My Event Ratings

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

In short: Mud glorious mud - but in reality not too much of it! A bit hilly as well.
In full: The BRH 21K is a 4 lap course with other runners doing 1 lap (5K) and 2 laps (10K) - a dogend just before the end of the 1st lap adds the extra km for the 21K. The organisation was excellent - and the weather this year was good running weather but the trees also(the course is on foresty land) provide some shade. The course itself is through woodland and very pleasant - in parts it is muddy - you could lose a shoe in the wrong bits - and you did have to leap the odd puddle - but this added to the fun. I would do it again - its a lovely small low key event which had an absolutely fab. goodie bag at the end - complete with mug from a well known coffee chain sponsor - chocolate, cereal bar, water bottle etc etc, - even lots of bananas! The organisation was efficient and friendly and the field not too crowded. Its not a HM with loads of crowd support - but if you enjoy a good trail run and aren't afraid of a little mud this is a lovely race.
Date of review: March 27, 2010

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

In short: Fantastic scenery and lots of "undulations"
In full: This was my first time running a marathon and I have to say I really enjoyed myself. There were lots of well spaced water and lucozade stations and I've very glad I did some hill training - but in my mind there were only two killer hills and I just walked up them to save energy. The remaining "undulations" were okay from a beginner perspective. The hill at mile 17 is very tough mind you (its one I walked up) - but overall the scenery was so wonderful it made the miles fly by. General support was fading slightly by the time I finished (just over 5 hours) - but I still felt great as I crossed the finish line. A good race for beginners providing you put in the hill training.
Date of review: October 6, 2009

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

In short: Horrible Hills, Hot Weather, Lots of Water, Terrific Views & Friendly Runners!
In full: A generally well organised race but there was a bit of a crowd at the start, as well-wishers (+ dogs/prams) were on the course with the runners. It was very hot and sunny but the scenery was stunning, the support welcome, and the route clearly marked. There were plenty of water stations but it would have been good to know in advance where these were stationed on the course map. The route had a fair bit of shade and was well planned (but was definitely more "hilly" than "undulating" IMHO). A slight breeze made it less unpleasant in the heat. The opening climbs were tougher than expected and the hill on the way back was a killer, but the race was all the more enjoyable for the challenge. A nice medal and decent goody bag were worth the reasonable entry cost.
Date of review: May 25, 2009

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