My Event Ratings

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

In short: Shows promise
In full: With some minor improvements, this Marathon will be one of the best. Shame about the British weather on it's inaugural journey.
Date of review: May 1, 2012

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

In short: Challenging hilly but worth it..
In full: Here goes... Fantastic organisation. My 3rd Halstead (failed on 1st 2 , as blew up/injury) . Did 3.22 V40- which was very pleasing. Course was small ups/downs all the way, aprt from start/finish. Lovely locals, who wanted to support(aprt from the speeding Range Rover?) Handing out of jelly babies etc, by random kids was great. Nice country lanes x 2 laps was pretty, with yellow rape seed fields smellin nice. I went of nice & slow so i enjoyed it! I am not sure but i think it was the same or slightly hillier than Bungay Mara?

Only thing i would say is just put the water stops closer together after 15 miles & giv water bottles as cups hard to drink outta Other than that, some runners run better up/ down hills SO maybe a pb is poss(or 10 mins slower?-lol) I would come back & did nt mind my 2 an half hr drive..The weather this yr was kind, not hot like last yr & apart from a wee cold wind it was perfect. I did think rain was going to dampen our spirits but it cleared up with just a shower before hand. Great!! OK, shower room was cramped but it was fine.. Please continue with this excerlent race Halstead Runners!!!! thanks for goody bag, needed the snacks on drive home & the medal was THE BEST I have had (along with my London 87) The Bungay medal was crap compared to Halstead, with the event name,date all stamped on a large thick medal, with web site on ribbon. Bungay had a thin thing with nothing on the medal just a bit on its ribbon ( i only cherish Mara/Ultra/Tri medals as for 10ks etc, this is waste of money)...

I may be back!! 3.15 nxt yr....
Date of review: May 11, 2010

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

In short: Feel good factor, country lanes, sea but slow shingle , nice in 2010 as very SUNNY!
In full: I enjoyed the sunny, massive car park, great warm up roads. Loo stops (discreet bushes & forest) along warm up route BUT not in the Gardens themselves please!, one of the rules, LOL.

Friendly, great marshalls (only 1 case for me when they never pointed, until i asked out loud, choice of 2 ways on a bend/fork)

I found first 4k down gradient, which led to 1k/800m on ok hard-ish shingle(fantastic sea view) & good turn around point. Second 5k was slight up gradient, felt the k markers may of been out (1k maybe 10-15 secs short?) or the last 2k were 1 min long? but not sure as i was slowing & my mate who won said his Garmin read 10k exact.

Great relaxed country lane route that made you want to stop & look at views. Would be nice to race & then have a pub meal/walk in the forest/pat the wild horses afterwards.

Thank you Hardley & Co for your time & effort! Jolly well done, more running shoe trophies (for prize winners) please, as they were best trophy i have ever seen for runners!
Date of review: March 14, 2010

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

In short: Scenic route
In full: Would like to be sure about the measurement of course as I think 5k, 8k points were long and maybe overall distance 150 metres short? Marshals did not point (which is so typical of a fun run style race, they think we know where we are going, with one turning at about 8.5km with NO MARSHAL! just an arrow)Prize giving for my mate who won was done too quick while we were on a "warm down" and i saw no results up and can't find any on any web sites? NO vet prizes were given.

Otherwise a great course which was mainly flat with a couple of rises, gravel tracks, traffic free and good car parks. The loo got blocked and could of done with many more chemical loos but plenty of bushes a jog away to do your business if you got stuck.

I may come back next year and have a choice of 5k or 10k an hr apart, or do both if you are brave?.

AL Doney
Date of review: May 4, 2009

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