My Event Ratings

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

In short: You know what you get.. good course.. can be windy..nice and flat..
In full: I did this for the 2nd year knowing the course would be the right distance (cardiff races make note !).. it would be traffic free and hastle free.. and it was.. The race is on the coast so it can be windy but as it is up and back you get the benefit and the hurt as well.. so i think it evens it self out..

i enjoyed seeing other runners going the opposite way as i could say hello to my other club runners..(and see the leaders three times.. i never get to see them in other races..) the road surface is very good to run on.. smooth and even for most of the route..
the costal path is very smooth and enjoyable to run on..

the water stops have bottles with tops you can sip from.. no plastic cups..(i dispare on some races.. how orgnaisers think those cups are any use at all..)..even races like berlin have those annoying plastic cups - which is the last thing you want at 20 miles slow down drink and speed up again..

So.. you wont get sports drinks, buy this t shirt get this logo.. etc.. but you well get a well orgnaised race.. you can park right near the start you dont have to walk miles and mile and there is enough parking..(other races note.. cardiff bay! not a good idea!).. and well marshalled..

If i'm marathon training again next year.. i'll be back.. as its a good pratice event..

Date of review: March 9, 2012

Report this rating to the moderator

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: not a PB Course..but a MUST DO MARATHON..
In full: I'm not going to completely re-write the les coupiers cardiff article here.. but this is my short summary.

> the marathon is hilly - dont start fast.. have a good chat on the way around...(unless your top 50 or so..).. (i'm normally 3 hrs or so for a marathon - a hard training run at 331..).. enjoy it.. see les croupiers cardiff forum for full report.. but i'll be back in 2012!!! waiting for Jan 1st to register..30 anniversary..

To sum it up, this is why Snowdon gets 12 out of 10 for me. It's a marathon that is really hard to beat for enjoyment.

1. If it is rainy it's better because you doing a hard marathon and it's part of the challenge.
2. the crowd are great.
3. the views are just fantastic.
4. the atmosphere is great.
5. water stops are really good and regular.(and as its often cold and wet you dont need as many).Water stops were better than the Berlin marathon.
6. a great group of runners from the best club on the planet always run Snowdon.
7. you get great cake on the travel up (usually) with the Club trip.
8. pubs are great in Llanberis.
9. you don't care about your time and you don't need a watch!
10. You can transfer your number up to about 1 month before the race (then they print the bar codes).
11.It's on a Saturday so you can go to the pub Saturday night.
12. The whole area gets behind the race.

A lot of bigger marathons could learn from this one.
Date of review: November 15, 2011

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: I'd rate it highly if you turned at 1/2 day and ran back to edinburgh..
In full: I did this race in 2011,
+ Edinburgh is a good city
+ T Shirt is really good (one of the top ones i have !)
+ Numbers are posted ahead of time..(so you dont have to worred about getting tired and hastled the day before)
- walking 2 miles from the finish to the buses..(i'm not kidding!)
- waiting 20 mins for my baggage(i did 309.. dunno what it was like further down the field) but maybe that was becuase they were only just sorted from the half..
- not enough water stops
- course is right on course.. it is flat. but when is it not windy by the sea.. i'd suspect it is always windy for this race..(but maybe / maybe not)..
- there is an gravel section
+ lots of toilets at the start..(but then they said if they catch u peeing in the bushes they take your number so their better be!!!
+ quick start.. (we for the 3:30 and faster.) as their are two starts.
so.. for me.. they really need to finish this race in the city centre
- for organisation..i gave 2 is that it was very windy and a few barriers were knocked over by the wind.. they should have know this.. the weather was forcasted all week( i noted at least 2 runners knocked over)..
I think edinburgh is like cardiff... they want a marathon but dont want the city centre closed..
Date of review: November 15, 2011

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: An Off-road race..with a road element.. not an easy one..
In full: I've done this race 3 times now (at least).. its far from easy.. but it has a great atomsphere.. you run the first 6 more or less up hill then have some very rapid down hills from then on... Half way is 7 miles(per most peoples time..)..

In 2011, the weather was not at its best.. but the race was well orgnaised certainly enough water stops.. you get clapped by orgnaisers( every runner) that enters the hall at the end..

As its a point to point race.. you take the bus from 10am to start at 12.. there is some waiting around..

The race has a fair mix of runners a few fast ones.. but as its off road and you have injury risk.. it tends to keep a fair few of those away..


Date of review: September 17, 2011

Report this rating to the moderator

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

In short: Great marathon training
In full: This race is hard: Don't be told anything else. but the people and organisation is good and the country side is fab.
Date of review: September 4, 2010

Report this rating to the moderator