My Event Ratings

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

In short: Organisation shambolic, especially the start. Route very narrow in places. Very nice scenery along the river for the last few km
In full: It's my 1st 10k race so I'm pre-registered and on site 45 min b4 the advertised start time. No queue for timing chip. All good so far..... then I turned around and noticed the massive queue for people paying on the day / registering. Hmm don't think we're starting on time! The chap on the PA is making increasingly frantic requests for one of the organisors to come over to registration as he could see it was all going south.
I'm freezing my nuts off so let's go for a run around the field (is this really a park??. Looking forward to the organised warm up. We're called to the start, 'great, time for the mass warm up, I'm freezing'... nope, it seems we're off!

I'm about a 1/3 of the way back so no worries following the herd around a football field. Corners are being massively cut, 'cos there's no tape, just some plastic discs on the floor. Marshalls standing around looking bemused. This doesn't resemble the route I saw on the website!?

Out of the playing fields and through a car park full of traffic trying to park, past a rugby pitch with motorists trying to turn in for a kiddies rugby game. I'm actually feeling sorry for the drivers. Along a narrow path, half the runners are in the cycle / bus lane. Then along the high street, dodging cars, bollards, post boxes. Eventually we're onto the Thames path, lovely views, it's a little narrow, but relaxing now. Going to be easy to -ve split this, given all the obstacles in the 1st 5k. Across a narrow bridge, uphill sprint in thick grass and we're done. Mmm nice sweeties and medal.

Timing chip worked a treat. Route was 10k exactly according to my GPS. Results online that night, photos the day after.
Date of review: November 22, 2010

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