December 10, 2012

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

In short: quite challenging
In full: Nicely organised race, lovely marshalls, bit of a clubby feel, but that wasnt intentional its just that a lot of the local clubs ran it! felt like you were all in it together. Nice to get a keepsake mug instead of the usual medal or t-shirt (my husband is jealous!). Pretty hard work, given the mud, lots of slippy rutted tracks, and muddy fields, and hards slogs along country lanes. but think i got away lightly as apparantly it has been a lot worse in previous years!
not sure if i would do again, but only because its a 2 hour drive from where i live!
Date of review: November 19, 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		60%

In short: brilliant again!
In full: my second time doing this race and would do it again! so much variety of terrain means that I am sure it wouldnt be the same 2 years running. managed to make up 5 mins on last year which pleased me immensely :-)
Dont be fooled by the shortish distance, it may be only 12k but it will take it out of you, i overheard comments by some of the more seasoned runners and no-one seemed to find it easy!
fantastic organisation, lovely marshalls, great signage, super goody bags, and loads of Mud, water splashes, and oh yes the 3k of sandy beach at the end to really make you work. great scenery as usual, great weather too. This should be in everyones race calendar! Am coming back for more next year.
Date of review: October 15, 2012

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

In short: Brilliant, Great fun and just challenging enough!
In full: Excellent Race, completely offroad which was great, none of that nasty tarmac stuff! After the first killer hill, the route was fairly flat or gently undulating, so not too scary for beginners. Small problem at one point where lack of marshalls meant a lot of people went the wrong way despite signage, but it all evened out in the end as they had a more difficult descent and was still a great run. Given that this was the first running of this event, this was a minor detail and the doughnuts and cakes at the end more than made up for it! marshalls were encouraging, start and finish at Minterne House was great backdrop, and the views from the top of the hill were fantastic. Definitely one for next year!
Date of review: October 1, 2012

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

In short: Friendly, excellent organisation, nicely challanging hilly 5k
In full: in its first year, this turned out to be a great race! great marshalling, excellent signage, good organisation. This short but quite challanging hilly race would suit all sorts. they had a fun run as well which was untimed, ideal for beginners. Nice little medal for the bargain £6 entry fee.
BBQ was laid on, refreshments were available afterwards. Shame that not many people entered, the field was only about 30 runners in total, but that did not distract from the race itself, its just a shame as it was raising funds for the scout group. Perhaps an idea for next year would be to combine the race with a local village fete or fair as this may attract more entrants?
Date of review: September 9, 2012

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

In short: great fun
In full: did this one last year, it was my first actual race event, and i loved it! Doing it again this year for the fun of it - great scenery - nice 1 lap route. good for beginners or experienced alike.
Date of review: July 2, 2012

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

In short: badly organised
In full: I did the half marathon, some advice, do not attempt this if you have not done this distance before, as i hadnt. badly organised, no signage on any roads, anywhere. got lost looking for the car park. got mini bus ok getting to the venue but vague return instructions - we were told we had to turn right out of the venue and then wait for the minibus down the road. when we managed to flag a minibus down we were asked why were we going that way? Most questions seem to be met with 'urrrm, not sure'. considering this was a festval of running and there were so many events, there not many stalls or facilities - nothing to interest anyones 'support crew'. really large queue at registration. At the very least there were good toilets thanks to the fact that it was held in a campsite. The goody bags werent - in mine i got a cereal bar and a load of adverts - waste of a plastic bag if you ask me, no medal, nothing, i know collecting medals itsnt the be all and end all but something to mark the fact that you had finished would be nice. I wasnt the last across the line, there were 7 people behind me, but when i got there i got given only a plastic cup of water (not even a bottle), and all the medal giving had finished (apart from the 50k runners) I felt that this was a clicky event, for serious runners only and you were made to think that those at the back werent worth the bother. Not enough water stations given the heat. marshalls not close enough together - at one point i was slogging my way across a long section, all by myself and could only just make out a yellow jacket in the distance. not enough signage, no distance markers either. Didnt seem to be any back runners, just a guy on a bike going round afterwards picking up what signs there were - could have been someone at the back in trouble, maybe gotten lost, and no-one would have known. wouldnt do this again unless they get their act together.
Date of review: March 12, 2012

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