Latest Ratings
| 1 to 9 of 9 ratings | Page: 1 |
2011 Asics Fleet Pre-London Half Marathon
 | | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Fleet by name, Fleet by nature.
In full: Great race, very well organised and well supported. I ran the 25th anniversary of this race five years ago so came back this year in the hope that I could post a WAVA adjusted time that was as good, or better than then. As it happened I smashed the actual time I did five years ago so I'm absolutely delighted! A big thank you to Fleet and Crockham AC and all the fantastic marshalls. I'm very pleased I decided to pay the Fleet Half another visit and I'm sure I won't leave it another 5 years until I make the journey again!
Date of review: March 20, 2011
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2010 Burnham Beeches Half Marathon
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 100% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Loved it!
In full: Fantastic race, great organisation and just about on the right side of challenging with the hilly nature of the course. Nice medal. Really enjoyed it today, thanks to all involved, especially Metallica, AC/DC and the Eynsham Road Runner who (unwittingly) paced me round, Johnny Ball for the water!, and the fantastic marshals! See you next year!
Date of review: August 22, 2010
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2010 'Down Tow Up Flow' Thames Towpath Half Marathon
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 100% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: Lovely Race, a bit hot though!
In full: Really enjoyed the race today, even if it was a bit on the warm side! The organisation was first class, from the buses taking everyone from Marlow to the start point, to the many cheerful marshalls and plentiful water stations. The route was very pretty along the Thames towpath and apart from one jug-eared idiot on a mountain bike trying to cycle through a group of runners most other towpath users were really good and cheered us on. A little disappointed with my time (I ran six minutes quicker at the hilly Great West Run two months ago) but that was probably due to the heat. A very good race, well done and thank you to all concerned.
Date of review: July 25, 2010
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2010 The Great West Run Half-Marathon
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Lots of positives, one big negative
In full: I've done this race three times now and must admit that I do have a bit of a soft spot for it. It is well organised, friendly, quite challenging with it's "undulating" nature and pretty well supported by the locals. Add to this a really good quirky medal in the shape of Exeter Cathedral if it had been designed by Dali, a nice souvenir t-shirt and plenty of water stations makes this a great race overall. However, it has to be said that the course is DULL, DULL, DULL! I like the start and finish being in the Exeter Arena but in one of the nicest parts of the country you'd have thought that a more picturesque route could have been sorted out. Still love it though!
Date of review: July 8, 2010
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2007 Tadworth 10
| | Overall score | | 100% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 100% | | PB potential | | 40% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 60% |
In short: That was pretty tough!
In full: Great way to start the new year and the first time I've done my "local" race. I wasn't quite sure what I'd make of it but I wasn't disappointed at all. The weather was rubbish and the actual course was pretty tough, combine that with far too little training and I was well below my usual pace but under the circumstances... Overall I reckon "tough but rewarding" would be a fair description and it was strange running much of the same roads and tracks that I do in normal training with 500 others! Special mention must go to the marshalls, thanks for all your encouragement and standing out in the rain for so long!
Date of review: January 7, 2007
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2006 Cardiff Half Marathon
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 60% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Overall a good race
In full: Overall a good race, the course was fine but as many have said before the start was a joke, time pens have to be the future. I spent a lot of time in the first few miles having to weave in and out of slower runners, annoying for them as well as me no doubt! Another couple of small gripes would be that the course is too narrow in places (especially down by the docks) and we were all shuffling along in a long tailback. Secondly there were several road sections where the spectators had encroached so far into the road that the runners were almost down to running no more than two abreast and I only saw one marshall (bless her) that was trying to get the spectators to stand back and let the runners through!
Having said that, the park bit running along the banks of the Taff was good (although it did seem to go on for ever!), running over the drawbridge into the Castle was great and finishing in the Millenium Stadium made the whole event for me. It was my mate's first race (my 22nd) and we both will be back again next year. Well worth the round trip from Surrey.
Date of review: October 17, 2006
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2006 Great West Run Half-Marathon
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 40% | | PB potential | | 60% | | Atmosphere | | 80% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Well worth the journey down to Devon.
In full: I last ran this race 10 years ago and although the course had changed significantly I had forgotten how "undulating" Exeter can be; pretty tough on the thighs! I heard a few complaints about the two lap format and whilst I agree that one big lap would be better, the trade-off is getting to run through the city centre twice, with all the marvellous support from the locals. Indeed the crowds were really good along the vast majority of the route, not just the High Street/Sidwell Street stretch and finishing on the track in Exeter Arena is a great touch that adds to the event. The marshalling and organisation was first class and additionally the medal has to be one of the best half-marathon medals around! I didn't get a PB (not really surprising with the long hills) but overall an excellent event and one I will be heartily recommending to my running mates who didn't make the trip down to the West Country this year. Well done to all concerned!
Date of review: May 1, 2006
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2006 Asics Fleet Pre-London Half Marathon
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 80% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 60% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 100% |
In short: Great way to spend Sunday lunchtime!
In full: Really enjoyed it today; true there could have been more water stops and also true that the nature trek through the woods to the start, whilst not unpleasant probably wasn't totally necessary. Overall though a nice race, very smooth organisation, above average support (for a town marathon) and some really nice countryside to race in. Didn't get a PB but that's probably more to do with a heavy day at the footie yesterday rather than the course's time potential. Then took advantage of one of Fleet's Asian restaurants for a delicious carbo replenishment session. A great way to spend a Sunday lunchtime, oh and a nice medal too!
Date of review: March 20, 2006
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2006 Sussex Beacon Half Marathon
| | Overall score | | 80% | | Would you do it again? | | Yes | | | | Details: | | Scenery | | 60% | | PB potential | | 80% | | Atmosphere | | 60% | | Organisation | | 80% | | Value | | 80% | | Beginner-friendliness | | 80% |
In short: Good chance of a PB
In full: The second year in a row that I've done this race, last year felt like -20 degrees, this year wasn't so cold but the weather was still rubbish! Mind you, for some bizarre reason I actually quite like running in the rain and give me the bracing sea air over stifling heat any day! With a large proportion of the race being dead flat there is a real chance of a PB here and whilst I didn’t manage one myself I did take 10 minutes off last year’s time so was well pleased. The organisation is good but I really think they should get rid of the grassy bit, I saw five runners slip over, one causing a bit of a pile up, and I heard of several runners twisting ankles etc. Imagine how gutted you'd feel doing that at 11 miles! The new bit at the beginning through The Lanes was good; surely the route could deviate even further into town negating the need for the "cross country" section! Overall I like this race and will definitely be back next year, who knows; maybe there’ll be sunshine with a gentle cooling breeze in 2007!
Date of review: March 5, 2006
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