My Event Ratings

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

In short: Who needs London!
In full: What I like about this event is that the organisers have the right attitude. They clearly have listened to the criticisms raised after the inaugural event last year and have acted on them. In this case the bag drop ran like clockwork, there were plenty of available loos and the whole thing had a very professional feel to it.

This year posed a whole new set of problems with blazing sunshine replacing wind and rain. Thankfully there were plenty of water and sports drinks being distributed on route. I liked the water bottles, a practical size and easy to drink from. The Mars bar and banana in the goody bag at the end was also very welcome!

The course is a real mixture. The first third was on closed roads and reasonably flat before heading onto paths around woodlands, lakes and residential areas. As others have pointed out it did become quite undulating towards the end with seemingly endless bridges and underpasses. They are the kind of hills that you would barely notice if you were running 5k but after 20 miles it was hard work.

One thing that was a really nice surprise was the number of people out cheering on the runners. It does make a difference, especially when you are struggling. The marshals too were always cheerful and helpful.

Overall I think this is a great race. For anyone who didn't get into London but who wants the experience of running in a well organised, friendly event I would definitely consider this a worthy alternative.

Date of review: May 7, 2013

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

In short: Few teething problems but a good first time effort.
In full: This was a charming little race, that had a very friendly, intimate feel to it.
They were certainly lucky with the weather. After 6 weeks of cold windy rubbish, finally the sun came out and you could almost describe the day as warm. This was extra lucky in a way because it doesn't take too much rain to turn part of this course along the south side of the river into a muddy nightmare! No such problems today though!

Pros:

Scenery - For a run this close to central London you are not going to find a more idyllic route.

Course - It's flat so PB's are possible. Beware though that about half the race was on tracks rather than roads which were, especially between Hammersmith and Chiswick on the South side quite rutted and stony. It's harder work than running on roads, my legs suffered badly in the last few miles!

The start - no fancy celebrities or big hooters. It was just a bloke blowing a whistle. Keep it real!

Cons:
A few more signs would have been welcome, especially around the bridges. I run round these parts quite regularly so had a rough idea where I was going. However towards the end of the race (from Chiswick bridge onwards) there were a number of paths, junctions and turnoffs that could have done with some extra signs just to reassure tired runners that they were still on the right track.

Water bottles - Big, put not a major problem. I certainly prefer them to the paper cups. What may have been useful would be some temporary bins to dispose of them after 100m or so. Maybe I was just knackered but certainly after the second stop at 9-10miles I struggled to see anywhere.

Loos: Few more at the start please.

Chip timing: Appreciate that this was meant to be happening but the organisers were let down by the chip company. Definitely a plus to have this in so you don't need to wait too long for the results!


Date of review: April 8, 2013

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

In short: Brrrrrrrr!!!!
In full: Apparently last year some people were complaining it was too hot. No such problems this time round. Definitely a hat and gloves race!

Thankfully Tunbridge Wells Harriers clearly know what they are doing and, despite the conditions this was a wonderfully fun, well organised race.

Quick too. I broke my PB, and the wife came very close to hers too (which she set here anyway!). For the first 5 odd miles the course is predominantly downhill. Spring Hill in the middle is long but not too steep (compared to say the hill at the end of the Canterbury Half which feels like you are scaling a cliff!). After that it's a relatively flat run to the finish. Therefore if you get your early pace right I think it's very possible to run fast here.

The free bananas and hot chocolate at the end were definitely a welcome bonus and long may it continue!
Date of review: March 1, 2013

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

In short: 2012 Race Review - They need to think about what they want this race to be
In full: Firstly, I live in Greenwich so by walking to the start I was able to bypass a lot of the queuing/bag drop issues that would have affected most of the runners. Therefore I have given the low organisation mark in line with what others have been saying as it definitely sounds like work needs to be done here. I've done the Reading Half a few times which is a similar size and that seems to function quite well so maybe they need to have a look at how that works.

I like the route. It's generally wide and open and for an intermediate runner like myself quite fast - the uphill bits are in the first part of the race with the downhill where you want it most i.e. near the end! I managed to knock 3 minutes off my PB.

I think the biggest problem that RTTB has is that it is confused about it's identity. Events can be set up as serious races with well laid out courses, chip timing and efficient logistics to get runners in and out quickly. Or they can be built around the novelty/party angle with unique features that make them appeal to more than just pure runners. These may be less well organised, busier and potentially more expensive but make up for it because it is the "experience" of the whole day rather than just the run that matters.

Run to the Beat seems to be trying to do both but hasn't quite got it right. Serious runners get frustrated with the poor logistics, timing chip issues, questionable course length and high cost. At the same time the fun run element hasn't quite worked because I don't think the music is inclusive enough, plus it was so damn cold this year! Last year the event was held in September on a lovely warm day. I don't think it was any coincidence that there were less complaints!

Until they decide which option to go with:
1). Serious organised race: cheaper, better logistics, fewer runners.

2). Novelty run: more music & activities, summer.

I think this event will continue to receive dodgy reviews.
Date of review: October 31, 2012

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

In short: A few minor niggles but otherwise a lovely way to spend a crisp autumn morning!
In full: Pros:
2nd half of the course was lovely. That coupled with running largely downhill for the last 3 miles made for a great finish.

In race organisation was fine; plenty of enthusiastic marshals and water stops where they should be.

I liked the t-shirt at the end. Some people complain about not getting goody bags etc but personally I'd much rather have something I can actually use in the future.

Cons:
The organisation at the start needs to be improved a bit. We arrived a hour before start time but by the time we had got parked, changed, queued up to get our numbers, obligatory visit to the loo and made the walk upto the line we found we had actually missed the start! The main problem was the queuing for the numbers. Similar size races I have been to (Grand Union Canal, Upflow Downtow - Purple Patch Running, Canterbury - Nice Work)post the numbers to you beforehand which is great as it means one thing less to faff around doing on the day. The queuing system itself was also somewhat chaotic as the hall was bursting to the brim with runners queuing, warming up or dropping off bags,race organisers and people setting up stalls.

The first half was a bit bland/occasionally dangerous. OK, so I probably didn't help myself here by starting late but being forced to spend a large chunk of the race running in single file along busy A roads didn't really help the racing too much.
Date of review: October 15, 2012

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