My Event Ratings

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

In short: I've run many marathons and lots of ultras but this hard.
In full: Anybody know when and where the resultst are available?
Date of review: September 23, 2012

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

In short: Good race but feel a bit ripped off
In full: Generally a very good race with some nice touches like the feed stations , finish line and bag drops. A couple of niggles though
Rubbish medals that don't even distinguish whether you did the 1 day or 2 day event
Long stretches in the gutter on a roads were dangerous
No marshals apart from at checkpoints. Kids enjoy moving arrows!
Goodie bags too full of expensive printed tourist literature rather than stuff to help runners
Hardly saw hadrians wall- incredibly disappointing the route had long sections of road

All in all slightly underwhelmed that £150 didn't buy better service and rewards. In your first year running a race, with such high entry fees, surely you give entrants such a feel good feeling they tell all their mates ?
Date of review: June 24, 2012

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

In short: Lovely scenery and lots of friendly runners
In full: Good course with lots of scenery. Very hilly but cant have been that bad as I beat my PB by 2 minutes.
Very friendly atmosphere and a fantastic route.
2 minor gripes - very expensive for a generic medal and cotton Tshirt. I did Kielder Marathon last month and they managed a Technical Tshirt and a bag bulging with goodies goodies at the end.
Secondly was disappointed with the organisation at the end - none of the organisers knew where the bus back to the carpark was. After a hard 26 miles you could do without wandering around for ages looking for a lift back to your car.

All in all though a good event
Date of review: November 6, 2011

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

In short: Great scenery, and a real challenge.
In full: If you can run a marathon, run this one !
You wont get a pb, and you will ache the next day, but if you are used to running flat races through housing estates then this will remind you why you run. Great organisation, great goody bag and great Tshirt.
A couple of grumbles - the course description on the literature doesnt describe the hilliness clearly enough - whilst there are only a few large hills, there is very little actual flat terrain, and I'd have liked to prepare a little more for the constant ups-and-downs. Also it would be good to encourage more supporters - its great when you go through the viewing points / car parks where the crowd were fantastic, but its awfully lonely on the stretches between - I ran for long stretches without seeing people.

Date of review: October 10, 2011

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

In full: Generally a well-run, enjoyable race, but I have the same pleas as most Marathoners - please change the 2nd half. Its soul-destroying when its windy around the lake. Also can the organisers restrict cycling access on the towpath (miles 21-24) - its when most runners start to suffer and wobble and its frustrating when inconsiderate cyclists keep barging you out of the way. Also, can the organisers look at other local races which provide great goodie bags for a £10 entry - Robin Hood aint cheap and has loads of sponsors - please try to provide runners with a proper memory of the race next year. Its only a few years ago when you got a Panel of Nottingham Lace as you crossed the line - its still on my wall as a memento of my 1st Marathon
Date of review: September 12, 2011

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

In short: Without doubt the best running event ever!!!!!! How can a hard run leave such a massive smile on so many peoples faces for a whole year???
In full: Having done this event every year with my club, it just gets better each year.
I road-race most weekends but this is the spectacular highlight of the year. Each year you leave with new friends and look forward to running with them the next year.
Everyone helps each other, and the number of families / supporters camped trackside means even when you're struggling, theres always someone to offer friendly encouragement.
Make a weekend of it and it's like going to Glastonbury with the biggest family ever.
As for the running, yes its hard and as a soloist, you definitely feel tired the next day, but its the kind of pain that makes you smile - you really feel like you've achieved something special. The exciting 'unknown' is the British weather. In 2009 the heavens opened and we slid around the 10k loops caked in sludge, but a heat-wave this year offered a completely different challenge.

Organisation is fantastic - Patrick & Chris ensure all your needs are catered for, and the marshalls must be the best in the country.
If you cant tell already, I'd urge anyone who can put on a pair of trainers to give this one a try !
Date of review: August 1, 2011

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

In short: Great atmosphere, challenging slopes - great day out
In full: I wish more races would put the fun runs / kids runs on after the main event, rather than starting at the same time - it lets parents do the race AND encourage the kids to race by running the funruns with them.My 2 boys look forward to this all year, and despite the rain, its still a great day out. Thanks Reg & Karen
Date of review: July 17, 2011

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

In short: Great Fun ..mud..hills..farmers fields.....and great soup & cakes at the end. Thankyou Toonies for another great day out
Date of review: March 6, 2011

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

In short: awesome fun - muddy and wet has never felt so good!
In full: A 5 mile lap of mud, big hills, mud, horse jumps, mud, lakes to wade thru, mud, fences, mud, water jumps, mud, scramble nets (id have preferred scrabble nets), mud, fast-feet tyre obstacles, mud, ditches and yet more mud. The end of lap 1 delivers a sludgy steep uphill, to break any last vestiges of willpower you may have

After 1 lap you are given the 'quit' option where you retire to lick your wounds, or the 'double' option where you coax your broken body into a 2nd lap, with the knowledge that that final killer hill lies in wait after 9.8 miles!!!!!!.

Despite the heavy rain, and me slipping into the lake (full submersion is not pleasant), freezing cold, 1 lap was never an option, and believe me its worse the 2nd time as you know what is coming.

Awesome marshalls with a great sense of humour, and some fantastic camaraderie amongst the mud-splattered competitors made this a must-do event from the same team that organised the skeleton run .

The only negative i can find is the lack of orange-boxes for tiny fellas like me to stand on to get over the jumps; long-legged titans strode imperiously over obstacles like greek gods hurdling an ant. Next year i will be sellotaping bean tins to the soles of my trainers to resolve this issue

Thoroughly enjoyable in a sadistic way, with a wicked twist at the end - the field full of cars became so boggy (did i mention the mud and the rain?) that we had to hour push all the stuck cars out.



Date of review: February 27, 2011

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

In full: I ran this race in the daylight last year , but the Skeleton run at night is SOOOO much better.The fun element actually takes your mind off the big hills.
Totally enjoyable- fantastic to see so many runners getting into the spirit in fancy dress, Great value and the goodies at the end (toffee apples & bananas) were just the trick.
Ill definitely be back next year

Date of review: October 30, 2010

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