My Event Ratings

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

In short: The best course I have ever run
In full: This was, without doubt, one of the best races I have ever had the pleasure of competing in. Not only was the course epic, beautiful, varied and challenging, but the support and organization from the race marshalls was first class. It is a hilly course, but there are plenty of flat sections and some great down hill bursts to enjoy. I finished 1st in 2:45:06, just 3 minutes off my time set on the pancake-flat Manchester Marathon course 6 weeks before (albeit in awful conditions), so it's actually a bit faster than you would first think. The £25 entry fee was good value for money, considering the huge spread of sandwiches, cakes and other treats the locals had laid on for us after the race! A great, friendly marathon in a beautiful part of the country. I'll be back next year for sure!
Date of review: June 13, 2012

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

In short: Not for the faint hearted, but well worth doing.
In full: I ran the Eyam half for the 1st time in 2011 and really enjoyed the race. Crossed the line in 1:26:19 for 7th place which I was well pleased with, but it wasn't easy.

Firstly, the hills in and around Eyam are extremely steep. Thankfully, the longest ascent is dealt with after about 1 mile, but there are several short, sharp climbs throughout the course which really put a strain on your legs. Admittedly, all of those ascents are made up for by several fast, steep down-hill sections (particularly he last mile - fantastic!) but overall it is a very tough course.

The organisation and marshalling was 1st class, and the setting was very nice. A turnout of around 450 runners this year meant that it wasn't too hard to find a parking space and traffic on the way out was minimal.

If you are considering running this race, then I would highly recommend putting in a good few hours worth of hill reps in the weeks leading up to it, as this will definitely pay dividends!
Date of review: May 16, 2011

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

In short: Best race I have ever done!
In full: You can't really fault the Sheffield half, it has everything: Excellent organisation, closed roads, good mixture of hills and flats, stadium start/finish and most of all, amazing crowd support. I finished in 1:20:11 this year for 20th place and can honestly say it is the most enjoyable race I have ever done. Credit to the course planners for picking a fantastic route, and a big thanks to the residents of Sheffield for cheering every runner onj every step of the way.

Will I be back next year? Of course!
Date of review: May 12, 2011

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

In short: Great race. Lovely mix of changing scenery, very good organisation and easy to get to. Tough up hill section at the start, but all together a very good run!
Date of review: November 1, 2010

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