My Event Ratings

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

In short: fast course with high pb potential
In full: This is a big race in every sense. High quality field and large numbers with a big race feel. The course is gently undulating with the second 5k mainly slightly downhill, but with the roads closed and good surfaces to run on it's definitely one to target for a pub. Despite the icy wind I knocked almost a minute off my pb and many others from our club got pbs or season bests.

Chip timing is always welcome in a field of over 1000, but why do we still get useless cotton tees at events of this stature? Tech tees cost about a pound more to buy in bulk, stick the price up a quid and give a decent t that people will use, thereby giving more exposure to the sponsors. Win/win.
Date of review: December 31, 2012

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

In short: Finest Rural Lancashire, made for speed (and cheese!)
In full: First time I've done this and it won't be the last. Almost perfect conditions, virtually still, cold and sunny, just a little bit icy underfoot in places.

Organisation was first class, although parking at Guys can be a problem when busy and of course the start and finish go through the car park which limits numbers a bit.

Once out of the car park (couple of hundred metres or so) this is a really quick course, well signed, watered and extremely well marshalled, with little traffic and almost completely flat with just a couple of small lumps. I'm a relative newbie to racing so slaughtered my pb by over 7 minutes, but it's obviously a fast course for most; whatever your pace and level you'll go well on here (providing it isn't windy).

On a crisp clear day the scenery and views are pretty good too if you have time to enjoy them!

Quick results at the end and a lovely big block of local cheese rounded off a belting morning run. Highly recommended.
Date of review: December 3, 2012

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

In short: Great Race, just a few tweaks required to organisation
In full: The race itself is tremendous, plenty of variety of gradient and surface (it's not all road!) and the marshals and locals are VERY encouraging and friendly. The views are brilliant, especially around The Great Orme and along the foreshore/beach, plus there's the wonderful start and finish area on the Marina in the shadow of Conwy Castle.

However, the organisation needs looking at, especially as the event grows (2000+ entered this year, although only around 1600 started). Parking wasn't good unless you were very early (90 minutes plus), the queue for numbers was very long (esp if you'd been trying to park for 45 minutes and were running out of time) and the queue for medals and T's at the end was mad. Couple of suggestions: give people the option of having numbers posted out and give out T's at registration as well if required, a simple cross or mark on the race number would suffice to see if people had already got theirs.

To end on a more positive note though, it is great fun, the crowd are brilliant (cheers to the fella that was offering out fruit jellies with a couple of miles to go!) and if you can handle a couple of miles of hills, it's very much beginner friendly with all levels of ability taking part. The organisers may just need to look at limiting the numbers to make it run really smoothly.
Date of review: November 19, 2012

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

In short: Very tough but huge grin factor :)
In full: If you're chasing PB's this is one to forget immediately. If however, you want to get mucky, sweat, grin, ache and basically have the time of your life in the great outdoors, this is one you MUST do. Like all LT events the emphasis is very much on fun and taking part. You do thechallenge events at your own pace and if you want to stop and draw breath (or take photos, as a fair few did on the tough climb up Coppermines Valley) you can. There are sections that are tough to run for all but the fittest and some hellishly boggy bits (hardly a shock after the recent weather), but these are more than compensated for by some stunning scenery and some brilliant trails and descents to run.

If you're thinking of doing an LT event, stop thinking about it and do it, they are fantastic events and potentially life changing experiences, especially for trail running newbies.
Date of review: October 8, 2012

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

In short: Next year CAN'T be as windy!
In full: I did the 10k and glad I did this over the 1/2 marathon option as the conditions were rough, extremely windy and very wet at times. It was so windy in fact that it held the tide up, which in turn meant a delayed start to the race, a new one on me!

On the whole it was a great event. Lovely setting, great course which was quite testing at times, especially on the beach and dunes and the two loose climbs late on were killers, although relatively short. Nice mix of surfaces and the views and terrain on Llanddwyn Island were breathtaking, especially the roughness of the sea.

Couple of downsides: the delayed start was unavoidable in the conditions but it was initially put back to 12-30 (from noon) then brought back forward to 12-15. I suspect a few may have missed the start because of this. The T-shirt was a disappointment as it just mentioned the Anglesey Trail Marathon (which didn't take place in the end, just the 10k and 1/2) and the medal was a slate coaster, not a medal. Nice touch for the area though, very appropriate. I just wish races would deliver what they advertise, my daughter loves medals!

That aside though the race itself was great, the course was great, the views were (probably) great but as the weather was typical NW Wales in Autumn, we didn't see as much as we might have done!

I'll definately be back next year though.
Date of review: October 2, 2012

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

In short: Great first effort
In full: Did this as I was on my way to visit friends down South and can't do without my Saturday run! Really glad I found it - friendly, scenic, well organised, well marshalled and killer cakes at the end, what more do you want?
Date of review: September 24, 2012

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

In short: Really well organised and enjoyable event
In full: You can't ask for much more for the money. Great views, well marshalled and signed flat course, loads of water (needed it!), friendly atmosphere and lots of bananas and wagon wheels at the finish! It was my first road half marathon and I'd say it's a very good one to start with. Well done to FCR, a very well run event.
Date of review: July 16, 2012

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

In short: Do some hills beforehand!
In full: Cracking event with some great scenery and a complete mix of terrain. A fair few climbs, but nothing really brutal and most of the "going up" is in the first half of the race. A lot of the climbs are on tarmac/hardpack too, but some trickyish descents in the wet conditions (mainly tree roots). As long as you've a reasonable level of fitness and have some off road experience this should hold few fears and be a lot of fun.
Date of review: July 2, 2012

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

In short: Great Race for 1st Timers - but they ain't all this pricy!
In full: I'd agree with most of what's been said before. I was honest about my time when I enetered and was in the pink wave, have improved a bit since entering and won't go in the last wave again, it was like dodgem cars at times, people walking within the first 1k. Course is good but that gradual uphill at the end is a bit cheeky! The support as everyone has commented is superb and the shower tent is ace! Have to say though that the cost is bordering on obscene. That's the one thing that may stop me doing it again. Also, as sopmeone else commented, for those that need walk breaks it would be a big help if they didn't walk three/four abreast in the middle of the road, single file to one side would be a big help even to relative newbies like me who are still trying to break the hour. A note in the pre race blurb (of which there is plenty) to this effect would be very useful and would probably elminate more than a few hairy moments.

There's no doubt it's great fun to be part of the whole event though, everyone should do it at least once.
Date of review: May 23, 2012

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

In short: Easy going, great fun, a few short hills, some nice views and a school dinner supper!
Date of review: May 4, 2012

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