My Event Ratings

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

In short: A fast field of mostly club runners on a flat 3-lap course
In full: Good value - not many 10k races that cost a fiver to enter; this one was well-organised - no chip timing but not necessary; there were under 200 entrants and the officials had a good system going at the end. Great race for a PB, though the slightly longer first lap due to the positioning of the start line makes you wonder what you're letting yourself in for before lap 2 comes blessedly into sight.
Date of review: October 1, 2012

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

In short: A wet day for it but a great race: lovely location and great organisation
In full: Not sure how many marshals were out there getting soaked today but there were a fair number and they did a cracking job - also nice to get encouragement from the many damp bystanders who had turned out along the very scenic route. I got totally drenched too but it helped to regulate my temperature quite nicely and I found the pacing comfortable - didn't think any of the uphills were too long or steep, and it seemed like there were plenty more downhill stretches to make up the time on.
Date of review: September 23, 2012

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

In short: Flat multi-lap course that's ideal for a PB.
In full: I ran this a lot quicker than I was expecting to, despite being overtaken by the 1st place guy shortly after starting the first of the four bigger laps. Lots of PBs all around, I'd have thought, as this is an entirely flat course and you get buoyed along by the runners around you. The organisers have it down to a tee and this is a race I'll definitely do again.
Date of review: September 8, 2012

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Overall score		40%
Would you do it again?		Maybe
Details:
Scenery		100%
PB potential		20%
Atmosphere		60%
Organisation		100%
Value		80%
Beginner-friendliness		40%

In short: Great organisation, apart from picking the hottest day of the year for it!
In full: The heat was a killer today - I went off aiming for a new PB and only sustained the pace I wanted for the first 5 miles, then lost momentum altogether, as did a lot of others by the sound of it. A good number of water stations, though there were still a few guys collapsing from dehydration. On a cooler day, this would have been lovely, but as it was, I just wanted it to be over and became a lot less bothered about my time after a while.
Date of review: August 19, 2012

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

In short: Small club race, well organised and fun despite the awful weather conditions
In full: Torrential rain had runners huddling in the marquee before the start but thankfully eased off as the race got going. The wet ground was dicey in places, with one guy going over on the grass in front of me not long after the start, and a few slopes and cobbled bits where going slow was the only sensible option. A lot of weaving round big puddles required along the towpath. Despite the weather, the atmopshere was pleasant, the marshals did a great job, and there were quite a few PBs from what I could tell. Nice race shirt as well.
Date of review: July 8, 2012

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

In short: Well organised race with good atmosphere and nice route through lovely Regents Park
In full: I've been chasing a 10k PB since January and this was definitely the course for it - it's not 100% flat and it does weave about a bit, but on the whole I reckon it's good for some fast times. One I'll do again, probably in another 6 months time! (albeit the Winter Series by then)
Date of review: July 1, 2012

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

In short: 3x laps of the pavements around the outside of the Hampstead Heath extension. Challenging but enjoyable.
In full: This race takes place in Hampstead Garden Suburb and is mainly on pavements apart from a grassy bit at the end. A lot of people went on about 'the long uphill' beforehand though this wasn't so bad even though you do have to do it three times. The long downhill makes up for it a bit. This wasn't a PB course for me but it wasn't so far off it that I felt disappointed in any way. Watermelon at the end was a nice touch!
Date of review: June 24, 2012

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Overall score		60%
Would you do it again?		No
Details:
Scenery		80%
PB potential		20%
Atmosphere		40%
Organisation		100%
Value		100%
Beginner-friendliness		40%

In short: The first couple of miles don't prepare you for what's to come!
In full: A friendly well-organised race with lots of marshals out on the course offering words of encouragement. Incredibly tough though, once you hit the first long muddy trail, then the fields and farm tracks and the scramble up through the woods. Glad this wasn't my first race over this distance, and happy with my time and position - not a race to expect a PB on unless it happens to be your first 10 miler!
Date of review: June 18, 2012

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

In short: Nice local race - the only thing I'd fault is my own form on the day!
In full: Nice atmosphere in Priory Park at the start and finish of the race, and the volunteers out on the course did a cracking job, particularly where drivers were getting aggressive having to wait at a pedestrian crossing. Organisers also did a good job keeping everyone informed on the run up to the race given there was the prospect of a clash with another event in the grounds of Ally Pally, and everything went smoothly as far as I could tell. Nice selection of goodies at the end of the race too.
Date of review: May 21, 2012

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

In short: Good organisation and marshaling - just a real shame about the awful weather!
In full: Despite the weather, a more enjoyable race than my one previous HM. Getting the pacing right meant I didn't struggle so much with the hills and head-winds, the mud and the puddles, though they were certainly plentiful. The underpasses got to be a bit of a killer towards the end of the race and the last bit felt like the toughest slog despite being my fastest mile. A cracking job by the organisers though, and nice to get both a medal and a t-shirt for completing it.
Date of review: April 30, 2012

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